wherearethediamonds

Cruising home…almost (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei & Singapore)

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Diamond

We decided to jump on a cruise to see the eastern Indonesian islands as well as Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. It was a good idea for two reasons, after reading on the area we still can’t figure out where we want to go and it will be great to not unpack every few nights. We are averaging about 3.5 nights per hotel stay, so the cruise will be a real treat. At first glance the ports don’t have that much to offer, it is not just that we have seen a lot of the region or that we have seen the Bali’s and Gili’s of the world. They just aren’t that nice but at least they are still different. Different goes along way in peaking ones interest.

When the small things in life still amuse one it is a good sign or maybe a sign that we are starting to loses it a bit. A few things kept us amused and away from the 24-hour cruise buffets.

1) Remember the boogeyman? Well, we saw him. The name came from indigenous people from Indonesia.

This is not the Boogeyman! Just a sweet lady in Indonesia.

2) Why does every city have a Chinatown, even these remote islands with smalls town have area dedicated to “china town”. I think we should have an Americatown everywhere.

3) We are proud to announce that after a 12-day cruise we never took the elevators, yep call us crazy but we walked via the stairs all week. Even late night leaving the casino, which can be a feat in itself just getting back to the correct room.

About the ship, the average age was about 70 and it was great because: we had the restaurants to ourselves since everyone was eating at 6:30 pm, we had our own private pool since everyone was napping during our afternoon swim, there was no pressure to talk to everyone, they thought we were the dancers or Pilates instructors since we were so young and when we did speak with a few guests we could say anything we wanted because they couldn’t hear us. J Yahoo! Also, since we are now in our forties, it was nice to be considered the “young ones.”

On a more serious note we made a few good friends. Roz and Jerry from Connecticut were our new BFF’s. Jerry being a former Pediatrician turned Artist (even showing pieces at the world renowned Art Basal in South Beach), and Roz’s practice as a Therapist has slowed down by her choice so she could focus on being a fabulous Photographer (yes, of National Geographic caliber). We made friends when dining side-by-side one evening, which evolved in to is having a few ‘double dates’ on the cruise. One evening before we landed at Port in Kota Kinabalu which is a city in Saba, Malaysia (part of Borneo Island) Greg and I were chatting about how we really should have booked something with the excursion desk. Right on cue, Roz and Jerry waltzed by and Roz mentioned that she was going alone for a fully packed day of sightseeing as Jerry had signed up for a different activity and she was gracious enough to invite us to join her. Perfecto!

On our Roz day, we learned about Headhunting, which thankfully as of 1929 for one tribe and 1948 for another, no longer exists. It is bad enough worrying about Malaria, cleanliness of food, etc…we’d sure hate to add being beheaded to the list! In a nutshell, a Priestas (always female) is told by the spirits during a ritual how many human heads she needs in order to fulfill the spirits so that she can cure or protect. Then the tribe warriors go out and first paralyze their prey, which are warriors from a different tribe, by way of a blow dart. Once paralyzed they are quickly beheaded and the skulls are cleaned, dried and remain out front of homes, places of worship or around their Village to ward off evil.

House of Skulls

We then went to see some wonderful Orangutans (all of which are from Borneo and have 99% of our DNA) that are being rehabilitated.

Feeding time for our little friend

It was fascinating seeing them, but equally as fascinating seeing Roz photograph them.It was feeding time so these bad boys came swinging down to their food platform and munched away as we clicked our cameras away. Lastly, was a mangrove cruise, which was reminiscent of our good ole Florida. It was great to hear Roz and Jerry’s stories of travel, shifting of life interests and to know that they still have such a zest for life after so much change.

Adorable kids we met before the mangrove boat ride.

Of course, we also had a handful of Brit friends from the late night piano bar, I didn’t realize their accents get thicker with each drink they have:)

Another cool factoid we learned about the large Chinese population in Malaysia is that at age 12 kids are allowed to make their religious decision, so they are mostly Christian locally, however mainly Muslim elsewhere in Malaysia.

The next stop was Brunei, a new country as of 1986, some rich sultan basically decided he wanted his own country. Take note Ukraine, it’s that easy for Russia if you don’t watch out. So I guess a country wasn’t enough so the Sultan went out and bought 5,000 cars. Not just any cars, all luxury. Try on 536 Ferraris and 137 Bentleys as just a few examples of the collection. I think the fast and furious 7 should take place in Brunei and steal all the cars and sell them so the proceeds can go to charity.

After spending the day in town I realize there is nothing that special about having your own country. It’s just land unless you do something special with it. So for those of you who thought about owning your own country or island like Sir Richard Branson don’t fret. Just spend your money traveling instead.

In-between ports of call Linda, being the dubious geek that we all know and love, took full advantage of the lectures, art and iMovie classes all week. We are feeling very westernized again, like we are being brainwashed and prepared to re-enter American life.

Last call Singapore. Modern, clean as anything we have ever seen, with a booming economy and a major hub for shipping. The Government puts its money where it’s mouth is, getting a car is an example. They want to encourage public transit, so you pay a tax equivalent to the price of the car. Capitalism or some sort of government manipulation at its best. Everyone is in business attire, first place in 9 months where we saw a business environment. It was strange or at best a wake up (not a wake up call). We learned that Israel and Singapore have a lot in common and worked closely together in building Singapore. Israel helped Singapore by teaching them survival and prosperity through brainpower and innovation. Neither country is large, or has natural resources and both have hostile neighbors. Both are prospering and growing so they must be doing something right. If you have an interest in this subject Google the “order – justice” paradox, we learned about it but are still trying to understand it. Singapore is certainly worth a few days if you are seeking a modern western city in the middle of a developing region. The irony with Singapore’s success is it’s age…1963 they declared their independence from the UK and joined the Federation of Malaya. Then in 1965 Malaysia basically kicked them out, they weren’t Muslim and too culturally different, Malaysia probably wishes they could be an Indian giver (oops not supposed to use that term). So, on a side note since we are all in to the origin of words and phrases these days…the “Indian Giver” phrase originated due to a cultural misunderstanding that arose when Europeans first encountered Native Americans. Europeans thought they were receiving gifts from Native Americans, while the Native Americans believed they were engaged in bartering; this resulted in the Native Americans finding European behavior ungenerous and insulting so they took the gifts back.

Back to businesss…Singapore is technologically advanced and we like automatic stuff so it’s a good fit. Glass doors magically open and toilets lights change color and flush without touching. Our hotel was the most modern architecture we have stayed at, still trying to figure out how the building is standing with all the open areas and even our 34th floor was with open-air hallways.

View from our hotel down a few floors! So cool!

The river walk is the center of town and reminds us of the same setup in Austin, Texas. Or just take Reston Town Center and add water.

Our pool at the Singapore Park Royal Hotel

We met a good buddy for dinner, Ray Jefferson, who recently moved to Singapore from DC.

Our buddy, Ray, showing us around Singapore

We had a great dinner and he showed us a few local sites. A former Special Operations military guy who felt like DC was too restrictive so he moved to Singapore. Nice idea. We also hit the infamous Singapore zoo. Check out the Orangutan trying to grab my hair. Funny!

He almost has my hair in his little hand! Tarzan, call me Jane!

We have unintentionally started to brainwash ourselves with western style visits recently. Between the cruise then Singapore and now heading to Japan we are hopefully back in the swing of things “American style”. We loved all the developing countries experiences, which have been about 95% of our trip, but it is also good to be in a modern environment again.

As we wind down and start reflecting on the beginning of the trip we now realize how much we traveled with new eyes because, well, everything was new. Now in more western cultures we are feeling like we are traveling with old eyes. A little bit of “seen it” and we keep reminding our sleeves we haven’t really, it’s still different but just not as extreme as what we experienced earlier in our travels. Which is fine, we now know what we really love while traveling. We love all that is “different” as compared to what we grew up with. People, cultures, views, governments, landscapes, challenges. The differences really spark our desire to learn and challenge everything we have learned previously

All aboard, last stop Japan!

PHOTOS:
– Cruise: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei
* Indonesia: Bali, Nusa Dua, Surabaya, Semarang, Makassar;
* Malaysia: Kota Kinabalu;
* Brunei: Bandar Seri Begawan

Posted in Indonesia, Malaysia & Brunei, SE Asia, Singapore | 1 Comment

We found Paradise, at least for us (Indonesia ~ Gili Island)

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Diamond

Paradise: a very beautiful, pleasant, or peaceful place that seems to be perfect. : a place that is perfect for a particular activity or for a person who enjoys that activity.

Landing on Gili, only one way to do it

I think we found the perfect setting, at least for us. An Island, crystal clear water, marine life, great weather, just enough amenities, inexpensive, off the beaten path, no bug bites, small town that’s chill but can turn it up with some live reggae music and last but not least island locals as nice as can be. Check please! The place must be special if after the first hour of arriving we started fantasizing about moving here.

Sitting in the middle of the Indian Ocean two hours by boat north of Bali is Gili Island. A circular island walkable on the beach in about two hours with no motorized vehicles to be seen. You walk, bicycle or jump in a horse/donkey driven cart. You are definitely off the grid here, a few two-story villas speckle the beachfront and the rest of the buildings are basically shacks.

Time to chill out

One dirt road circles the island with occasional breaks in the dirt where the road turns into the beach. There are over 20 dive sites within a 10-minute boat ride so dive shops are everywhere. Day 1 we sat on the beach, in the shade, swam and napped so it didn’t take long to get on island time. Day 2 we were woken up by some hammering next to us, they are building another shack next door. No big deal since it allowed us to catch a sunrise. A stunning setting with the ocean glistening from the rays and off into the distance is another island or volcano that is dead center in front of the sun.

Sunset Bike Ride

For $5 dollars we rented bikes and spent the day riding around the island, jumping in the water on stretches of deserted beach whenever we got to hot. Every so often we come across a small resort in the middle of nowhere, if you want solitude this is your place.

Our days have been spent lying in a bamboo oversized cough on the beach, making the 1.5 hour walking loop of the island, snorkeling with sea turtles, drinking banana smoothies, synchronized reading of a book and rotating between three different bathing suits that are always wet. We both read the same book over the last week, kinda like synchronized swimming and yes we are that tied together at the hip these days. 707 pages later we both finished the Nelson DeMille gold coast thriller within one minute of each other. Making your way to the west part of the island is a mini pilgrimage each day around 6 PM, you pass a few hundred hippies and older well dressed tourists along the way.

Sunset on the west side

A few beach bars which are basically shacks that have beer delivered to them daily provide the food and beverages needed to make the sunset an event we only missed a few days. To watch a sunrise or sunset any day is a natural gift, I might start booking an appointment with myself for this each day. It never gets old, unlike us.

Each night we walk the five minutes into the shack filled town and decide on a place to eat based on what is on display along the road; fresh fish caught daily is the norm however rotisserie chicken or wood burning ovens make chicken and pizza an easy substitute.

Doesn’t get any fresher or better looking:)

The pizza night is a good example of the simplicity on the island as well as an example of how ones life could be simple. The no named spot had a few chairs and tables, a few thatched bungalows to lie down in and a brick oven burning some wood and coals. A handheld cooler kept the ingredients cold and wala, a pippin hot pizza shows up. The type of place where you order a bottle of a wine and a little kid hops on his bike and rides down the street to another store and gets the bottle. Some nights he never returned and we moved on to the beer. All the meals were excellent, all the places were on the beach, shorts and t-shirt was the dress code since each establishment just a thatched roof to beat away the sun and heat. As you walked down the beach, the chair color and style was different in each side by side restaurant which was the only way you could tell who would be serving and cooking your food.

Prior to arriving we felt the one thing we had been missing on this adventure was an island just like gili, a place almost lost in time. Unfortunately it won’t last for long, after a week we can see the flow of commerce right before our eyes. A new fancy Italian restaurant is about to open and building supplies from nearby islands arrive daily. This didn’t stop me from inquiring about making a business out of this vacation spot that would give us a reason to visit every year. I befriended a villa manager who gave me the scoop. For about $500,000 you can buy the beachfront land and build a 10-15 room villa resort and make your money back in under two years. Shhhhhh, he told me not to talk to anyone else on the island about it so he and I can go into business together. He also told me to stop traveling and save my money so we can open a resort together. Maybe, just maybe one day. I remember the quote by Richard Branson and it applies perfectly to this scenario, “life is much better when you say yes”. I can hear the “for sales” signs being pounded in the ground in Maryland as I type.

Everyone walks around in bathing suites showing off their freshly inked artwork and carrying snorkel masks and flippers. At almost any point along the coast you can jump in and swim a few feet and see amazing coral and sea life. We soon looked like everyone else carrying our gear down the beach or an alternative look was riding a bike with the snorkel gear in the basket. We now looked like everyone else, we just don’t have the tattoos, and we may seriously be the only ones on the island without any ink. No big deal just interesting to see how a group of obviously like-minded people all do the same things. I guess no different then business people wearing suites with freshly cropped hair and newly polished wing tips, everyone in that class of people all fall into line. How about showing up to work one day in shorts and flops, why is there a dress code anyways? As long as your private parts are covered is anything really inappropriate anymore?

After a week on the island we felt like locals, we knew everyone at the villa and a few people in town. Maybe we got to comfortable, as I turned to hop on our bikes I realized they were missing. I thought no one would steal on an island like this and I was right. Our bikes in effect had been repossessed, just like the towing reality shows on TV. We paid for six days and it was day seven, a good business lesson to be had. You can be chill and relaxed but your customers still need to pay on time.

No bikes, no hi ho silver since the horses are all attached to carts so on foot we travelled. Just like Cain, walking the earth or maybe just the five minutes to town to catch a boat back to Bali. A little depressed because we really loved this place, probably enough to come back if someone we know twisted our arm and wanted to visit paradise.

Lost in time, just the way we like it

Ground hogs day here we come, please!

PHOTOS – Indonesia – Gili Island

Posted in Indonesia | 8 Comments

Bali-short and sweet

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Diamond

The beauty of being ignorant and then learning makes what you learned seem that much more amazing. We started our travels almost a year ago in the Bahamas and learned that the Bahamas has 170 islands and we thought that was amazing. Then we pull into Halong Bay in Vietnam and learned there are 1,800 islands and thought how incredible that was. Now we land in Bali and realize Indonesia has 18,000 islands. Really mind blowing, I thought we were going to this small tropical oasis from the guidebook reviews. To some degree it is, however as part of Indonesia, Bali is part of a country with 230M people, 4th largest country, and the largest Muslim population in the world. Ok, enough 7th grade geography.

Twelve hours from Vietnam and we finally feel the kindness and gentleness of the local people. It has a real island feel, although a big island with good infrastructure. There is water to be seen everywhere since all the towns are on the coast. A 6:30am wake up call and we are off to school, yep going to sit in a classroom all day to start off our scuba dive certification class. Some pool training, four monitored dives in open water and we are on our way to certification.

safety first

Our last dive was on a USS Liberty ship torpedoed in WWII, beached in order to salvage the cargo onboard, and then in 1963 the tremors associated with the eruption of Mount Agung caused the ship to slip off the beach on to a sand slope in 30 to 100 feet of water. Crazy. We saw colors we didn’t know existed, a huge eel, a 6ft barracuda and a few black fin sharks.

Yep thats an EEL!

A great experience but diving probably won’t become a big hobby, if I end up buying some equipment it will probably end up on the shelf next to the race bicycle, snowboard, horseback riding gear and golf clubs. If we end up at a great dive spot on our travels we would probably spend a day underwater but nothing more.

After a few days in Bali our big highlight was a burger, since we are very focused on languages and realize that most words have a story behind them. It makes more sense to call it a burger, not a hamburger. Why name it ham when it is usually beef? We call a turkey burger just that…turkey! Anyway it was excellent and then an Italian meal the next night was just as good. Yep we are craving food we are used to or maybe just had enough noodle soup and stir-fry. But then again we all always want what we can’t have. As we learned at our meditation retreat, one should only want you ‘have’ then you won’t always want more. Or another way I have read the saying is “want what you have, don’t need what you want”.

We walked the main town of Kuta, a beachy feel with a few roads packed with surf shops, hippie clothes, coffee houses and knock off tee shirts. Lots of younger travelers on the streets while the Australians fill the bars. It reminds me of playa del Carmen in Mexico, a great place to spend a week or two but nothing that special to warrant a 20 hour trip if coming from the US of A. This is the main party place for those down under, most people say go to Kuta to party then leave and enjoy the beaches somewhere else on the island. So that’s what we did, we headed just north to a sleepy town called Seminyak, chill with a capital C is what we did. After a few days I started sounding like Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, everything was ‘dude’ and ‘alright’ with all the locals.

Coming into Bali we heard mixed commentary from several travelers we met, and now I understand why. Part off the reasoning is that expectations are way too high, the place has exploded so it’s no longer the quaint romantic island you read about. Secondly, it is very diverse, south side is quiet with great beaches, west side is hectic with black sand and a dirty ocean but great for surfing and so on. It is hard to find everything one expects in a SE Asian island in one place. Not to mention the security issues, after terrorist bombings by a violent Islamist group in 2002 and another in 2005, everyone and every vehicle is searched at a gate leading into every hotel. The full treatment, pop the trunk, look into purses and bags and run a mirror under the car. All in all, Bali does have a little something for everyone within a short drive…parties, shopping, scuba diving, beautiful beaches, inexpensive resorts, etc. It is also amazing how much they have endured and have all still come out smiling! Now, we are off to the Gili Islands which are a group of three small islands about a two hour boat ride from Bali.

PHOTOS- Indonesia – Bali (Nusa Dua and Seminyak)

Posted in Indonesia, SE Asia | 3 Comments

WAR…not the card game or the song. (Vietnam – Hue and Ho Chi Minh City)

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Diamond

The area formerly considered South Vietnam that was split by the DMZ (demilitarized zone) is where we headed to spend a few days visiting the American War memorials. It was a couple of hours from Hue, which was the charming city that we were based out of. In Vietnam they understandably refer to it as the American War, not the Vietnam War. We met our guide, Vu, at his newly built house. Vu sat back in his chair like a mafia boss smoking cigarettes telling us how successful he is because he built a house and he has a son (and a daughter…but I’ll get to that later). It is just part of the culture but interesting to hear someone just come right out and say, “I’m successful”. If you built a house in this region, since there are no mortgages, you have basically achieved safety and comfort for the rest of your life. Vu, 36 years young, said this is the house he will stay in for the rest of his life. In Vietnam the son takes care of their parents, so having a son means even more security. So, since Vu has a son and a daughter he has hit the jackpot. Vu’s parents live with him now and when his son marries, his wife will move in and take care of Vu and his wife when they need help. Ideally, they will each have their own floor to live on with a common kitchen on the first floor. Vu’s business is operated out of the first floor (in the front portion of the porch), which is a typical set up in Vietnam if you are not living in the countryside. Makes for a heck of any easy commute to work! And childcare needs…non-existent with this set up. A cup of tea, coffee and a few nibbles of a mysterious “lucky” fruit left over from the Tet (Lunar New Year) and we are on our way.

First stop is the former US marine base called Khe Sanh, known for the biggest battle in the war. Over 120,000 North Vietnamese attacked this base where about 6,000 fought for months to hold the group, strategically important because it’s the first highland region heading into the south of the country. So important that President Lyndon Johnson would get daily updates and shown troop movements on a small-scale model at the White House. It was a brutal battle with thousands killed, Americas air war saved the day when we implemented a 24/7 campaign in the region carpet bombing ever piece of land in sight. Even with this air power, there were a few weeks the base was surrounded and only air dropped supplies saved the marines on land. There is something eerie about walking in the same footsteps and on the same land where kids 18 years old fought, killed and died in a war where they didn’t know the enemy or see them most of the time. We walked through the bunkers and the airstrip where there are still fragments of clothes, boots and shrapnel that get unearthed as the rains come every year. Downed helicopters and tanks are on display and even today, 40 years later, you can’t walk beyond the base’s perimeter because of potential landmines and unexplored bombs. It was very emotional as we talked to each other and tried to make sense of how this could have happened as well as appreciate what other US citizens went through to protect the interest of our country. Seeing our country’s military markings on the side of a crumpled up plane that is on display for all to see in a foreign land made a sad knot in our throats. So, to sum this up, you know I was crying like a little baby and Greg had to console me.

The puzzle of life continues. Another war over different beliefs and a large country supporting a small country. Or maybe war is due to religion, or human rights, or philosophy…in any case there is rarely a true winner as all sides suffer.

Next stop the DMZ, not a spectacular site in itself but interesting to walk across the bridge that separated the two sides. Still in place are massive loud speakers, the old style that look like trombones, where propaganda would blast and be heard for miles on each side.

The bridge at the DMZ

Of course, if we were DJ’ing the war would have ended on the spot…everyone would either start dancing or run away from the ear shattering hip-hop. A great anecdotal story about the painting of this bridge sums the differences up. The South would paint their half of the bridge blue, the North would then paint their half blue so the entire bridge is now blue. The South would then paint their half yellow, and the North would then paint there half yellow so once again the bridge is one color. This represented the South’s desire to have two countries and the North’s desire to have one country. Like siblings drawing a line in a shared bedroom, there is no winner. You step over the line and you get in a fight, you don’t step over and you become the weaker and only have half the space:). Can’t we all just get along?

Last stop is Vinh Moc, a tunnel complex, dug by the North. Thousands, yes literally thousands, of miles of these tunnels is what made the hide and seek game played by the North so frustrating for our troops.

Vinh Moc Tunnels

As you walk around the complex, which winds around working rice fields, massive craters still exist from our bombs. Then you enter the tunnels, five feet tall corridors where hundreds of people would live, eat, give birth…to avoid the constant bombardment of bombs. These tunnels were mainly built by hand for years and years by thousands of people. Once again the will of the people to be independent is so powerful. It reminds me of the movie Wolverines, where Patrick Swayze lead a group of high school in fighting the invading Russians guerrilla style. (As you may have guessed, that comment was all Greg, because I have never and would never watch a film called Wolverines.) Sounds like a familiar plot, I wonder if the VC wrote the script for the movie.

On to Ho Chi Minh City, which prior to 1976 was known as Saigon. We spent a few days walking the modern streets of another big city in SE Asia. One of the ‘must see’ museums here is the “War Remnants Museum”. There were a few renditions before they landed on this name. In 1975, when it opened it was called the “Exhibition House for US and Puppet Crimes” (Puppet is referring to the South Vietnamese) then in 1990, the name changed to “Exhibition House for Crimes of War and Aggression”, dropping both “US” and “Puppet.” The term puppet just cracked us up…could there be a bigger dig?! In 1995, following the normalization of diplomatic relations with the US and the end of the US embargo from a year before, the references to “war crimes” and “aggression” were dropped from the museum’s title as well. Now, we end up with the current name of the “War Remnants Museum”.

A picture of a US medic that is wounded, yet still vigorously helping his comrades.

It was certainly one sided, but a moving experience. We both walked away deeply saddened by all of the pain and suffering on all sides of the war.

A section of the museum was dedicated to touching photos that were published…here are a few.

A section of the museum was dedicated to Photographers and their touching photos that were published…here are a few with interesting descriptions.

A boat trip to the Mekong Delta was next on the agenda and our highlight. An hour down the river that twists and turns through the countryside is the scene for hundreds of miles. This is where the heavy fighting and the famous PT boats did the horrific job of patrolling the riverbanks. It was just as I imagined, canals about 50 yards wide with heavy dense jungle on each bank. Huge bunches of palm tree ferns sprout out of the ground with 2-foot thick bases gown on top of each other. The perfect setting for an ambush at any section of the river. I can’t imagine being on a boat cruising the river and smaller canal day after day for months just waiting to be ambushed.

Mekong River Delta

The poverty on the Mekong Delta was staggering. It reminded us of the Townships in South Africa, but on the water.

As you can tell we are a little caught up in the war, so moving on. A few surprises along the way like stopping at an orphanage in a small village for lunch, then to a local market

These little girls followed me around the market giggling and gave me some pretty pink flowers (the ones in her hand). They are so sweet!

These little girls followed me around the market giggling. We chatted it up despite our language barrier and they gave me some pretty pink flowers (the ones in her hand). They are so sweet!

and finally to a local farmers house to drink fresh coconut juice was a real treat because we saw Vietnam in a raw environment. Our guide grew up in this area, so it was not on the typical tourist path. The day was perfect, but was it the calm before the storm? A quick stop at the house of an 85 year old lady who’s Mom was 108 brought out my worst fear. As we sat and chatted with the local family, well more like stared at each other since we didn’t speak each other’s language, a giant 90 lb., 10 foot Burmese Python slithers by the patio deck. While Linda held the hand of her new BFF (she’s not taking little Sophie’s place!!!), Greg was shivering in his boots.

Linda with her new 85 year old BFF! Her Mom’s (108) was taking her afternoon nap.

It was a planned part of the experience but we didn’t know that at first. I really hate snakes so Linda carried the familia bravery torch and did the family photo shoot with this thing hanging off her neck.

She didn’t have a name, so I named her Ellie (for Elephant) as she was HUGE!

This sums up the types of experience you get when traveling in a developing country; unexpected events automatically create excitement and adrenaline which as we know makes you crave for more.

We are discussing seeing family and friends daily and feeling like it is time to start thinking about what’s next in life. I know our meditation retreat was about living in the moment but sometimes you can’t help it. We have taken inventory on how we feel about the trip and have decided we will get back to the USA at our scheduled time (April), after living a few more unique cultures and seeing a few more babies on scooters. Like a good martini or piece of Lindt milk chocolate, sometimes you just can’t get enough.

Now, time for us to move to Bali, Indonesia to Eat, Play and Love. Yes, that was a cheesy nod at the book “Eat, Pray, Love”! Couldn’t help it! 🙂

VIETNAM PHOTOS

– Hoi An and Hue

– Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Posted in Uncategorized, Vietnam | Tagged Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam | 7 Comments

Goooooood morning Vietnam (Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hoi An)

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Diamond

We made it to Vietnam just in time for Tet, the lunar new year or as most of us know it the Chinese New Year. We started off in Hanoi, a bustling metropolis full of French colonial era architecture with the full flavor of the Vietnamese culture visible on every street.

West Lake in the center of Hanoi all a glow for the Tet New Year celebration.

For some reason most of the streets consist of all stores selling the same product. For instance on a nightly stroll we came across a street in which every store sold shoes, you name it you could find it, watch out DSW. The beautiful west lake area sets the tone of the country with over crowded streets filled with people and every other mode of transportation working together.

DSW better watch out!

Traffic and walking, at first glance is totally insane but you quickly realize the insanity can be managed. There are no lanes or traffic lights and one-way streets aren’t really one way. The catch is that everyone drives slowly so your trip is really just a constant merging from side to side in and out of other scooters, cars and people. It really works, like a symphony of different instruments all working together to create a constant flow of moving people. We crossed a street with about 6 lanes and since there are no lights there was no gap in traffic. So you just cross one step at a time while all the traffic streams in front of or behind you. Imagine taking 495, remove the painted lines, add a few million scooters and slow it down to 25 mph. Now throw in people crossing by foot every 15 feet or so and now you have Hanoi. Honking has a different meaning as well, a honk only means move over because I’m coming through, not hurry up or get out of my way.

Chaos in the streets!

We were really excited about Vietnam because we heard how great the country is for touring and we are very interested in the Vietnam war history so a trip to the prison where US pilots that were shot down were held (jokingly referred to as the Hanoi Hilton) was first on our list. This is when I first realized that Vietnam views what they call the American war as an invasion by the US. I feel like we were always taught we came in to support the south. When touring the Hanoi Hilton I was even asked by an older British lady how I felt about being here. So the US was viewed as the bad guys and street bullies carpet-bombing the north. However we are still very welcome, the older generation isn’t quite over it but the younger generations love the US and our culture. Much like any younger generation…they feel less attached since they didn’t live it. Speaking of carpet-bombing, the US dropped twice as many bombs in Hanoi as we did in the entire WWII. One of our guides was 11 during the Hanoi bombings, he said B-52’s flew together in formation and would drop bombs leveling an area a mile long by 300 yards wide. He would hide in the sewer like everyone else who was in the street when they heard the roaring engines overhead. The sewer became a way of life. As our guide put it, people have a basic need to feel safe so living in the sewer helped to met that need in a tumultuous time.

The Ho Chi Min Mausoleum, where he lies in the open somehow preserved since 1969, let us see the communist culture in full effect. Heavily guarded and strictly enforced rules like walking from the ticket booth to the museum a few hundred yards in a tight single file line made us feel the restrictions of life in a communist country.

Our Guide in Hanoi at the Ho Chi Minh Complex

This was further enforced when our guide confirmed that if he were to speak loudly in opposition to the government it would be “a problem” and one of the many soldiers would take some level of action. Thankfully we aren’t pro democratic activists like the US was in 1965 so it was easy to keep our mouths shut.

After the Ho Chi Minh Complex, we made our way to the The Temple of Literature which is a temple of Confucius in Hanoi. The temple hosts the “Imperial Academy” which is Vietnam’s first national university. The temple was built in 1070! Whoa! This museum also shows the history of the “Royal Examinations” which started during Chinese occupation in 1075 and they continued for almost 1,000 years. Basically the examinations were held all across region regardless of your background, in other words even the working class would get a chance, and the winners would be rewarded with a doctorate and then they could marry the King’s daughter and could be one of his advisors. Nice that the King just didn’t trust his family and personal posse…he actually wanted to find the smartest in the land to help advise him. The French stopped the Royal Examinations by the end of 1919 and set up western education. So, at that point women could be educated.

Greg looking scholarly at The Temple of Literature.

The people are so kind and accomodating so service at the hotels and restaurants was second to none. Beyond the visibly cheerful smiles the people are playful as well. They want to talk and practice their English, joke and have you wear their traditional garb and of course buy something, buy anything, from the masses of walking street vendors. A few fabulous French meals, some gym time and we are off to Halong Bay.

We cruised in Halong Bay, which is in the gulf of Tonkin. We had never heard of the place before we started planning for Vietnam and all I can say is they need to fire their marketing director. Really breathtaking scenery of a few thousand, yes I said thousand, small-uninhabited islands one after another for as far as the eye can see. Boats called Junks that resemble Mississippi River boats weave in and out of the islands for the entire three-day cruise.

Our “Junk” boat, The Au Co. The boat is just under 2 years old.

We hopped off at one island and went for a short bike ride and walk in the jungles but other than that you just stay on the boat and enjoy the scenery and daily happy hour. The thousands of islands are so closely packed together the boat slips by the tiny corridors where you can almost touch the sides of the steep rock formations. With a little haze each day the sparsely covered black rock and green grass formations give the scene a mystical feel like a Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland movie set. We met a couple that we ended up having dinner with two of the nights and we had a brilliant proper conversation (they are hard core British so we heard a ton of brilliant, proper and the bees knees during the trip). 🙂 Alex’s family has traced back their lineage 1,000 years and was part of history, as we know it and he knows his family’s coat of arms and can tell stories about kings and queens, towns falling and good drama added to the King Henry the x legacy. Catriona and Alex were on their honeymoon so we had to have a proper celebration with them. Not very challenging since they were wiser than the 30 years they have lived, and any good London accent makes you sound smart so I was listening intensely. 🙂 On that note also add the word “lovely” to your vocabulary and you too can sound intelligent.

Back to Hanoi to celebrate Tet with our buddies Alex and Catriona. Like our New Years where everyone celebrates and watches fireworks the streets were jammed packed all night with a visible build up of police. However since the east has a stronger cultural and historical attachment to the past this holidays is taken seriously. Shops close for 6-9 days and everyone travels to see family, say sorry for anything and to anyone in order to start the new year with a clean slate. Certain trees, types of money, types of foods are important to start the New Year with “luck”. We were our tour guides first clients of the year and he really believed he would be lucky this year. This is also a culture that has lucky or favorite numbers, animals, etc….all taken very serious. It would be good if we had a little more historical culture mixed into our life, on that note I declare the #2 and #14 my lucky numbers and the dog to be my lucky animal. Watch out Vegas! On second thought many probably would call this a superstition (an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.)

Greg and I are in need of a spa day!

We are over tour companies charging too much but also tired of planning on the internet so we are reverting to good old fashion networking. A quick conversation with a table next to us set us on our way to Hoi An then to Hue (pronounced Hway) both a one hour plane trip south. Hoi An is another one of those quaint towns with the lasting charm of the old world. A UNESCO heritage site like most of the places we have really enjoyed. For future planning we now realize (only took 7 months) that if it is a UNESCO site it’s probably going to be our style. It is like a historic designation in the US, it really limits what can change, build, etc. Hoi An reminded both of us of a less developed Charlestown, SC. The type of place you could stroll around for days, day or night in safety with small displays and festivals on a few of the riverbanks and street corners. A bonsai display we came across was amazing but just a small piece of the street charm of the city. A sunset boat cruise, some pagoda visits and a proper lovely night out with a couple we met at lunch and we are on our way via car to Hue.

VIETNAM PHOTOS: – Hanoi and Halong Bay

Please.

Làm ơn. (lam uhhn)

Thank you.

Cảm ơn. (kuhm uhhn)

Hello.

Xin chào. (seen chow)

Oh my god!

Oy zay Oy! (Our driver to Ha Long bag taught us that one!)

Posted in Vietnam | Tagged Hanoi, Vietnam | 1 Comment

6 years old and babysitting…we must be in Laos!

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Diamond

Along a bike ride, I think he wants some Money and Yes that’s a 6 year old carrying a baby

Imagine that you and I meet for lunch on a random Thursday and while eating we decide to head to the airport and hop a flight to…hmmm some cool southern city like Baton Rogue or how about Austin, Texas. Yeah we will go see Jacob Karlin for the weekend. While at the airport we book a hotel and buy a guide book. Why not? Being spontaneous is fun in itself, and what’s the worst that can happen? I don’t think it is possible to not enjoy yourself in a new city you have never visited. Try it, shall I dare say it is liberating. This is how we ended up in Laos. After hearing from a few fellow travelers how chilled out the country is we decided to see for ourselves.

Laos is considered the forgotten country, but its growing population of 7M has a great vibe. Laos took the brunt of the US bombing during the Vietnam war for two reasons; the US would not send ground troops into Laos but the Viet Cong would retreat to Laos so we bombed, secondly the Ho Chi Min trail that was the main supply route for the VC went through Laos. Today approximately one person and three cows are killed each day from unexploded landmines, a sad reminder of a war over 35 years ago where Laos claimed neutrality. So “stay on worn roads and paths” is the only safety warning today.

Pondering and chlling

The entire country is sooo chill so don’t even think about rushing around because the locals will actually laugh if you try to rush them. We walked the capital of Vientiane and everyone was out and about moving at a snail’s pace…cars are driving slowly and even the scooters don’t race around. The south end of the city flows into the Mekong River with a sunset over the river that makes the trip worthwhile. A few Wats and the equivalent of the Arc de Triomphe from Paris and the city sites are complete since you are here for people and culture not “must see” tourist spots.

Yummy Street food, chocolate and banana crepes and a beer for lunch

Four hours by car and we make it to the hillside town of Vang Vieng, lost in the 70’s, and that’s the way the backpackers that huddle here like it. It is as hippie and chill as a town can be. About 90 percent of the people here are young backpackers, and until a few years ago this is where travelers would come to smoke opium. Too many people died by jumping off rock cliffs or falling off rope swings so the government cracked down on restaurants selling what was called “happy” meals, yep just like McDonalds. This little town is now a haven for tubing, trekking, kayaking, cycling and any other outdoor activity…not for having “happy” meals. Since it’s high in the mountains the peaks bring cool sunny days and chilly breezy nights. The town is about 4 blocks long with no real buildings; all the stores and restaurants are basically huts. You know they are closed when a long piece of burlap is hanging and covering the open walkways to each establishment. Most restaurants don’t have normal tables and chairs; they have low coffee table style tables and raised benches covered with pillows that you lay on. Getting service is an accomplishment in itself, one of the disadvantages of being in a hippie town. Well, now that I think of it, we were never in a rush so I guess it really didn’t matter that I would take a nap and wake up when being asked for my order. A day of mountain biking, stopping by a blue lagoon and going caving gave us an appreciation for the raw beauty of Laos. The biking did leave us with sore rear ends. The terrain wasn’t really biking material seeing that it was all rocks. So much so that our poor bodies had to act like a shock absorbers. I even stood half of the time, and Greg would see me and say, “get after it baby!” as if I was standing up on the bike in order to get leverage to tear up the road. In reality I was standing just to give my poor bum a rest.

Buddhas are everywhere, even in caves

A morning breakfast that led to two hours of conversation with a couple from Philadelphia, so we set a double date for later that night. Sal and Frederica are traveling for 12 months and are probably the closest in kind to us that we have met on this trip. Whopper Burger got great reviews on TripAdvisor and Sal & Frederica already tested it out and gave it the thumbs up, so we went all in on the western theme for the night. Next up an Irish pub with real Irish people and an acoustic singer was bringing down the house down. Lots of good conversation and story telling about life on the road led to a last stop at Viva, the late night spot in town. We and the thirty other backpackers leave the pub and walk down the street together, I got the sense it wasn’t these kids first rodeos at this point. After hanging out with Jack, Daniels that is, Sal and I had enough and we ended up going home with a few less items than we started with. I lost my scarf and favorite hat and Linda lost her wallet…but not her purse?? Go figure. Only one credit card and a little cash were up in smoke. Canceling a credit card is not the problem, getting a new one sent to Laos is a big problem, oh well one CC down and two to go. We are going to try and cross paths with our new Philly friends soon, On the road maybe or back in the US of A.

Sunset over the mekong

A six-hour car ride deeper into the jungle and mountains takes us to Luang Prabang. A road has been cut through the dense jungles and winds up/down and around mountain ranges with S turns every few hundred feet. Small village huts line the streets where kids are running around, old ladies are weaving tall grasses into baskets while men chop wood and make repairs to the huts, one after another for the entire ride. It’s the dry season so lots of work needs to be complete before the monsoons come again.

Monestary

One of the bigger pleasant surprises of our travels, the town of Luang Prabang makes it worth going to Laos. I never would have imagined a quaint, clean, charming French colonial style town in the middle of the hills of Laos. Unique boutique clothing stores, antiques, cooking schools, restaurants and coffee shops line the streets overlooking the Mekong River. Monks roam the streets from sunrise to sunset, lots of monasteries here since it’s so beautiful and tranquil. This brings a more calming feeling to the streets than already exists. It reminds me of Bethesda, I’m serious, and I still can’t believe it. Not on the same scale but beggars can’t be choosers. So we have cancelled our flight to Vietnam and we are going to stay a little longer. Only problem is we have a 30 day Vietnam visa that started a few days ago so we can’t hang here too long otherwise we won’t have enough time in Vietnam which is supposed to be amazing.

The only downside to Laos was Linda had to brave some food poisoning for a few days. I guess it goes with the territory since I had it a few weeks ago. We are both officially over stir-fry anything and noodle soup, on the hunt for some good pizza or burger. The last night we found a great Indian restaurant so this is our new favorite cuisine.

no rain in the forecast, just sunshine

Another toilet situation came up in Laos, some bathrooms in Laos are what a westerner would expect but some are standup which means you just stand and squat down without an actual toilet. Nothing shocking as we’ve seen these types of toilets along our travels over the years. But it got me thinking (disclaimer…this is Greg) I have come up with a hybrid method. Why not stand on the toilet? After all we don’t sit on the seat anyway, instead we take the time and energy to cover it, like some world ending terminal disease will be caught by sitting on a seat. I find myself taking more time and care lining the seat then I do wipping my butt, ok TMI.

More Photos: LAOS – Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang

In Lao:
Khop chai lai lai = thank you very much (cope chai lie lie)
Sa bai di = hello

Good Night!

Posted in Laos | 7 Comments

I went to Pee Pee before meditation

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Diamond

After a memorable 10 days with Tim and Stacey where we shared the experience of everything Thailand has to offer we decided to drift to a Thai island in the Adaman Sea. Pee Pee is how it’s pronounced but it is spelled Phi Phi.

The full name is Koh Phi Phi Don Island. Beautiful and rebuilt since the 2004 tsunami that included 100ft waves and a 9.1 earthquake that killed 230,000 people in the region. Phi Phi and the tiny set of islands was apparently wiped out with the infrastructure destroyed. I remember watching TV and seeing this massive wave plowing through anything in its path like a snowplow pushing massive mounds of ice and snow right into your freshly shoveled driveway, only in this case it was taking houses and trucks with it through the streets miles inland. Luckily for local fisherman who sensed it, many lives were saved, even the elephants knew something was up. There are stories of elephants breaking their foot chains or while on a trip with tourists on their back they took off to higher ground, really amazing.

Wax on, wax off

We had to be in the right place if it took us three boats to get there with no other access to this remote section of the island. First a longboat from where Tim and Stacey left, then a ferry then another long boat into the shallower waters. The ferry is a whole other blog, in summary we were the second oldest on the boat and they packed this ancient barely sea worthy vessel with as many people as a square inch of deck and rail space could handle. At about 100 feet long even the narrow outside walkway from front to back was packed with hippies and young tattooed Auzzies, Russians and Germans sitting on the floor with their feet hanging over the side of the rail. Not an ideal safety scenario for us old overly cautious Americans but for under $15 dollars each it was hard to refuse and the experience was worth it. A last minute decision, as in the day before, turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. The island was the backdrop for “the beach” starting Leonardo DiCaprio. Strangely enough I remember watching the movie and dreaming about the fantasy of going off to a foreign land and finding a remote untouched beautiful enclave in the middle of the ocean. Much of my fantasy, or maybe vision of what SE Asia was like, came from this movie and other Vietnam war movies.

Today the island is far from uninhabited but still has a beautiful landscape of lush hill-side coves separating each other by massive rock formations, similar to many US west coast beaches. If you try hard enough you can find a secluded quiet beach but it’s not the norm. In the busy section the semi topless beach turns into a back packer party paradise at night, we didn’t attend as it was a 2 hour hike to get there (no cars or tuk tuks on the island) but heard about it. We ended up staying in a tree house like villa complex that was so chill we didn’t put our shoes on except for one hike we took. Something freeing and refreshing about waking up, eating, working out, swimming, eating dinner all in just a bathing suite and optional tee shirt. The kicker for me and many of my manly man friends was the outdoor shower. I haven’t figured it out yet but for some reasons us men love peeing and showering outside so being on pee pee island and having a shower outside was like a dream. Maybe we are marking our territory like an animal or keeping a vigilant eye out for potential predators, or maybe it has to do with the whole caveman thing in the men are from mars and woman are from venus skits.

Our one hike was inspired by the movie. Remember when someone had to leave the remote pristine beach to head back into town to get supplies? Well we were out of toothpaste and had to get to a bank to wire $10 to our bangkok hotel from three weeks ago because we left our only power cord to our only computer. It was supposed to be two hours each way but we never even made the first leg, I calculated the timing wrong and once we ended up heading inland off the beach and into a jungle with a trail barely visible with no guide I basically freaked out and we turned back. Stopping in a small beach village to eat lunch and making it home just before sunset was a good decision in hindsight. A few more days of lounging around and we are recharged. Beach time has come to and end. We are heading to a five day meditation retreat but not before checking out in just a bathing suite, since there are no buildings just a few small huts and a desk for someone to work at on the beach, plus we have two more boat rides to get to our next stop…so, it didn’t really matter.

Longboats

Meditation Retreat…Linda jumping in…

Is this the calm before the storm or the storm before the calm? I’m hoping the latter. With a little apprehension, curiosity and an excited energy we arrive. The daily agenda starts out like many military days do…waking up at the crack of dawn. We start each day with a 5:30 AM wake up call for a learning excursion and then the day continues with healthy breakfast, meditation time, healthy lunch, meditation time, yoga, meditation Q&A, healthy dinner, and then a final meditation time to end the day. The meals are all vegetarian…nope, not even eggs or cheese. My buddies Irene and Brenda are both doing cleanses at the moment, so at least Greg and I feel like we’ve got some of our homies on the same page as us! However; all iPads, cells, Laptops, and even books and magazines are not allowed, so they will have to be with us in spirit since we can’t communicate. On top of this you are not supposed to speak to anyone, this includes not speaking to eachother. Lastly, we had separate bedrooms. Yes, it is a bit more restrictive than we thought it would be but if you are going to do something that has the potential to be life changing (as we kept hearing) might as well go all the way.

Greg in the pool meditating . We also did walking meditation…yes, with our eyes open.

Totally relaxing. Or as our yoga teacher kept saying…”feeeeel relaaaaxing” – which I just loved! 😉

Slowing down and learning how to effectively meditate and find the zen space has always been a goal of ours. Every so often we try to do some Deepak and Oprah meditation learning sessions we’ve downloaded a while back. They are 15 mins in length and usually within the 2nd minute I’m thinking…

“Ok…focus…repeat the mantra. Breathe! Mantra.

– I wonder what Taz is doing?

– Does Wiley think about us ever or is he too in love with Lindsay?

– Did Kelley name her soon to be new pug yet?

– I can’t believe an elephant chased the Mouls and us!

Oops, back to my meditation….mantra. Do the mantra!

– Has Keith ever slept on a kitchen counter before?

– Have the Lindy’s ever made a beer martini?

Focus…breathe and concentrate

– I miss refried beans and cheese dip.

– I wonder if the Lyles will show me how to make a garden?

– That’d be cool if the Wills got a place in Railay Beach, Thailand!

MEDITATE please! Breathe! Repeat the mantra. What was the mantra?”

..skip ahead 5 days…

Retreat accomplished! We did speak occasionally and even fired up our ipads one day. However even with a few breaks per day from our silence and practice it was very intense. Ever spend a day with yourself without talking or any other distractions? The silence alone will change your perspective on life and one will undoubtedly learn something about themselves in this one day, now throw in three more days and you will either hate yourself or love yourself when it is all said and done. Day one and two were great, day three I wanted to run for the hills and days 4 and 5 were very productive. I’m pretty sure Greg loved the entre thing as the first stage of meditation is relaxation and we all know how Gregory loves his naps, so he was a professional at stage one before we walked in the door! 🙂

Our goal in attending this meditation retreat was not to become Monks (well, a chick can’t be a monk anyway…as a matter of fact in the most strict sense monks can’t talk to or touch a woman) but it was to learn to be more present and mindful, which isn’t easy in the day and age of always having a constant barrage of stimuli thrown at us.

In a nutshell, here is the deal with meditation…it is all about being present. You will enjoy everything you do more if you pay attention to what you are doing. You do this by facing reality; you can’t change the past, so let it go and live in the moment. Our teacher called it throwing out the trash because it only stinks and doesn’t have any other use. Very practical if you think about it. Also, the future isn’t here yet and no matter how much you plan you can’t control it, so why stress and miss what’s going on here and now. Try it! During your next drive to work or to pick up the kids at school really enjoy the drive. Notice the trees, flowers, enjoy the heat in your car since it’s cold outside. It’s amazing! Or your next meal, really think about each bite. When eating Serge’s Mom’s hummus…I hope those Khoury kids are really thinking about each bite. Mrs Khoury’s hummus is a perfect delicate balance between zesty garlic and fresh lemon juice with a dreamy creamy consistency. (I’m now drooling down my face.) When you slow down and take time to smell the roses, well….you smell the roses! Sounds simple but we usually spend our time over thinking things from the past and obsessing about the future and we miss out on the present! As our teacher said, “thinking never solved any problems so just do.” Life is happening right in front of our eyes, so hop on it before it is gone because it will be gone before you know it.

Greg jumping in-Now for the stuff most won’t believe. You always hear about how powerful and amazing the mind is, so is it meant to only have the cushy job of holding a conversation or remembering things you have to do each day? I don’t think so, the mind when trained and applied, does amazing things in support of our body and being happy. Happy is in the conversation because it’s believed that happiness is our core purpose in life and once you are happy with yourself you can be happy for and help others. As the teachings told us, I am referring to happy from the inside, nothing external other than you in this example. So once you train the mind by meditating and learning to focus amazing things can happen. So I have not left the reservation but three experiences I had while meditating have left me eager to get to the next level of the practice. 1) You can control your pain, since pain is only electrical currents that your nervous system sends to your brain, a trained brain can stop these currents or not pay attention to the signal. 2) Another stage of meditation is loosing the feeling of your physical body; kind of like your body just disappears in your mind and it’s just you without a physical presence. I know what you are thinking but it’s real, it happened and I can’t explain it any further since it just doesn’t make sense on paper. 3) Lastly there is a stage of your meditation training called piti (google it) where there is an overwhelming flushing feeling of happiness. Imagine being so so so so happy, like a nirvana and you are grinning ear to ear and cry or get very emotional because you are so thrilled with what you are feeling. This is all happening while you are sitting, eyes closed, totally relaxed, slowly breathing so it’s truly all in your mind.

Supposedly this is just the beginning of happiness or as the east calls it enlightenment. See, this is why monks don’t have to talk or have any material possessions and can just walk around all day and meditate because the meditation brings so much happiness they don’t need anything else. If this interests you there are plenty of studies and medically accepted occurrences like a monk being able to produce body heat to dry a wet towel in freezing temperatures or actually being able to stop breathing for long periods of time……crazy shit and we are intrigued.

This is from Harvard…it is legit!

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/04.18/09-tummo.html

Next stop Laos then Vietnam. Later!

More Pics on Thailand – Koh Phi Phi Island & Phuket Meditation Retreat

Posted in Thailand | 7 Comments

Thailand-The land of smiles

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Diamond

By guest bloggers Tim and Stacey

Tim and Stacey…the guest bloggers!

We began this journey beyond excited; excited to see Greg and Linda and excited for our first non resort trip without the children in a decade. So ready to experience Thailand we board the newest member of Emirates fleet for the 18 hour flight. Next stop, Bangkok and a reunion with our friends in The Hangover Suite at Lebua State Tower. Remember this? Imagine landing more than halfway around the globe to be surrounded by smiling people, hands poised fingertip to fingertip at their chin saying hello in a melodic voice; sa wa de ka.

Thailand is a Buddhist nation, and because Buddhist values are such a part of daily life here, temples, monasteries and Buddha images are seen everywhere. 75% of the population is ethnic Thai and 14% Thai Chinese; a pretty homogenous culture by US standards. 95% of the kingdom practices Buddhism and religious tolerance and acceptance is widespread. Buddhism, plays a huge role in every day society. There are three main Buddhist values: respect, self-control, and a non-confrontational attitude. Showing anger towards others or telling lies are both very shameful acts in this country. A palpable playfulness among the Thai people can be felt almost immediately.

Bangkok is the capitol and most densely populated city in Thailand with about 12 million people, supposedly up to 20 million in the Metro area counting un-documented. It is exotic and chaotic; a controlled chaos. Where else do Temples, palaces, massage and go go’s exist side by side? Bangkok comes at you in flashes of color, light and smells. A city that bustles throughout the day but truly comes alive at night. The Asian investment boom of the 1980s and 1990s brought many multinational corporations to make their regional headquarters in Bangkok and the city is now a regional force in finance, business, global politics, culture, fashion and entertainment.

Skybar, It’s a must

Our first night in Bangkok we are stolen by the city. We meet up with the Diamonds, newly arrived from Chiang Mai and the hotel. Hugs and kisses and more hugs and kisses, they looked great after months of travel and greeted us with cocktails in the Hangover suite high above Bangkok. Many toasts, updates of friends, family travels and joyous laughter. We migrated to the Sky Bar atop the tower of our hotel home of the famous scene from Hangover II where Mr. Chow gets arrested. Then, under the guidance of cruise director Linda we ventured to Soi Cowboy for a taste of Bangkok nightlife. The city is pulsing and alive, as we Tuk Tuk through the neon lit streets. Arriving Soi Cowboy we are bombarded by densely populated go-go bars with girls out front inviting you in. We huddled up at an Irish Bar, comforted to find Guinness on Tap. Once fortified with Guinness we walk down the street surveying the Go-Go scene. There is definitely, as Linda put it, a Creepy Old Man presence in the area as well as bars catering to the “Lady boys”. Lady boy’s are attracted to Greg like a white marlin is attracted to a mullet dredge or Dave Lindy to a ice cold Miller Product. We decided to go into a bar to see what it was like and encountered an amazing blues-rock band that could play note for note Clapton, Santana and Dire Straits. The girls all seem happy and once it was obvious that we were not there for their companionship they were content to engage us in casual conversation. We bought them drinks, Linda and Stacey discussed undergarment choices while watching new customers come in and older customers come down from upstairs all the while listening classic rock. The set-up had its hierarchy; the big Chief middle-aged man with a large jade ring who handled all the money in the joint with his pocket calculator (there is one at every establishment in Thailand) his two lieutenants, an older Mama san, a Lady boy (who quickly was rubbing Greg’s neck). This big Chief clearly ruled the dance and wait staff. After experiencing the Go-Go bars we moved on to a dance club and a few other bars around town before turning in for the night to prepare for a big day touring the town.

Day two after a chill waterfront meal in Asiatique (a bustling harbor, along the Chao Phraya River- think Navy Pier on steroids) why wouldn’t the logical activity be midnight fish pedicures and foot massages?

Stacey is giggling away!

babies on mopeds for locals, helmets on us. who’s needs more protection?

We toured the city on a long boat, by bicycle, Tuk Tuk, ferry, taxi and Skytrain, exploring Wats (temples) the Palace grounds, Buddahs, night markets, Chinatown, ‘looking looking’, Flower markets, narrow alleys, public parks, shopping malls and street after street of food. We ride through street after street of homes no larger than our SUV (Literally) and wonder skeptically of our existence/happiness ratio. There is an incredible attention to detail, the Temples we all hand painted in vivid colors all the way to the ceiling. Great Respect paid to all building represented by spirit houses that are found in front of most building. Seeing all the stray animals along our ride makes us realize, embarrassingly, that we spend more on our pets in a year than the average Thai family spends on a child. Bangkok is a major city with some interesting sights to see but still is an large city with it own pulse and be able to obtain anything including not be duplicated matching New Years Eve outfits. As with all else in Thai culture, there is an ease to their transportation. You want to take a boat, get on the next boat, a tuk tuk appears at every turn, hop in. No problem.

last minute costume change, no malfunctions

NYE- Decked out in our ‘matchy matchy’ with ‘no Cheap Charlie’ outfits we hit the town. As we’d quickly learned, one never knows where a night in Bangkok will take them. By dawn we’d obtained the coveted Q Bar table by the DJ, lost one shoe, a purse, three people had tried on Greg’s jacket and the baby was returned (yes, there was a 3 am baby incident), run out of Bahts at a Volkswagen Bar, been boo’d off a stage undeservedly , narrowly avoided a bar brawl, enjoyed ringing in the New Year on the other side of the world

New Years Day and we were off to the airport, next destination, Phuket. Patong Beach, the central party town on Phuket’s west coast. Largely recovered from the Tsunami, Patong beach is famous for it’s nightlife and the many soi’s of Bangla Road. By day the beaches teemed with tourists and locals selling anything your heart could desire, by night the streets came alive with lights and sounds and SMELLS (one can not describe the pungent vile odors that waft from the sewer grates). Restaurants appeared on the sidewalks (Which are basically fish markets and aquariums with live crabs, lobsters, and fish) , music played loudly from Tuk Tuks dancing with lights. Bar girls and lady boys beckoned you to their clubs. The national sport of Thailand is Muay Thai (a native form of kickboxing, incorporating kicks, elbows, hands, and knees.) and by day the streets rolled with vehicles blaring music and carrying boxers promoting ‘Real’ Muay Thai tonight.

Patong or Ping Pong, same same

The mantra of Patong Beach was ‘mai pen rai’ – which translates roughly to ‘It doesn’t matter’ or ‘Don’t worry, be happy”, because not much seemed to matter there it was all “same same’ “only different”. ‘Same same’ is a funny saying all the locals say as if to compare things. The problem is when comparing sunglasses or negotiating a price for a Tuk Tuk ride its not the same byt they just keep repeating the saying. Patong brought many surprises. Elephants bathing by the side of the road, Expats, loads of Russian and Australian tourists, lots of Speedos, beach massages and pedicures. The Thais are big on pedicures and massages, I never thought I would get tired of being asked if I want a beach massage. Everything is available from beach vendors from fresh squeezed juice, fruit, spring rolls, corn on the cob, some kind of grilled egg thing, etc.

Think Greg will be jealous? This sweet elephant is 3 years old.

After three days in Patong we reached the true point of departure. Upon arrival in Phuket, none of us knew where we’d head next. Flying by the seat of our pants; we hope to be, that is once we obsessively searched Trip Advisor and Google every detail of our destination decision and maintain conversations with little English, sketchy wifi, time zones and phone service long enough to complete a transaction. Five hours later, we’re off!

Phi Phi/Krabi

no photoshop needed

After a brief stop at the 7 Eleven for provisions (Seaweed flavored Pringles anyone?)

Yup. Seaweed.

and we’re boarding a power boat (luggage and all) for the Phi Phi islands. Departing amidst working fishing vessels in a dirty port we left Phuket for the hour ride east to explore the green waters of the islands and do some snorkeling. As previously stated, if you seek it, it shall appear; all is effortless in Thailand. We turned into a cove and asked about monkeys, only to be brought bow first into a grove of monkeys eager to take the bananas from our hands. It was picturesque day on the water, silhouettes of Thai Long boats, islands appearing out of the horizon. Our crew was capable and friendly, no GPS or Charts just a compass and 30 years on the water for the captain to get us to where we were going next. Lunch in Phi Phi Don weans us into the mellowness and more monkeys, another boat ride east brings us around the tip of Krabi Provence and to the shores of Railay east (thankfully at high tide) where we are greeted once again by the sweetest of people to show us eagerly to our home for the next few days.

What do Maggie and Ben have to say about their new sibling?

Krabi was truly a delight! Every whim was exceeded at the turn of the corner. What you didn’t know you desired materialized right in front of your eyes. Camaraderie was instantly forged with the locals. Observing life in this remote region of SE Asia was truly a gift. No cars or vehicles, all obscured by the limestone outcroppings shutting this part of Krabi off from the mainland. A haven to climbers from all over the world, this hamlet seemed to attract a select, mellow group of like-minded travelers from all over the globe, all intent on invisibility. A scene unlike anything describable or witnessed elsewhere. It had the far reaching chill of St. Barts and the hipness of SOBE with an understated mellowness only to be found in the remoteness and beauty of SE Asia. The beauty was overwhelming! Every day, swimming in the warm green waters, gazing hazily upon the outcroppings as far as the eye could see was comforting.

Sunset is an activity here. The world stops to watch the beauty. On our last night we kayaked to the next cove to check out the beach of Tong Sai and were immediately engulfed in a beach full of intricately entwined bars and restaurants offering the chillest and most entertaining of times. Only to be capped off by a sunset paddle home with the amusement of cliff divers, parachuting over our kayaks,

Jenga!

a blazing sunset, shoeless dinner with a fantastic guitar/singer entertaining us for hours to be followed by a fire show to crazy Skrillix dub step to lead once again to the most welcoming of places the “Why Knot” bar and beckoning us for yet another round of Jenga, connect four or other bar games. Restaurants and bars literally entwined with the lush geography and it’s inhabitants- think a bamboo ladder nailed to a tree behind the bar/coffee shop that leads to a tree house loft where the staff most likely sleeps at night.

Paradise

Railay Beach in the Krabi Provence is dreamlike and otherworldly, with limestone outcroppings rising to the skyline. Once ashore the other-worldliness continues with hospitable locals, the most beautiful beaches and every amenity one could desire at their fingertip. Longboats anchor beachfront serving food in the style of American food trucks. The walk to the beach was filled with secret caves, hiking trails to hidden lagoons and monkeys every day!!!

No she didn’t, photo bombed again

We have a newfound respect for composing these blog posts, respecting the cultures of others, smiling at those around you and for G & L and all they endeavor while traveling in this great world. Greg and Linda are doing amazing after months of travel together and it was a pleasure to travel with them and get a peek into their passion of experiencing new cultures, people and lands. We treasure your perspective. Back in the states we smile frequently, recalling the beauty and effortless appeasement that is Thailand. Our world seems smaller, but not diminished. So adopting the Thai perspective is a goal; see the beauty in pleasing others.

FOR MORE PHOTOS: – Bangkok, Phuket (Patong), Krabi (Railay Beach) with the Wills

Posted in Thailand | Leave a comment

“Why Not”

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Diamond

The New Year brings a time for reflection, and it’s very timely since our time with Tim and Stacey has come to an end. (I used the word “time” three, I mean four times now five times, now six….very proud of that.) The Wills will be guest blogging soon on the Thailand adventure.

Over the last few weeks while traveling with Tim and Stacey the saying “why not” was repeated over and over by Tim when we attempted to make decisions on what to do. Want to go to the beach, “why not” want to eat, “why not” want to go for a hike, “why not” so it has me thinking. Why is such a great word, just blurt it out in your next conversation like rainman and see magic happen. Going way back into the corporate brain waves I now remember the power of the word “why”, books have been written about this word and a problem solving approach that gets to the root of any cause is to ask “why” five times in a row to someone after each response they give you. Wow now my brain hurts, but why:)

When we first began this adventure we came up with our “why” reasons we wanted to do this. We posted this on the blog. But “why” blog at all? As virgin travelers we figured it was just the thing to do, but we were still a little uncomfortable about it. Who are we to write about what we are doing? Why would anyone care? On the flip side, anyone that wants the world to hear their views has a blog these days, it’s the easy method of reaching people in mass via the internet. However within the first week and now almost six months into this journey the “why” factor is crystal clear to us. So, like our last “why” blog I’ll use the David Letterman top 11 approach to explain why we blog:

11. We are too old to tweet

10. Lots of good feedback from friends about them feeling like they are traveling with us. Those of you who mentioned this might not realize how much that means, the road can be lonely:)

9. Friends have told us that they are using the blog to teach their kids about the world. We just think that it is so neat. My little sister read the blog to my 6 year old niece, later in the day there was a small issue and she attempted to teach my niece and asked, “So, what have you learned today” (Hoping my niece could understand how her actions affected other people.) Her reply, “tortises live to be 170 years old” which was from one of our first blogs on the Galapogas. Tortises was not the topic that my sister was dealing with, but at least my niece learned something that day!

8. We developed a sense of duty, once a real passion for travel set in we wanted to be a connector (Malcolm Gladwells book called Blink named it) providing information to connect people with something we cared about in hopes of people wanting to pick up the torch…

7. I realized how much I enjoy writing, the grammar is terrible but that’s what you get from a C student. I know Mom, I should have applied myself more.

6. We quickly realized how necessary it was to memorialize our travels since we are experiencing so much so quickly and didn’t want to loose any of the memories. And it’s the little things that make the adventure so special, but yet because they are little (in time) they can easily be forgotten. For example, going to Bangkok is not what’s special, being stopped on the street by a random guy who ends up ushering you around and paying for things just because he thinks and I quote him, “America #1” is. Now, that’s special and not in the Saturday night live skit of the church lady special.

5. Much easier to express yourself when you can think and use the RIGHT words, well “correct” is probably the right word to use:).

4. Makes us feel connected, especially since we can’t see people and were really suprised how difficult calling was. You know the old analogies, put a man on the moon but can’t…make a phone call. We’ve got Skype, FaceTime and more recently local SIM cards but WiFi and reception has been sketchy, not to mention the time difference (currently a 12 hour delta).

3. We are just sharing, so take it with a grain of salt. The emotions and feelings really have fluctuated throughout this trip. 100% all positive in the end but realizing what happens on the ground in many of the third world countries is tough to swallow. However, we want to share this with everyone whilst not coming across as complaining or judging because we aren’t. This is very difficult to balance especially in writing so bear with us and give the blog the benefit of the doubt.

2. Because I am stupid, and stupid is as stupid does…just like Forest Gump. He likes to run, but I like to write.

1. We want to contribute more and consume less and blogging is a start. The blogging community says that a “blogger” is a “producer” instead of a consumer. Maybe a stretch, but close enough.

So we blog for many reasons, all very important to us obviously since we are writing the blog, and hopefully you are getting something out of it as well.

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

Jawaharlal Nuhru-first Prime Minister of India

We figured out a way to map out our trip, man we are disorganized after looking at this. If the link doesn’t work we will fix it once we get to a better internet connection.

Click here to TrackMyTour!

A few random pics

Posted in Why? | 8 Comments

Our new friends Myanna and Lemur say “Happy Holidays!!!” from Chiang Mai, Thailand…

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Diamond

At a time when most people are celebrating the season with family and friends we are on the road less traveled. Since we miss everyone so much and didn’t want to be alone over the holidays we felt it was time to make some new best friends to celebrate with. Don’t worry we aren’t exchanging them for anyone, we are just adding to the family. The danger and adventure of meeting new friends can in itself be worth the risk of leaning across to give someone a peck on the cheek or quick belly rub just so they know you care.

his lips were so soft

We only hope in return that our new friends don’t get bored with us too quickly. A yawn during deep conversation is usually the first sign of trouble in a relationship. It didn’t deter us, we just kept trying to get their attention.

jaw dropping for both of us

Then after our long day our new friends were kind enough to give us a ride home, I mean it is the holidays, so any time you can bum a ride after a few drinks we highly recommend it.

It never hurts to feed your driver

And it was the least they could do after we cleaned them up, some friends have no manners.

Clean as a whistle…until Myana pooped in the water. Nice!

They didn’t even feed us so we had to make our own dinner; it didn’t taste good and was expensive. We should stick to our record breaking $3.80 Thai lunch that included two entrees and a bottle of water which was delicious.

On a side note, a self inflicted injury is the first travel related injury of the trip. Waking up out of a deep sleep to pee I walked right into the corner of the wall, to make matters worse and I wasn’t even drinking so it hurt. A small cut on the forehead might end up being my travel tattoo that will remind me what it feels like to move hotels every three nights and forget where you are staying.

Ouch!!! At least there was a ton of holiday cheer all around us!

For more photos of our buddies..click here: – Chiang Mai

Posted in Thailand | 4 Comments

wherearethediamonds

Cruising home…almost (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei & Singapore)

We found Paradise, at least for us (Indonesia ~ Gili Island)

Bali-short and sweet

WAR…not the card game or the song. (Vietnam – Hue and Ho Chi Minh City)

Goooooood morning Vietnam (Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hoi An)

6 years old and babysitting…we must be in Laos!

I went to Pee Pee before meditation

Thailand-The land of smiles

“Why Not”

Our new friends Myanna and Lemur say “Happy Holidays!!!” from Chiang Mai, Thailand…

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