I have the best friends...

I found ten willing participants for my birthday fun. I booked an hour and a half (time flew by) at X-Arena (http://www.denverpartyarena.com/). We proceeded to sign our life away with waivers and partake in American Gladiator/Ninja/Wipeout games. It was awesome, and nobody broke a bone!  I didn't get any pictures or videos of my favorite one - called "Assault" - basically you are put on a platform surrounded by padded mats and everyone pummels you with heavyweight balls that look like 2 workout balls stuck together (the big kind you do situps on) until you fall off the platform.  SO MUCH FUN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also had a fantastic view of the eclipse from our roof last weekend!

The chicken is still kickin'.

Well, it turns out that the hawk I chased out of the yard a few weeks ago actually got a hold of one of my ladies. Minnie, to be exact. She started having signs of sour crop so I tried a few home remedies with no luck. I found a vet and expected to be just sent home with antibiotics.  Well, it's become a bit more complicated than that. He discovered a hole in the crop bigger than a nickel!  He said it's likely been festering for awhile. The hawk is the most likely candidate for an injury of this sort. 

So, instead of opting for expensive surgery (she is just a chicken, after all), we've opted for slathering the wound in special cream and just keeping her inside until it heals. A cheaper option and it still gives her a good chance of healing.

It's a gnarly wound. Poor Minnie. 

And the vet made her a fancy schmancy collar to keep her from picking at it. How Victorian!

I think we will know in a week if she'll heal and pull through. But for now, the chicken is still kickin'.  

 

Mekong Delta, Seoul, then home.

We're baaaaaack!  Home that is. We spent our last few days in Saigon (only foreigners call it Ho Chi Minh city - I never knew), the Mekong Delta and then in Seoul, South Korea. Our flights allowed for an all day foray into Seoul and I'm glad we took the opportunity. 

The Mekong delta was wonderful, we got out on the river on a larger boat, then on a much smaller boat. We visited a local bee farm, coconut candy shop and saw life on some of the islands in the river. The river IS the life for so many, the monsoon rains bring enough water for rice, fishing, and many fruits and vegetables. The scenery is wonderfully green and so very different than what we are used to in Colorado.  One of the most curious things we noticed were many small mausoleums (one person size) in the rice fields and behind homes.  It is their custom to bury their loved ones on the family farm, as they believe it is good luck and they can watch over their lands. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of them, as I wasn't sure what the etiquette was on taking pictures of the graves and I didn't want to offend. 

Some delta pictures:

We also visited the Cu Chi tunnels near Saigon. Very cool experience. They have done a great job of excavating rooms that were formerly buried in tunnels. They're now open for visitors and some of the tunnels have been widened just enough for westerners. Tom also got to fire an M1. Happy boy. 

Seoul. What can I say?  It looks like any large city in the U.S.  Coming from Cambodia and Vietnam, this city was a bit of a culture shock. It felt like we'd returned to our own country in a lot of ways:  credit cards were accepted, there were no bicycles and scooters zipping around, drivers obeyed traffic laws, the subway system was modern and so were the bathrooms. But the temples in Seoul were fabulous and we are glad we hopped the train into the city for our all day layover. We barely made it back in time for our flight, but that's another story. :)

It's great to be home but I'm already thinking about the next trip. Hmmmm...where to go?!

It's unfortunate...

...that my two new favorite restaurants are on the other side of the world. Today, in Ho Chi Minh, we found two absolutely awesome places to eat (thank you, TripAdvisor). One is a Vietnamese/Thai vegetarian restaurant called "Hum..." And the other is "Ganesh", an Indian place serving both northern and southern Indian cuisine. Wow, just wow on both of them. If they were in Denver, we'd be at them weekly. Seriously.  I'm not someone who takes pictures of their food, or you'd be looking at some amazingly good mushroom and pineapple (not together) fried rice right about now. Ho Chi Minh is a gritty, busy, noisy, crowded, horn honking loving, HOT city...with amazing food. 

I've also realized that you have to just accept that you'll sweat in Southeast Asia. If you move at all, you'll sweat, and not just a little.  And it will take jumping in the shower, in a pool, or sitting in front of a fan to cool off. It's just the way it is. Accept it and move on, sweaty. Even the locals sweat, which is, somehow, actually encouraging to us travelers in some weird way. Even being born into this hot and humid climate does not ensure your dryness.

Tomorrow, we venture into the Mekong delta. Talk about a hot day. I'm mentally preparing myself already. 

Some pictures from our trek around Saigon today below. Not a ton of good sightseeing here, but enough to keep you busy for a couple of days. 

The large box on the back of the scooter is, in fact, a large glass display case. On this trip we've seen baskets of fish, a dead gutted pig and a family of 4 on a scooter (separately). 

The electrical wiring in Saigon. No additional words needed here. 

Their main post office, a very cool French colonial building. 

Just missing the storm (hopefully)

A big storm is headed our way...that's what we hear, anyway. The military has decreed no boats are allowed out - at least the kind that would be for snorkeling or diving. The fishing boats from sea have come in close to the islands to shelter and to wait out the storm, and the ocean in front of our hotel is a bit too choppy for a stand up paddle board or even a kayak.  Right now, the sky is still blue with big puffy clouds, but the wind has picked up noticeably.  Our flight out is early tomorrow, let's hope it's not cancelled.

We got in a good hike "up and over" the island yesterday. Hot, uphill, rainy, muddy, then a STEEP, slippery descent down the other side through the center of the rainforest. We saw a troop of their local monkeys and their black squirrels, which are actually larger than their monkeys. Eventually, we ended up at a deserted bay and walked back toward town. I have to say I do love hiking anywhere in the world, but I think I prefer mountains in cooler climates best. Spiders the size of my hand are not something I enjoy looking out for...and yes, they have those here (shiver). 

Today, we are getting in some down time and relaxing before we are on the move again. Spending a couple of days in Saigon and the Mekong Delta  before hopping a plane back towards the US, with a one day stop in Seoul, South Korea.  Still loving Southeast Asia!

View from the top of the island, looking toward town. 

We took shelter an old building in the abandoned So Ray plantation during a brief downpour...

Tom exploring the building.

Bay on our hike, deserted of course. Great spot for a snack and a look around. 

This one speaks for itself. 

Sunrise view from our balcony. One of the most serene spots we've ever visited, except for deserted mountaintops back in Colorado!

Con Dao

We spent the day exploring Con Son, part of the Con Dao archipelago in the South China Sea. We rented mountain bikes and rode around the only road on the island - getting in a good 40km/25 miles. It was nice to get out and see the town, harbor and various sights, passing a few military bases as well. The island has a population of 6000 but 2000 are soldiers. They do basic training here and I can see why - water and remote mountains abound. 

We also visited the prisons that the French and Americans kept on these islands for criminals and political prisoners on and off since 1861 in unbelievably brutal conditions. The museum describes horrendous treatment and living conditions. My heart goes out to all the prisoners kept here, many of which also died here, whether from the conditions, disease or execution. 

This is an actual room that prisoners were housed in, shackled with no room to move.  I can't even imagine. 

Some less intense pictures from our ride are below. 

Cows on the road. Moo....

Our trusty friends today. 

The wild east coast. 

The local market in town. 

Fishing boats anchored and unused during the day. The small round boat is their version of a rowboat to access the larger boats. 

The horizon lights up with squid fisherman at night off the coast, they stay out until morning with their lights ablaze, drawing in the squid.  It isn't much to look at in the picture but in person it looks like each boat is its own tiny little stadium with a game going on in the water. Super bright from shore. 

We ended the evening with an awesome meal at a local restaurant - tons of good fish, mouth-watering spices, fresh veggies and local beer. 

Tomorrow we are going to do a good hike up and over a mountain here, with some steep sections as well as off trail sections. Can't wait!  And I hear there's a great beach/bay at the other side of the island where the hike ends up...who could ask for more?!

We are hoping the weather improves for sea conditions so we can get some snorkeling in...the military has prohibited small boats from venturing out right now due to rough seas. Crossing our fingers!

Vietnam.

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon to the locals) late last night and caught a taxi to our hotel.  By the way, catching a late night taxi at the Saigon airport is no small feat, it took us quite some time to hail one successfully.

The hotel was right downtown, on the Saigon River. 

Since we were in the midst of the city,  this morning, before our flight to the Con Dao islands, we explored the city and a history museum. Walking through all the artifacts at the museum, Tom gave me a brief history lesson on the Vietnam War (Mr. Keller, my high school history teacher would probably be horrified by how little I remembered of it).  We will be back in the city on our way back from the islands, and we will spend a couple of days there, seeing the nearby Mekong Delta and more of the city.  Our first impression of it - bustling, interesting, good food potential, but smoggy!!  And motorbikes galore, even in the pouring rain. 

The Con Dao islands, however, are a sharp contrast to Saigon. Remote, rarely visited and wild, they are perfect. 

The flight over from Saigon had some of the most beautiful cloud formations I've seen. It was also a bit bumpy. 

Runway on the island in the middle of the pic...lets just say the pilot came in a bit hot. 

View from our room. 

We made it just in time to grab dinner at the hotel tonight, so tomorrow we will explore, by bicycle if the weather holds (rain is forecasted). The only town on the island is just a few km away by the only road here, and we can't wait to rustle up some Vietnamese street food in their market. 

A day without temples.

Angkor Wat is amazing, there is no doubt. But 2 days of exploring the temples is enough for us (and probably for most people). So, we spent the day at a silk farm and exploring the town of Siem Reap, did a bit of shopping, ate a bit of local food (again), and visited the war museum, a very sobering experience.  

This is our last day in Cambodia and, as usual, I hate to leave. There more I travel, the longer I want for each trip, to really settle into the culture, to get to know it...to try more foods, to meet more locals, to just BE there longer. If we had a few more days, we'd head down to Phnom Penh and see more of the country. But it's time to go to Vietnam, with a quick stop in Ho Chi Minh City, then onto the Con Dao islands for a bit of beach, hiking, biking, snorkeling and maybe diving. 

Some pictures from our day:

A ghost field at the war museum, old tanks, anti aircraft and other rusty relics of a brutal time in Cambodian history. The field was a mine field before they removed them. It was also a battleground, many souls were lost here. Eerie on so many levels. 

Land mines at the museum, I never knew there were so many different types. 

We stopped along the way for some buggy snacks. Yes, Tom bought a bag and ate a few before it grossed him out. They're not the tarantulas that he promised to eat, but we haven't run across those yet. 

Locusts. Yummy. 

At the silk farm. A very cool experience. They raise the worms, spin the silk, dye it, and have a shop with beautiful creations. Silk worms at about two weeks old. 

Worker making a scarf. 

This is how they sell gas around here. They have some gas stations, but there are tons of roadside stands with funnels and lots of old liquor bottles with gasoline. Puzzling, we will have to ask someone why!

A sign in front of a restaurant in Siem Reap...notice the cheap prices (and this is even near the tourist area, so higher than normal) and the note at the bottom. 

First days in Cambodia

In the short time we've been in Cambodia I've fallen in love with the food. Plenty of rice, noodles and fresh vegetables...my perfect diet!  I used to think South and Central America had my favorite foods - beans, rice, plantains, ceviche. But, oh no, Cambodia has toppled them from their first place position...  Before we came, I had heard that being a pescaveggie here would be difficult, but I haven't found that to be true. I have also not had to order fish yet, purely vegetarian so far!

Today, we spent the day exploring parts of the Angkor Wat complex. We saw at least half a dozen temples of such detail, it makes you wonder how they tackled the intricate carvings and architecture in ancient times. We were in a tuk tuk all day traveling between the temples (one was 25k outside siem reap), and the open air helped to give us some relief from the oppressive heat and humidity. It's like the humidity of Florida combined with the extra strong and hot sun we get in Colorado.  However, if you're willing to brave this heat in the afternoon, the temples are deserted. This is the low season anyway, but they are almost ghost towns during the middle of the day.  And rightly so, did I mention it was hot?

We've found the Cambodian people warm, welcoming and sincere. They always have a greeting and a smile. It makes what we saw during our visit to the land mine museum that much harder to see and digest. People with missing limbs are not uncommon here, children and adults, from stepping on a landmine that was planted decades ago.  It takes only 11 lbs to trigger some mines. The enemy designed the smaller mines to injure but not kill, as it is more expensive to repair a person than to bury them.  Sad but true. 

Some pictures of our day:

Tom exploring. 

Driving through the countryside between temples. Even chacos are hot here, we needed a bare foot break!

Bridge to temple. The green and brown tones were striking in real life, the camera didn't quite capture the contrast. 

People still worship in some of the temples. 

Tree reclaiming the ruins

Enjoying a beer on the way back to our hotel.