Whoa, I haven't updated in a bit. Sorry about that. I was trying to upload photos and get them on my next post but didn't get too far. Anyway, I'll post more on Penang later with photos.
I arrived in Bangkok yesterday afternoon and met Jeremy at the airport last night. Unfortunately, I didn't write down his flight information and guessed he was on Emirates and the flight I thought he was on was delayed three hours. Turns out he was on a different flight with Gulf Air. Luckily he found me, hiding in a corner playing solitaire and listening to my iPod. Apparently he paged me twice and had been looking for an hour. Oops! But it was a sweet reunion. Tears, hugs and kisses. Gosh, I missed him so much.
Finding a place on Khao San Road was a bit challenging. Everything was full and we ended up in hotel right on the road next to a karaoke bar. They sang pretty long and pretty off-key well into the early morning. What a way to start the trip! But we had a good time talking all night. He has some great stories and amazing photos from Iran, but I'll let him write about it. Maybe I can convince him to be a guess writer on my blog one of these days... OR to actually update his own one day! ;) lol. If you want to look at it, check the blogosphere on the right side of the page. His is called Cosmonaut Extrodinaire. It's pretty bare bones but there are links there to his Flickr page where you'll find photos from our trip and maybe (someday soon) some from Iran.
Hope all is well out there in blog land!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Friends, this is my boyfriend, Jeremy.
I realize that most of you know nothing about this amazing boyfriend of mine and until you get a chance to meet him in person, I hope I can give you a little glimpse of who he is.
-He always puts the lid on too tight (and often can't get it off either). This is how the camp stove was broken.
-He never gets upset over spilled milk. One time, the blender exploded on us and sent pureed watermelon all over the living room of his apartment and we both just looked at it and laughed. Later, I dropped a glass of milk. We had to mop the floor three times in that one day!
-He's a computer nerd. There is nothing he can't find, whether it's the latest season of your favorite TV show or an article from an obscure newspaper in 1986.
-He often falls down the "Wikipedia Hole." Yes, he loves to read the encyclopedia and can do it for a VERY long time.
-Thank God he doesn't play Nintendo or Play Station but he still likes his computer games--particularly simulation games.
-He hates Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson (with the exception of Brave Heart).
-His McDonald's meal is a double quarter pounder with a large fry and large vanilla shake.
-When Jeremy was 13 he was hit by a car and yet he STILL walks out in front of them! It scares me ALL the time!
-Despite the wide range of trance, dance and house music on his MP# player, he also has Shakira love songs. But don't ask him about it. He won't admit it. :)
-One day he would love to own a rare books store.
-He only likes ties that have patterns stitched into them. No prints. And color doesn't always matter--but the stitch does.
-Jeremy used to buy pizza for all his classes on the last day of the quarter to reward them for all their hard work.
-Jeremy says that sleeping is a fine art that has taken him many years to perfect.
-He makes the world's BEST scrambled eggs and Thai curry.
-He isn't allergic to anything.
-Sometimes he eats raw slices of onion but I don't complain because he doesn't when I eat raw slices of garlic. That's one stinky kiss!!
-Jeremy speaks Russian but also studied French and Indonesian.
-We met online. Yes, using Facebook.
-The first time he said "I love you" to me was when he found a can of Red Bull in the fridge with a note that said, "Because I love you." Red Bull is his favorite and he knew I had to go an hour out of my way to buy him a can. But he doesn't remember saying it. The first time he remembers saying it was when he took me to the bus station and gave me a kiss goodbye after a long weekend together.
-When we get to Australia, Jeremy and I are going to train for a triathlon together--his idea!! From the guy who doesn't like sports!
-Our second date was the night before I went to Thailand on vacation. When I came to his house, he was still at work but left me a little Thai Airways gift baf complete with a travel hairbrush, socks, eye mask, and a little note that said: "Welcome aboard. We're not called Assussies airlines. Please find a selection of newspapers available for your reading pleasure, together with this gift pack. If you would like a meal... get it yourself! :) "
-He likes to kiss me on the eye lids when I fall asleep.
-On our first date we went to eat dakkalbi in an alley restaurant. On our last night in Korea, we ate there again with all our friends.
-He's almost blind without his glasses.
-For his birthday (April 5th), I gave him an Australia themed box full of Fan Tails, Jaffas, Vegemite, newspapers, and other little goodies like Uncle Toby's snack bars. How did I get these things in Korea? I met some Aussies in THailand and gave them $200 to buy some stuff and sent it to me for his birthday. Yeah--we'd only been on two dates but I knew he was special and I wanted to impress him... And I did! He couldn't believe that I would go through all that trouble for him and that's when he decided to REALLY like me.
-He LOVES milk. Chocolate milk, stawberry milk, banana milk, vanilla milk, coffee milk, regular milk, LIME milk! (The lime stuff is an Australian thing.)
-I have only seen him angry three times: once when a guy grabbed my butt on a train in Baku, once when a guy commented on my butt in a Luxor street market, and once when a guy tried taking my picture with his phone while I was crying in Alexandria. He is a really slow-to-anger, understanding, "let's talk this through" kind of guy.
-He's becoming quite a good photographer!!
-Even though Jeremy has spent most of his life split between Canberra and Brisbane, if you ask him, he'll say he's from Melbourne because that's where he was born and where he most identifies himself.
-On February 3rd, Jeremy and I will celebrate one year together. :)
-He always puts the lid on too tight (and often can't get it off either). This is how the camp stove was broken.
-He never gets upset over spilled milk. One time, the blender exploded on us and sent pureed watermelon all over the living room of his apartment and we both just looked at it and laughed. Later, I dropped a glass of milk. We had to mop the floor three times in that one day!
-He's a computer nerd. There is nothing he can't find, whether it's the latest season of your favorite TV show or an article from an obscure newspaper in 1986.
-He often falls down the "Wikipedia Hole." Yes, he loves to read the encyclopedia and can do it for a VERY long time.
-Thank God he doesn't play Nintendo or Play Station but he still likes his computer games--particularly simulation games.
-He hates Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson (with the exception of Brave Heart).
-His McDonald's meal is a double quarter pounder with a large fry and large vanilla shake.
-When Jeremy was 13 he was hit by a car and yet he STILL walks out in front of them! It scares me ALL the time!
-Despite the wide range of trance, dance and house music on his MP# player, he also has Shakira love songs. But don't ask him about it. He won't admit it. :)
-One day he would love to own a rare books store.
-He only likes ties that have patterns stitched into them. No prints. And color doesn't always matter--but the stitch does.
-Jeremy used to buy pizza for all his classes on the last day of the quarter to reward them for all their hard work.
-Jeremy says that sleeping is a fine art that has taken him many years to perfect.
-He makes the world's BEST scrambled eggs and Thai curry.
-He isn't allergic to anything.
-Sometimes he eats raw slices of onion but I don't complain because he doesn't when I eat raw slices of garlic. That's one stinky kiss!!
-Jeremy speaks Russian but also studied French and Indonesian.
-We met online. Yes, using Facebook.
-The first time he said "I love you" to me was when he found a can of Red Bull in the fridge with a note that said, "Because I love you." Red Bull is his favorite and he knew I had to go an hour out of my way to buy him a can. But he doesn't remember saying it. The first time he remembers saying it was when he took me to the bus station and gave me a kiss goodbye after a long weekend together.
-When we get to Australia, Jeremy and I are going to train for a triathlon together--his idea!! From the guy who doesn't like sports!
-Our second date was the night before I went to Thailand on vacation. When I came to his house, he was still at work but left me a little Thai Airways gift baf complete with a travel hairbrush, socks, eye mask, and a little note that said: "Welcome aboard. We're not called Assussies airlines. Please find a selection of newspapers available for your reading pleasure, together with this gift pack. If you would like a meal... get it yourself! :) "
-He likes to kiss me on the eye lids when I fall asleep.
-On our first date we went to eat dakkalbi in an alley restaurant. On our last night in Korea, we ate there again with all our friends.
-He's almost blind without his glasses.
-For his birthday (April 5th), I gave him an Australia themed box full of Fan Tails, Jaffas, Vegemite, newspapers, and other little goodies like Uncle Toby's snack bars. How did I get these things in Korea? I met some Aussies in THailand and gave them $200 to buy some stuff and sent it to me for his birthday. Yeah--we'd only been on two dates but I knew he was special and I wanted to impress him... And I did! He couldn't believe that I would go through all that trouble for him and that's when he decided to REALLY like me.
-He LOVES milk. Chocolate milk, stawberry milk, banana milk, vanilla milk, coffee milk, regular milk, LIME milk! (The lime stuff is an Australian thing.)
-I have only seen him angry three times: once when a guy grabbed my butt on a train in Baku, once when a guy commented on my butt in a Luxor street market, and once when a guy tried taking my picture with his phone while I was crying in Alexandria. He is a really slow-to-anger, understanding, "let's talk this through" kind of guy.
-He's becoming quite a good photographer!!
-Even though Jeremy has spent most of his life split between Canberra and Brisbane, if you ask him, he'll say he's from Melbourne because that's where he was born and where he most identifies himself.
-On February 3rd, Jeremy and I will celebrate one year together. :)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Re-Education
Today Gaby and I walked around the town, mailed a package, climbed a lighthouse, found the world's best fried rice, checked out a few temples, and then got a lesson in Islam.
We went to this really nice mosque in town hoping to get a good look at the big, beautiful dome. What we got instead was a very aggressive lesson on how superior Islam is to everything else. I've been to lots of Mosques in the last year and met hundreds of Muslims. All of which have been lovely experiences. But today was really disappointing.
I should have seen it coming. Not once, in any country that I've visited, have I ever been hassled or approached by anyone other than the shoe minder (wanting his baksheesh) or the gate man reminding me to put on a head scarf. This time, however, we were informed we needed a guide. Whatever, right? Well, he came out of their information office where another mullah was sitting and talking with some westerner. I've seen this situation a MILLION times in Christian churches. It's proselytizing. I had a pretty good feeling we'd be led back there later for an obligatory "chat" on Islam.
The guide was nice though. He led us through the mosque and sang us the call to prayer, translating everything for us and then going through the different pillars of Islam, etc. etc. To be expected. And it was appreciated. His sincerity in his faith was refreshing and beautiful. However, we were a bit disappointed that they made us were robes when we went in even though we had our shoulders and our legs covered (a sign of a more conservative mosque). But then, they wouldn't let us walk to the middle to see the dome because we'd be walking on the carpets. I've never had this happen to me before. Most mosque care-takers really don't care.
But afterwards, as predicted, we were led back to the information center (in another world it'd be a pastor's office) to do a Q & A on Islam. Gaby didn't have many questions so I opened it up. First I asked about the differences between Sunni's, Shia's and Sufi's but didn't get much of an answer except that "Shia's follow man and not God" and "Sufi's pray to idols." In other words: "Sunni's are the only good Muslims." But the guide was stumbling over his words and obviously had a hard time answer (no prob, English isn't his first language) so the head mullah stepped in and took over the "discussion."
My second question: does Islam has a concept of hell like Judaism and Christianity (all three are closely related)? They said yet and that Jews and Christians will go to heaven as long as they pray to God and God alone. According to these guys, believing in the divinity of Jesus is a ticket to hell though.
My third question was about Sharia law--law of the Koran. Most of it is pretty tame stuff that similar to Judaism and Christianity about things like diets and managing money, but there are also extreme things like cutting of the hands of theives and stoning adulterers. I wanted to know, if they, like Christians and Jews (who have similar extreme stuff in the Old Testament/Torah) , felt that these laws are outdated for our modern times or if they should be strictly followed as written in the Koran. The answer: strictly followed. But the guy was so aggressive that we wouldn't let me ask any questions to clarify stuff and raised his voice almost to a yell as he "lectured us" on the evils of Christian (western) societies. He went so far to tell me that rape, murder and theft only occur in Christian societies and not at all in Muslim ones. What???!! Did you know that some conservatives use the law to stone RAPED women because they may have "seduced" their aggressor or "enjoyed" the act, thus making them adulturous? This happens more often than you think--check the news for Karachi, Pakistan in September 2008. I wanted to ask about this but couldn't get a word in with the mouthy one. Then a third man, a much more soft spoken one (obviously trying to compensate) said, "These things are true but we do many wonderful charity works that help prevent these things. Islam is good and we do good things." Right. Of course. Not all Muslims are terrible, stone-throwing, hand chopping, extremists. And they do do a lot of wonderful charitable works. But so do Bahais. So do Mormons. So do Hindus, Buddhists, Chistians, Jews, Catholics, and Athiests. I can't accept that any amount of good works is a reason enough to turn a blind eye to cruel and unusual punnishment. And none of those other faiths or creeds feel the need to take punnishment to such extreme measures.
Anyway, to say the least, it ended badly. The mouthy one said as I got up to leave, that I shouldn't judge them based on their laws. (But really, what should I judge them on if not by their own laws?) I responded by asking him to please not judge "The West" or "Christians" by the presence of crime. Crime is world wide and without border or religion. It doesn't exsist simply because we don't chop off hands. Crime, before it occurs in deed, first occurs in the heart. That got another bout of near-shouts so I opened the door, put on my shoes and said, "Salaam alequme" peace be with you in Arabic. (Forgive me for spelling it wrong.) He responded "Alequme salaam" and also with you and thus ended our re-education session.
It obviously wasn't a Q & A and wasn't a "discussion" either. It was a lecture--and not one of the pleasant kind. I didn't want to offend. Maybe I asked some hard questions but geeze, not even close to the ones I wanted to ask! I wanted to ask about the equality of women in Islam, the protection of women in and children in divorce (a man can divorce a woman in Islam by text message! It happened in Saudi Arabia.), I wanted to ask about the war in Gaza, about the Dome of the Rock and Israel's decision not to destroy it when the occupied the entire city (even though it lies on top of the temple--a site many want to rebuild). I wanted to ask about Hezabollah and Hamas and how does money trickle down into their hands if most Muslims see them as radicals. I wanted to ask about women praying in a seperate section. I wanted to ask about Jihad (religious war) and under what circumstances they felt it should be declared. I wanted to ask, "Do you really believe that if you die a martyr that you'll go to heaven and be granted hundreds of beautiful virgin wives?" I wanted to know if they really kept their beards long because that was how the prophet Mohammed wore his. I had so many questions. More than that.
This head mullah had a great opportunity to clarify and dispel many misconceptions about Islam as well as participate in a very interesting discussion on religion and contemporary world problems. Instead, he chose to raise his voice, show his intolerance--nay, his ignorance--of other faiths, present himself as an aggressive man, and turn away two curious girls. It could have been different.
If you're Muslim and reading this, please don't think I judge all Muslims based on this one encounter. I've met so many other wonderful Muslims who've engaged with me in really challenging and really interesting conversations. And my faith? It really doesn't matter. I could be anything; this guy would have reacted the same way to anyone else who asked the same questions. I still want to ask those questions and I'd still like to hear answers/ideas. It's true, many Muslims do amazing, wonderful things for the world. But I can't and the world can't ignore their strict adherence to the Koran and their unwillingness to adapt to modern societies--places where religion and state are seperate. I'm not saying it's wrong, but I want to know why. And I want to know if like me and millions of others, if they too question the words in books and the lessons of teachers, not because they don't believe, but because they want to and they want to know why.
We went to this really nice mosque in town hoping to get a good look at the big, beautiful dome. What we got instead was a very aggressive lesson on how superior Islam is to everything else. I've been to lots of Mosques in the last year and met hundreds of Muslims. All of which have been lovely experiences. But today was really disappointing.
I should have seen it coming. Not once, in any country that I've visited, have I ever been hassled or approached by anyone other than the shoe minder (wanting his baksheesh) or the gate man reminding me to put on a head scarf. This time, however, we were informed we needed a guide. Whatever, right? Well, he came out of their information office where another mullah was sitting and talking with some westerner. I've seen this situation a MILLION times in Christian churches. It's proselytizing. I had a pretty good feeling we'd be led back there later for an obligatory "chat" on Islam.
The guide was nice though. He led us through the mosque and sang us the call to prayer, translating everything for us and then going through the different pillars of Islam, etc. etc. To be expected. And it was appreciated. His sincerity in his faith was refreshing and beautiful. However, we were a bit disappointed that they made us were robes when we went in even though we had our shoulders and our legs covered (a sign of a more conservative mosque). But then, they wouldn't let us walk to the middle to see the dome because we'd be walking on the carpets. I've never had this happen to me before. Most mosque care-takers really don't care.
But afterwards, as predicted, we were led back to the information center (in another world it'd be a pastor's office) to do a Q & A on Islam. Gaby didn't have many questions so I opened it up. First I asked about the differences between Sunni's, Shia's and Sufi's but didn't get much of an answer except that "Shia's follow man and not God" and "Sufi's pray to idols." In other words: "Sunni's are the only good Muslims." But the guide was stumbling over his words and obviously had a hard time answer (no prob, English isn't his first language) so the head mullah stepped in and took over the "discussion."
My second question: does Islam has a concept of hell like Judaism and Christianity (all three are closely related)? They said yet and that Jews and Christians will go to heaven as long as they pray to God and God alone. According to these guys, believing in the divinity of Jesus is a ticket to hell though.
My third question was about Sharia law--law of the Koran. Most of it is pretty tame stuff that similar to Judaism and Christianity about things like diets and managing money, but there are also extreme things like cutting of the hands of theives and stoning adulterers. I wanted to know, if they, like Christians and Jews (who have similar extreme stuff in the Old Testament/Torah) , felt that these laws are outdated for our modern times or if they should be strictly followed as written in the Koran. The answer: strictly followed. But the guy was so aggressive that we wouldn't let me ask any questions to clarify stuff and raised his voice almost to a yell as he "lectured us" on the evils of Christian (western) societies. He went so far to tell me that rape, murder and theft only occur in Christian societies and not at all in Muslim ones. What???!! Did you know that some conservatives use the law to stone RAPED women because they may have "seduced" their aggressor or "enjoyed" the act, thus making them adulturous? This happens more often than you think--check the news for Karachi, Pakistan in September 2008. I wanted to ask about this but couldn't get a word in with the mouthy one. Then a third man, a much more soft spoken one (obviously trying to compensate) said, "These things are true but we do many wonderful charity works that help prevent these things. Islam is good and we do good things." Right. Of course. Not all Muslims are terrible, stone-throwing, hand chopping, extremists. And they do do a lot of wonderful charitable works. But so do Bahais. So do Mormons. So do Hindus, Buddhists, Chistians, Jews, Catholics, and Athiests. I can't accept that any amount of good works is a reason enough to turn a blind eye to cruel and unusual punnishment. And none of those other faiths or creeds feel the need to take punnishment to such extreme measures.
Anyway, to say the least, it ended badly. The mouthy one said as I got up to leave, that I shouldn't judge them based on their laws. (But really, what should I judge them on if not by their own laws?) I responded by asking him to please not judge "The West" or "Christians" by the presence of crime. Crime is world wide and without border or religion. It doesn't exsist simply because we don't chop off hands. Crime, before it occurs in deed, first occurs in the heart. That got another bout of near-shouts so I opened the door, put on my shoes and said, "Salaam alequme" peace be with you in Arabic. (Forgive me for spelling it wrong.) He responded "Alequme salaam" and also with you and thus ended our re-education session.
It obviously wasn't a Q & A and wasn't a "discussion" either. It was a lecture--and not one of the pleasant kind. I didn't want to offend. Maybe I asked some hard questions but geeze, not even close to the ones I wanted to ask! I wanted to ask about the equality of women in Islam, the protection of women in and children in divorce (a man can divorce a woman in Islam by text message! It happened in Saudi Arabia.), I wanted to ask about the war in Gaza, about the Dome of the Rock and Israel's decision not to destroy it when the occupied the entire city (even though it lies on top of the temple--a site many want to rebuild). I wanted to ask about Hezabollah and Hamas and how does money trickle down into their hands if most Muslims see them as radicals. I wanted to ask about women praying in a seperate section. I wanted to ask about Jihad (religious war) and under what circumstances they felt it should be declared. I wanted to ask, "Do you really believe that if you die a martyr that you'll go to heaven and be granted hundreds of beautiful virgin wives?" I wanted to know if they really kept their beards long because that was how the prophet Mohammed wore his. I had so many questions. More than that.
This head mullah had a great opportunity to clarify and dispel many misconceptions about Islam as well as participate in a very interesting discussion on religion and contemporary world problems. Instead, he chose to raise his voice, show his intolerance--nay, his ignorance--of other faiths, present himself as an aggressive man, and turn away two curious girls. It could have been different.
If you're Muslim and reading this, please don't think I judge all Muslims based on this one encounter. I've met so many other wonderful Muslims who've engaged with me in really challenging and really interesting conversations. And my faith? It really doesn't matter. I could be anything; this guy would have reacted the same way to anyone else who asked the same questions. I still want to ask those questions and I'd still like to hear answers/ideas. It's true, many Muslims do amazing, wonderful things for the world. But I can't and the world can't ignore their strict adherence to the Koran and their unwillingness to adapt to modern societies--places where religion and state are seperate. I'm not saying it's wrong, but I want to know why. And I want to know if like me and millions of others, if they too question the words in books and the lessons of teachers, not because they don't believe, but because they want to and they want to know why.
The Long Road to Penang
The trip from Cameron Highlands to Penang was long. Too long.
It began with the bus breaking down before we even left the bus station. It would start up and then stall as soon as the driver put it in gear. I kept thinking, "It's probably the emergency brake and no one thought to take it off." But it wasn't. And as minutes turned into hours, we found ourselves wondering how we'd get to the coast. (Funny side note: J and I have spent SO much time together that I found myself thinking in his weird slang. As I got off the bus, I said to myself, "Okay, what's the go here?" Haha. It was EXACTLY how he would have said it!)
Eventually a local bus came and got us and took the long way to Ipoh so we could all get on another bus. But it was torturous. I was stuck in the aisle with no AC and no open windows. I hadn't slept much and the road was curvier than a 3 year old's handwriting. Even the hardest stomach would have done a few flips. I nearly puked a few times.
Once in Ipoh, it was a long wait for the next bus to show up. It eventually did but it was packed once again and our entire bus load from Cameron Highlands barely fit on. But we did and i got a bit of sleep on the way. However, our bus wasn't really going to Penang. It just went to Butterworth and we all had to scramble off through the sweltering heat with our massive bags and find the ferry across. It was okay and not really too hard to find but yet another unexpected detour. Pretty much everyone on the bus was expecting it to cross the bridge and drop us on the island.
Once there, it was yet again a long walk through the heat to our hostel. With almost no water and no food (save a couple handfuls of pistachios), we were exhausted. What should have taken 4 hours took 7. Ugh.
And that night's "Mexican" food was more like "Mexican inspired" Malay dishes. Since when did enchiladas come with french fries inside and a fried egg on top? *Bewildered Stare*
It began with the bus breaking down before we even left the bus station. It would start up and then stall as soon as the driver put it in gear. I kept thinking, "It's probably the emergency brake and no one thought to take it off." But it wasn't. And as minutes turned into hours, we found ourselves wondering how we'd get to the coast. (Funny side note: J and I have spent SO much time together that I found myself thinking in his weird slang. As I got off the bus, I said to myself, "Okay, what's the go here?" Haha. It was EXACTLY how he would have said it!)
Eventually a local bus came and got us and took the long way to Ipoh so we could all get on another bus. But it was torturous. I was stuck in the aisle with no AC and no open windows. I hadn't slept much and the road was curvier than a 3 year old's handwriting. Even the hardest stomach would have done a few flips. I nearly puked a few times.
Once in Ipoh, it was a long wait for the next bus to show up. It eventually did but it was packed once again and our entire bus load from Cameron Highlands barely fit on. But we did and i got a bit of sleep on the way. However, our bus wasn't really going to Penang. It just went to Butterworth and we all had to scramble off through the sweltering heat with our massive bags and find the ferry across. It was okay and not really too hard to find but yet another unexpected detour. Pretty much everyone on the bus was expecting it to cross the bridge and drop us on the island.
Once there, it was yet again a long walk through the heat to our hostel. With almost no water and no food (save a couple handfuls of pistachios), we were exhausted. What should have taken 4 hours took 7. Ugh.
And that night's "Mexican" food was more like "Mexican inspired" Malay dishes. Since when did enchiladas come with french fries inside and a fried egg on top? *Bewildered Stare*
Thursday, January 22, 2009
An English afternoon in Malaysia
Here in the Cameron Highlands, life is slow. Real slow. Like a slow brewing pot of tea. In fact, everyone is brewing a pot of tea.
After a long walk through the Boh Tea Plantation yesterday, we stopped here in the cafe for a nice view and a pot of tea. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and even worth the sun burn. :)
Don't you just love the rolling hills of well manicured tea bushes? It's pretty much right out of a movie.
I also went on a hike to a jungle waterfall and ran into a guy I met in a hostel in KL. We had a good time catching up and then headed down the rest of the trail. It was supposed to be an easy path but quickly became bad. Lots of down trees, land slides and nearly sheer drops on the side.
Over all, the Cameron Highlands were a hit! I loved the trip and it's by far the best part of Malaysia (that I've seen). I would definitely come back.
I'm in Penang now--an island rich in Chinese history--with Gaby, the girl from Holland. I'll be here for something like 6 days (maybe more) for the Chinese New Year celebration. It should be fun. There's a few other cool things to see in the area, some hidden beaches, a snake temple, hills, jungle hikes, lots and lots of shop houses, etc. After Penang--on to Thailand to be with Jeremy! Yay! Just 6 more days to go!!
After a long walk through the Boh Tea Plantation yesterday, we stopped here in the cafe for a nice view and a pot of tea. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and even worth the sun burn. :)Don't you just love the rolling hills of well manicured tea bushes? It's pretty much right out of a movie.
I also went on a hike to a jungle waterfall and ran into a guy I met in a hostel in KL. We had a good time catching up and then headed down the rest of the trail. It was supposed to be an easy path but quickly became bad. Lots of down trees, land slides and nearly sheer drops on the side.Over all, the Cameron Highlands were a hit! I loved the trip and it's by far the best part of Malaysia (that I've seen). I would definitely come back.I'm in Penang now--an island rich in Chinese history--with Gaby, the girl from Holland. I'll be here for something like 6 days (maybe more) for the Chinese New Year celebration. It should be fun. There's a few other cool things to see in the area, some hidden beaches, a snake temple, hills, jungle hikes, lots and lots of shop houses, etc. After Penang--on to Thailand to be with Jeremy! Yay! Just 6 more days to go!!Monday, January 19, 2009
A Reason to Celebrate
Yay! I just got online today and found out that my visa was cleared today! Yay! I was so worried that this wasn't going to happen. This whole thing became WAY more complicated than it was supposed it. And it took two months to get done. Anyway, I'm celebrating today! I'm going to go out and buy myself a nice lunch now!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
My Life is Nearly Complete
Now, I've done some pretty cool things in the last year or so, but even cooler than holding a live, full grown tiger's head in my lap, was my trip to the elephant rescue and rehabilitation center outside KL yesterday.
A girl I met in Singapore saw a show about it on TV one night in the hostel and put the idea in my head. She was determined to visit herself (and did) and upon hearing of her success, I decided to set out and do it myself. The center is about two hours away from KL but an easy day trip for the dedicated.
Nothing invokes more joy than the beautiful love and touch of an elephant.
We also got to watch some of them be hosed off right before lunch time. They were so cute and it seemed that they really did enjoy the cooling water.
But the best part (the life completing part!) was actually swimming with the elephants! We would ride one of the big ones out into the water where it would flop over on it's side, dumping the whole load of people, and then we could swim over to where the babies where and play with them. It really was awe inspiring. They were so fun, so gentle and SO excited to be touched and played with by so many people! It's hard to imagine something topping this experience.
This guy was doing a dance and trying to reach the food while the workers were cutting up papaya and watermelon for their lunches. :)
Even the big elephants loved the sport of dumping and swiming with us all in the water.
A girl I met in Singapore saw a show about it on TV one night in the hostel and put the idea in my head. She was determined to visit herself (and did) and upon hearing of her success, I decided to set out and do it myself. The center is about two hours away from KL but an easy day trip for the dedicated.
Nothing invokes more joy than the beautiful love and touch of an elephant.
While at the center, we had the fun chance to sit, touch, feed, and oogle at the elephants. All of the elephants at this center were rescued from the jungles of Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia where the logging industry is steadily shrinking their terrain and forcing the elephants into close proximity with farmers and small communities. They are all captured and then released into a national reserve park in Malaysia where they have a lot more room to roam free. But the ones who have been injured come to the center. One of the babies had no tail because he was attacked my a tiger!
We also got to watch some of them be hosed off right before lunch time. They were so cute and it seemed that they really did enjoy the cooling water.
But the best part (the life completing part!) was actually swimming with the elephants! We would ride one of the big ones out into the water where it would flop over on it's side, dumping the whole load of people, and then we could swim over to where the babies where and play with them. It really was awe inspiring. They were so fun, so gentle and SO excited to be touched and played with by so many people! It's hard to imagine something topping this experience.
This guy was doing a dance and trying to reach the food while the workers were cutting up papaya and watermelon for their lunches. :)
Even the big elephants loved the sport of dumping and swiming with us all in the water.
There I am, splashing and swimming with the babies. I can't believe how awesome that was. A once in a life time experience. Shortly after I kind of evacuated the water for a bit... Floating elephant dung the size of logs. lol.
On Top of the World
On day two, Kuala Lumpur, I dragged my sleepy butt out of bed at 7 am so that I could snatch up one of those limited free tickets for the sky bridge at the Petronas Towers.
The Petronas Towers were once upon a time the tallest buildings in the world after September 11th but were quickly shrunken in stature when the Taipei 101 Tower climbed even higher. However, the Petronas Twin Towers do still remain the world's largest of their kind. Each day, 1,400 free tickets are given out to visit the sky bridge on the 41st floor but they often are all gone before 9 am (they only open at 8:00) so you have to get there early if you want to go up. It was a rough morning--especially after two nights without sleep in Melaka! Grrr.
There I am, bad haircut and all.
I love the effect the fisheye lens gave these photos. They look kinda space-age-y.
After finishing my tour at 9:30, I headed back, paid my bill for the day, caught a few more hours of sleep, and then returned in the afternoon to watch a movie and wait for sun-down. It was a nice relaxing afternoon/evening. :)
The Petronas Towers were once upon a time the tallest buildings in the world after September 11th but were quickly shrunken in stature when the Taipei 101 Tower climbed even higher. However, the Petronas Twin Towers do still remain the world's largest of their kind. Each day, 1,400 free tickets are given out to visit the sky bridge on the 41st floor but they often are all gone before 9 am (they only open at 8:00) so you have to get there early if you want to go up. It was a rough morning--especially after two nights without sleep in Melaka! Grrr.
There I am, bad haircut and all.
I love the effect the fisheye lens gave these photos. They look kinda space-age-y.
After finishing my tour at 9:30, I headed back, paid my bill for the day, caught a few more hours of sleep, and then returned in the afternoon to watch a movie and wait for sun-down. It was a nice relaxing afternoon/evening. :)
A Spelunking-Good Time
After a lot of reading up on KL, I discovered there really wasn't much to do and instead of staying several days in the expensive capital city, I initiated operation Blitz Krieg. First call of order: bombard Batu Caves.
The Batu Caves are an very large cave network, home to Malaysia's most important Hindu temple. On February 6th they will celebrate this holiday where they all practice self mutilation (as in hooks through their back and spears through their cheeks) in order to show thanks to the gods for their blessings. Apparently they enter a trance like state to withstand the pain, though lots of less-devoted people try every year and ultimately do little more that keep the local hospitals busy. Wish I could be there but unfortunately I'll be in Thailand, meeting Jeremy. :)
It's a ridiculously long climb up into the caves via 272 steps under the sweltering sun. I met a couple other people out there that day: a guy from Hungary and a girl from Brazil. We had a good time chatting about our travels and cooling down with popsicles.
I managed to see the sight in my first day after arriving only two hours before. It was a swift yet sweaty victory.
The Batu Caves are an very large cave network, home to Malaysia's most important Hindu temple. On February 6th they will celebrate this holiday where they all practice self mutilation (as in hooks through their back and spears through their cheeks) in order to show thanks to the gods for their blessings. Apparently they enter a trance like state to withstand the pain, though lots of less-devoted people try every year and ultimately do little more that keep the local hospitals busy. Wish I could be there but unfortunately I'll be in Thailand, meeting Jeremy. :)
It's a ridiculously long climb up into the caves via 272 steps under the sweltering sun. I met a couple other people out there that day: a guy from Hungary and a girl from Brazil. We had a good time chatting about our travels and cooling down with popsicles.
I managed to see the sight in my first day after arriving only two hours before. It was a swift yet sweaty victory.
Me lika Melaka.
Well, there wasn't much to do in Melaka but there is plenty of history and lots to see. The town was first colonized by the Portuguese and later by the Brits, but interestingly, a special dialect from the Portuguese occupation still exists today--some 300 years later! Amazing, huh? Anyway, it's mostly just a laid back town with a few small museum. It only takes 3 hours or so to walk around the whole thing (thus I only stayed 2 nights) but it was nice none the less.
This is the dorm room I stayed in.
Though it was very relaxing because it was pretty bare and clean, I was never able to get a good night's sleep. Mostly because there was a beastly guy named Leon who kept turning off my fan in the middle of the night. Then I'd get hot, sweaty and become easy pray for mosquitos. It came to a blow out my last night there when I got up and turned the fan back on in the night and he started yelling at me to turn it off because he was cold. There were lots of "kind" things I wanted to say to him but decided that waking up everyone in the dorm so that I could teach this guy a lesson in manners wasn't going to work too much in my favor. So I turned it off. Maybe I'm a pushover. I don't know. But after that, I decided I had no desire to stay someplace with such rude and miserable people and I left.
The town definitely has this weird hippy vibe to it and I had a great time wandering around capturning the street art.
At night, all of Chinatown was lit up with lanterns because Chinese New Year is coming soon. Waling the streets in the evening was almost magical because everything glowed in red, green, yellow, and orange.
This is the dorm room I stayed in.
Though it was very relaxing because it was pretty bare and clean, I was never able to get a good night's sleep. Mostly because there was a beastly guy named Leon who kept turning off my fan in the middle of the night. Then I'd get hot, sweaty and become easy pray for mosquitos. It came to a blow out my last night there when I got up and turned the fan back on in the night and he started yelling at me to turn it off because he was cold. There were lots of "kind" things I wanted to say to him but decided that waking up everyone in the dorm so that I could teach this guy a lesson in manners wasn't going to work too much in my favor. So I turned it off. Maybe I'm a pushover. I don't know. But after that, I decided I had no desire to stay someplace with such rude and miserable people and I left.
The town definitely has this weird hippy vibe to it and I had a great time wandering around capturning the street art.
At night, all of Chinatown was lit up with lanterns because Chinese New Year is coming soon. Waling the streets in the evening was almost magical because everything glowed in red, green, yellow, and orange.
And then it was off to the capital: Kuala Lumpar! I was hoping for more excitement but soon discovered that it takes a bit of effort to make KL exciting...
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Chans
So, my last few days in Singapore were sweet. Through a friend of a friend, I was hooked up with a place to stay for a few days which was such a nice retreat from the hostel. I was so sick of sleeping in dorm beds. It was also nice to just have someone else around to talk with, eat breakfast with, a little girl to play with, and most of all, not have to worry about your stuff if you need to leave or not having to pack all your valuables into the toilet with you when you need to go. I also had the pleasure of going to church with them--something I haven't had a chance to do in a long time. Traveling is hard work, my friends.
This is Vanessa, their little girl. We had an impromptu photo shoot one morning. So cute.
I spent almost a total of two weeks in Singapore and while I have quite a few photos to show for it, I'm sorry that I haven't posted nearly enough. I guess that Singapore just isn't that interesting. Sometimes I had to make myself go do something rather than sit in bed all day and read. But that's a dangerous game too because once you step out the door and into Asia's most westernized country, your pocket book starts cha-chinging!
A parrot from Jurong Bird Park. I think you would have loved it, Judy and John.
The CBD at Raffle's Place with one big blocky sculpture. ;
In that last week I just roamed around a bit. I hung out at the Jurong Bird Park (part of the zoo), I walked around China Town, walked about the CBD (central business district), visited a synagogue, an Armenian church, a couple museums, and watched a few movies (The Women is an excellent movie with thought provoking feminist themes; Seven Pounds is a moving drama that will challenge you to be a better person--take tissue). And even on my tight budget, I found myself shopping a bit too. But who couldn't in Singapore? The whole economy is driven by literally, a hundred+ malls. No joke. But I promise, it was all for necessary things. I found my favorite Korean makeup shop to replace the eyeliner and mascara that's been drying up. I picked up that City Scene Starbucks cup that I need from every place I go. I got a big book to read called Shantaram (Aunt Judy, this is a must read!). And the best part was bras and underwear from what I now believe to be THE BEST lingerie store on earth: La Senza. Kiss Victoria's goodbye! Man, I need bras so bad. I'm sure you all wanted to know that. But really. Korea doesn't import anything bigger than a B cup and I've lost so much weight that the old tattered things I brought from home don't fit anymore. So, I consider it all well spent cash.
Tuesday I packed up, said my goodbyes to the Chan's and headed out for Melaka, Malaysia. More to come on this later. And for those who are interested, Jeremy is doing fine in Iran. He's having fun and meeting really nice Iranian people. But he's a bit sick at the moment. Keep him in your thoughts. Only 14 more days until we see each other in Bangkok! I can't wait!
If you want a sneak peak at the Malaysian stories to come, check out my photo blog (365 Degrees) on the right side of the screen or click on My Flickr Albums to see more of the photos.
This is Vanessa, their little girl. We had an impromptu photo shoot one morning. So cute.
I spent almost a total of two weeks in Singapore and while I have quite a few photos to show for it, I'm sorry that I haven't posted nearly enough. I guess that Singapore just isn't that interesting. Sometimes I had to make myself go do something rather than sit in bed all day and read. But that's a dangerous game too because once you step out the door and into Asia's most westernized country, your pocket book starts cha-chinging!
A parrot from Jurong Bird Park. I think you would have loved it, Judy and John.
The CBD at Raffle's Place with one big blocky sculpture. ;
In that last week I just roamed around a bit. I hung out at the Jurong Bird Park (part of the zoo), I walked around China Town, walked about the CBD (central business district), visited a synagogue, an Armenian church, a couple museums, and watched a few movies (The Women is an excellent movie with thought provoking feminist themes; Seven Pounds is a moving drama that will challenge you to be a better person--take tissue). And even on my tight budget, I found myself shopping a bit too. But who couldn't in Singapore? The whole economy is driven by literally, a hundred+ malls. No joke. But I promise, it was all for necessary things. I found my favorite Korean makeup shop to replace the eyeliner and mascara that's been drying up. I picked up that City Scene Starbucks cup that I need from every place I go. I got a big book to read called Shantaram (Aunt Judy, this is a must read!). And the best part was bras and underwear from what I now believe to be THE BEST lingerie store on earth: La Senza. Kiss Victoria's goodbye! Man, I need bras so bad. I'm sure you all wanted to know that. But really. Korea doesn't import anything bigger than a B cup and I've lost so much weight that the old tattered things I brought from home don't fit anymore. So, I consider it all well spent cash.
Everyone is getting ready for Chinese New Year: January 26-29th.
Tuesday I packed up, said my goodbyes to the Chan's and headed out for Melaka, Malaysia. More to come on this later. And for those who are interested, Jeremy is doing fine in Iran. He's having fun and meeting really nice Iranian people. But he's a bit sick at the moment. Keep him in your thoughts. Only 14 more days until we see each other in Bangkok! I can't wait!
If you want a sneak peak at the Malaysian stories to come, check out my photo blog (365 Degrees) on the right side of the screen or click on My Flickr Albums to see more of the photos.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Singapore for Beginners
So, life in Singapore. I've been here for a little over a week and a half and it's been fun, boring, exciting, exhausting, entertaining, and everything in between. Here's a look at what I've been up to:
Exploring the streets of Little India where these beautiful colonial shop houses line EVERY street.
Checking out the local Hindu temples and mingling with yes, more Indians. This one in particular was really nice and the priest gave me a bunch of flowers when I left. :)
Walking along the Singapore River at night while chowing down on chicken satay sticks and gazing at the beautiful city scene.
Frequenting Singapore's great variety of zoos including the Night Safari--the world's first night zoo--where I saw this awesome fire dance performance.
Exploring the streets of Little India where these beautiful colonial shop houses line EVERY street.
Checking out the local Hindu temples and mingling with yes, more Indians. This one in particular was really nice and the priest gave me a bunch of flowers when I left. :)
Walking along the Singapore River at night while chowing down on chicken satay sticks and gazing at the beautiful city scene.
Frequenting Singapore's great variety of zoos including the Night Safari--the world's first night zoo--where I saw this awesome fire dance performance.
You know, monkeying around. :) This cute little guy with a tiny nose was adorable. Thanks for the photo comment, Ruh!
Yesterday I moved to a new hostel where the rooms are better and cheaper and met some really nice people to hang out it. Lots of Aussies. I had lunch with some Brits before they flew out that day and then hung out with a guy from Melbourne and a girl from Sydney last night. Today I went out to lunch with the guy from Melbourne and met his sweet Singaporean friend whom I plan to hang out with next week. I also hit up Siloso beach but gave up after an hour of tanning because the wind was filling my ears with sand--ick! Tomorrow morning I'm moving to a house! Yes, a real house!! The alumni director at my college hooked me up with a place to stay here so I can save a bit of money--such a relief in such an expensive city! A good night's sleep and some nice people to hang out with are finally on the horizon! Then, on Wednesday next week, I'll head out of here and go to Malaysia where rooms are a bit cheaper (though food is about the same) and spend some time hiking in tea fields and gazing at fire flies in the evening. Should be fun.
I guess that catches you all up. I have just a few more things to do in Singapore before Wednesday but I'll be updating this thing a few more times before then. Ciao!
I guess that catches you all up. I have just a few more things to do in Singapore before Wednesday but I'll be updating this thing a few more times before then. Ciao!
Ambivalent.
Ugh. I missed a phone call from Jeremy last night and now I don't feel like doing anything. It's so hard when you're traveling so far apart from the people you love and don't always have a reliable way of communicating. When you miss a phone call like that, you just feel like doing nothing. It's leaves you so depressed. But the good news is that I may have found a free room with an NU alumni here in Singapore which means I can save a few bucks. Still waiting on an email from him but when it comes I'm outta the hostel and FINALLY into a real home like a real human being!
My time here in Singapore has been good. I'm trying to space things out with a few days where I spend money at zoos and museums and then on the days in between I go hiking, swimming, do a walking tour, or catch a movie. Or just sit around and read books and magazines.
Sorry I haven't updated this thing much since I've been here but most of my internet time has been spent either uploading photos or talking on the phone with J. I can't really post photos right now but if you want to see the ones I've taken, just visit my Flickr albums by clicking the link on the right side of my blog.
More to come.
My time here in Singapore has been good. I'm trying to space things out with a few days where I spend money at zoos and museums and then on the days in between I go hiking, swimming, do a walking tour, or catch a movie. Or just sit around and read books and magazines.
Sorry I haven't updated this thing much since I've been here but most of my internet time has been spent either uploading photos or talking on the phone with J. I can't really post photos right now but if you want to see the ones I've taken, just visit my Flickr albums by clicking the link on the right side of my blog.
More to come.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
And then there was one.
After all that wonderful time together in Egypt, Jeremy and I parted for the time being. He went to Iran where few Americans are allowed to trod, and I headed off to Singapore where I intended to wait out my visa and fly to his parents. (Notice the past tense.) It turns out that yet again my plans have been thwarted! I'm now waiting for them to approve my x-rays, a process which they say "may take several weeks." Ugh.
So, plan abandoned. As of now, I'm just going to wait here in SE Asia for Jeremy to arrive January 29th and then we'll travel together a bit more on what's left of his travel money. He's such a sweety. We've both been miserable without each other, enough that he decided even if I run out of money he'll pay for us to stay together. You would think that after 4 months of 24 hours, 7 days a week that we'd enjoy the time apart but the truth is that it's terrible.
One victory for Australia's immigration department and one for love. :)
So, plan abandoned. As of now, I'm just going to wait here in SE Asia for Jeremy to arrive January 29th and then we'll travel together a bit more on what's left of his travel money. He's such a sweety. We've both been miserable without each other, enough that he decided even if I run out of money he'll pay for us to stay together. You would think that after 4 months of 24 hours, 7 days a week that we'd enjoy the time apart but the truth is that it's terrible.
One victory for Australia's immigration department and one for love. :)
Monday, January 5, 2009
A Long Walk in the Dark
The day after Christmas we set out on an epic walk in the dark: up Mount Sinai to catch the sunrise. It was a lot longer than expected.
All the young and ambitious from our hotel donned their warmest gear and piled in a cramped van at 10 PM to start the long walk uphill. We were all exhausted and tried in to sleep on the bus but found ourselves unable to. Just like the trip from Cairo to Dahab, the trip to St. Catherine's Monastery/Mount Sinai was littered with military check points. In the course of three hours, I think I counted 9 passport checks. I understand the security measures, especially considering the current crisis in Gaza (which isn't too far away from Dahab), but this just seemed a bit excessive.
When we finally arrived we all quickly discovered it was A LOT colder up there in the desert mountains than we had all thought and Mount Sinai seems to be home to some of Egypt's most vicious touts. If you ever consider doing this trek yourself, be smart and bring a head lamp. We were lucky to have bought some before we left Korea but several people were doing this thing without it and you could hear them stumbling along in the dark. It was rocky, the trails were numerous and split in many directions, and there were plenty of hills and obstacles. At one point we stumbled upon a camel camp in the middle of the trail where hundreds--literally!!--of touts and camels were waiting and hoping for some wimpy tourist to give up and hop on a camel instead of walking up the mountain. I'll admit it, I considered taking a camel but thought better of it. I'm on a budget and my legs work just fine. But stumbling through that camp was a nightmare! There were camels sleeping in the middle of the trail, touts leading them up behind you in the dark--and they don't care if they run you over either!, crap all over the place, and not to mention tons of people calling out to you in the dark (or following you) saying, "Camel? Camel? Yes, madam? Camel? You want? Good price!!" At one point my head lamp strayed to the trail's side just in time to see a sick camel puke all over the trail. I missed the puddle but I'm sure several people didn't. When/if you go, make sure to get a guide because visiting the site has removed all doubt/wonder of how those Israelites wandered in that desert for 40 years--it's vast, empty, mountainous, and pitch black. Just be careful of your guide: our's kept stopping and asking me if I wanted to hold his hand as we went up! A big no-no for Muslim men... Could he not tell that my boyfriend was there next to me to help me up if I needed it? (Not that I did.) Um, yes, so keep those perving Egyptian guides in their place.
The trek up was exhausting though. We made several stops along the way at numerous little cafes where the prices were unreasonable and toilet extortion was at it's peak: $1 to use a dirty squat toilet?? $2 for a Snickers bar?? $3 for a cup of tea?? It was trail-way robbery! But I was eventually worn down into buying a celebratory Snickers bar for the grand event. I figured we had earned it.
Once we got to the top (or near top that is), sometime around 3:30 AM, our guide led us into a cafe to rest and wait a bit for the sun (it wasn't going to rise until 6:30). There we found ourselves assailed from all sides by touts trying to rent you blanket and mat for $4 each. Now, I know you're probably thinking, "Not bad!" but by Egyptian standards, that's pretty pricey. It was really cold though and windy too so most people took the bait and got one. We didn't and regretted that a bit. All I had on my feet were my Keen sandals and some socks. They're better than regular sandals--these are the trekking type--but my feet were so cold they eventually went numb and that made me cranky. Bless Jeremy for putting up with my whining!!
The cafe we stopped at was selling water and this guy was making overpriced tea behind the counter.
Everyone huddled up and trying to keep warm in the cafe.
One of the Egyptian guides fell asleep. Even they get tired.
Though our guide suggested we go up to the top and wait at 4:30 in order to get good seats, I refused. I wasn't going to spend 2 hours in the cold wind with what little clothes I did have on. We summitted sometime around 6 AM and still managed to get prime seats (with a little climbing, of course).
The sun just before the reached the horizon.
J thought it looked like a nuclear blast. :)
Handsome.
The big show was pretty awesome though and a very memorable event. As the sun made it's way closer to the horizon, people played music, sang songs, prayed, huddled together, shared some whisky (which apparently one couple were successful in trading it for a blanket and mat), and just chilled (hahaha, another bad joke). It was beautiful and I was so glad to once again share such a remarkable event with a remarkable person.
The way down was exhausting as well and since I could no longer just sneak off behind a shack and pee in the dark, I was forced to pay for the toilet. Ick. Going down though was just as interesting as the sunrise it's self and you couldn't help but well up with pride when you saw all that you had traveled across in the dark.
The surrounding mountains (like Sinai) were super craggy and desolate but amazingly beautiful in the morning sun.
Here it is, our mountain.
The trail down through the valley. Such a spectacular view.
The camel camp was gone though (much to my disappointment--I wanted photos) as the majority of tourists do the hike at night since the middle of the day is too hot. But I did manage to get a few camel shots along the way where touts were willing and waiting for those weak ones to once again give up on the hike down and opt for an expensive ride.
A spiritual camel, I assume.
A guy who set up at one of the cafes downhill who was selling agates and geodes.
A woman and her donkey taking up the next night's Snickers bars. :)
When we reached the bottom, we visited St. Catherine's Monastery--the oldest Christian monastery in the world. They claim to have a bush/tree growing in their courtyard that is a descendant from the original burning bush of the Old Testament. I'm not sure I believe it. They did have an interesting treasury though with a document signed/finger-printed by the prophet Mohammad saying that this monastery is a sacred and protected place, thus allowing it to remain as long as it has.
Inside the monastery.
The ride back was long and painful, and we rolled in sometime in the afternoon, all of us in a sleepy daze. But we loved the adventure and would do it again!
All the young and ambitious from our hotel donned their warmest gear and piled in a cramped van at 10 PM to start the long walk uphill. We were all exhausted and tried in to sleep on the bus but found ourselves unable to. Just like the trip from Cairo to Dahab, the trip to St. Catherine's Monastery/Mount Sinai was littered with military check points. In the course of three hours, I think I counted 9 passport checks. I understand the security measures, especially considering the current crisis in Gaza (which isn't too far away from Dahab), but this just seemed a bit excessive.
When we finally arrived we all quickly discovered it was A LOT colder up there in the desert mountains than we had all thought and Mount Sinai seems to be home to some of Egypt's most vicious touts. If you ever consider doing this trek yourself, be smart and bring a head lamp. We were lucky to have bought some before we left Korea but several people were doing this thing without it and you could hear them stumbling along in the dark. It was rocky, the trails were numerous and split in many directions, and there were plenty of hills and obstacles. At one point we stumbled upon a camel camp in the middle of the trail where hundreds--literally!!--of touts and camels were waiting and hoping for some wimpy tourist to give up and hop on a camel instead of walking up the mountain. I'll admit it, I considered taking a camel but thought better of it. I'm on a budget and my legs work just fine. But stumbling through that camp was a nightmare! There were camels sleeping in the middle of the trail, touts leading them up behind you in the dark--and they don't care if they run you over either!, crap all over the place, and not to mention tons of people calling out to you in the dark (or following you) saying, "Camel? Camel? Yes, madam? Camel? You want? Good price!!" At one point my head lamp strayed to the trail's side just in time to see a sick camel puke all over the trail. I missed the puddle but I'm sure several people didn't. When/if you go, make sure to get a guide because visiting the site has removed all doubt/wonder of how those Israelites wandered in that desert for 40 years--it's vast, empty, mountainous, and pitch black. Just be careful of your guide: our's kept stopping and asking me if I wanted to hold his hand as we went up! A big no-no for Muslim men... Could he not tell that my boyfriend was there next to me to help me up if I needed it? (Not that I did.) Um, yes, so keep those perving Egyptian guides in their place.
The trek up was exhausting though. We made several stops along the way at numerous little cafes where the prices were unreasonable and toilet extortion was at it's peak: $1 to use a dirty squat toilet?? $2 for a Snickers bar?? $3 for a cup of tea?? It was trail-way robbery! But I was eventually worn down into buying a celebratory Snickers bar for the grand event. I figured we had earned it.
Once we got to the top (or near top that is), sometime around 3:30 AM, our guide led us into a cafe to rest and wait a bit for the sun (it wasn't going to rise until 6:30). There we found ourselves assailed from all sides by touts trying to rent you blanket and mat for $4 each. Now, I know you're probably thinking, "Not bad!" but by Egyptian standards, that's pretty pricey. It was really cold though and windy too so most people took the bait and got one. We didn't and regretted that a bit. All I had on my feet were my Keen sandals and some socks. They're better than regular sandals--these are the trekking type--but my feet were so cold they eventually went numb and that made me cranky. Bless Jeremy for putting up with my whining!!
The cafe we stopped at was selling water and this guy was making overpriced tea behind the counter.
Everyone huddled up and trying to keep warm in the cafe.
One of the Egyptian guides fell asleep. Even they get tired.
Though our guide suggested we go up to the top and wait at 4:30 in order to get good seats, I refused. I wasn't going to spend 2 hours in the cold wind with what little clothes I did have on. We summitted sometime around 6 AM and still managed to get prime seats (with a little climbing, of course).
The sun just before the reached the horizon.
J thought it looked like a nuclear blast. :)
Handsome.
The big show was pretty awesome though and a very memorable event. As the sun made it's way closer to the horizon, people played music, sang songs, prayed, huddled together, shared some whisky (which apparently one couple were successful in trading it for a blanket and mat), and just chilled (hahaha, another bad joke). It was beautiful and I was so glad to once again share such a remarkable event with a remarkable person.
The way down was exhausting as well and since I could no longer just sneak off behind a shack and pee in the dark, I was forced to pay for the toilet. Ick. Going down though was just as interesting as the sunrise it's self and you couldn't help but well up with pride when you saw all that you had traveled across in the dark.
The surrounding mountains (like Sinai) were super craggy and desolate but amazingly beautiful in the morning sun.Here it is, our mountain.
The trail down through the valley. Such a spectacular view.
The camel camp was gone though (much to my disappointment--I wanted photos) as the majority of tourists do the hike at night since the middle of the day is too hot. But I did manage to get a few camel shots along the way where touts were willing and waiting for those weak ones to once again give up on the hike down and opt for an expensive ride.
A spiritual camel, I assume.
A guy who set up at one of the cafes downhill who was selling agates and geodes.
A woman and her donkey taking up the next night's Snickers bars. :)
When we reached the bottom, we visited St. Catherine's Monastery--the oldest Christian monastery in the world. They claim to have a bush/tree growing in their courtyard that is a descendant from the original burning bush of the Old Testament. I'm not sure I believe it. They did have an interesting treasury though with a document signed/finger-printed by the prophet Mohammad saying that this monastery is a sacred and protected place, thus allowing it to remain as long as it has.
Inside the monastery.
The ride back was long and painful, and we rolled in sometime in the afternoon, all of us in a sleepy daze. But we loved the adventure and would do it again!
A Little R & R
Dahab was such a nice retreat from the craziness of Cairo. Unlike everywhere else in Egypt, life is a LOT slower and the touts (though they still bug you a bit) are far more likely to let it be when you say, "No, thanks." The sun was out all day and surprise! You could see it too because there weren't millions of billowing smog emitters hanging around the city! The food was excellent.
We frequently lunched at this one restaurant called Octopus World. We chose it because Jeremy's Korean nickname (given by his students) is Octopus because of his bald head. :) It was so nice though and we were very happy to eat at a restaurant that refused to serve fish out of the reef. Responsible Egyptians!! Amazing!! After eating, we would retire to these lovely lounge chairs along the water at the restaurant and sip milk shakes while reading and sitting in the sun. Perfect.
We also had company at lunch! This goofy dog kept trying to play fetch with us and would hop up on the chairs next to us, constantly bringing us rocks. Me, being the dog lover, would throw them out in the water and laugh while the dog frantically searched for it. Jeremy, being the dog... tolerator? would scowl when it returned wet, shaking the water off in his direction. Hahaha.
The view from where I sat.
The Red Sea (which is blue, not red... Hahaha, bad joke) was beautifully clear and warm! Snorkeling was awesome from right off the shore with perfect visibility (I think better than Thailand) and no sea lice! We went snorkeling at The Blue Hole--an infamous dive site for the numerous deaths of careless and inexperienced divers. The Blue Hole is a 120 meter deep hole in the coral reef with several tunnels leading out into the open water and TEEMING with fish! We saw a puffer fish, a lion fish (2!), cornet fishes, and clown fish (among tons of other fish that we known nothing about but were equally impressive in their neon splendor). And the best part is that everything was cheap! We made lots of friends and just enjoyed our time in the sun (even if it was a bit windy/chilly).
We frequently lunched at this one restaurant called Octopus World. We chose it because Jeremy's Korean nickname (given by his students) is Octopus because of his bald head. :) It was so nice though and we were very happy to eat at a restaurant that refused to serve fish out of the reef. Responsible Egyptians!! Amazing!! After eating, we would retire to these lovely lounge chairs along the water at the restaurant and sip milk shakes while reading and sitting in the sun. Perfect.
We also had company at lunch! This goofy dog kept trying to play fetch with us and would hop up on the chairs next to us, constantly bringing us rocks. Me, being the dog lover, would throw them out in the water and laugh while the dog frantically searched for it. Jeremy, being the dog... tolerator? would scowl when it returned wet, shaking the water off in his direction. Hahaha.
The view from where I sat.
The Red Sea (which is blue, not red... Hahaha, bad joke) was beautifully clear and warm! Snorkeling was awesome from right off the shore with perfect visibility (I think better than Thailand) and no sea lice! We went snorkeling at The Blue Hole--an infamous dive site for the numerous deaths of careless and inexperienced divers. The Blue Hole is a 120 meter deep hole in the coral reef with several tunnels leading out into the open water and TEEMING with fish! We saw a puffer fish, a lion fish (2!), cornet fishes, and clown fish (among tons of other fish that we known nothing about but were equally impressive in their neon splendor). And the best part is that everything was cheap! We made lots of friends and just enjoyed our time in the sun (even if it was a bit windy/chilly).
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Dirt
If you summed up Cairo in one word, it would be dirt. This city is pretty icky; only second to Delhi. We didn't do a whole lot in Cairo except wait around for our visas to clear. With the beginning of the Haj (a month long pilgrimage for all Muslims to Mecca), some Iranian holidays, crazy Muslim weekends (Thursday and Fridays), and Christmas, there were only a few days each week were we could acutally accomplish anything.
But we did see a few things. We spent a day walking around Coptic Cairo (Coptic is the Eastern Orthodox sect of Christianity in Egypt), a day shopping for that ever elusive alabaster chess set in the Muslim Quarter tourist markets (didn't find the right one), a day wandering around the pyramids (which I already posted on), and an evening at a free Sufi twirling performance--spectacular! The twirling performance is actually Sufi's entering a trance like state of worship to Allah through spinning. It's really quite beautiful and moving. It wasn't hard to see the sincerity in their faces or the passion of the singers and musicians; several performers were crying. But just watching them spin for over 30 minutes straight is enough to make even the most seasoned sailor motion sick! They should have handed out bags and motion sickness meds at the door! Jk. Unfortunately we didn't take a camera. :(
I think these were some of the old city gates in Islamic Cairo.
Cairo over the Nile. This place is only clean looking because it's next to the Hyatt. Everywhere else is gritty.
Some mosque in Coptic Cairo where the men at the front tried to rip us off by asking for baksheesh (sorta like tipping) for minding our shoes. We refused to pay.
A view over Islamic Cairo.
This interesting little street in Coptic Cairo sold lots of English books and some tourist treasures like gold Annubis statues. Bah.
This is Midan Talat Harb, near where we stayed.
One of the lovely old Coptic churches in Coptic Cairo. The stained glass was amazing and made the whole chapel sparkle like a kaleidoscope. There was also an interesting synagogue nearby that is supposedly where Moses was found in the reeds but like most synagogues in Egypt, no photos allowed. It was beautiful though.
Jeremy took this picture from the roof of our hotel. Lovely, eh?
Other than that and the constant battle to have my x-rays released (it took several visits and phone calls to the embassy and hospital along with numerous arguments with power-tripping receptionists and a letter from the Australian Department of Immigration) and Jeremy's back and forth with the Iranian embassy, we pretty much sat online or read books.
Food wise, the downtown area of Cairo where we stayed was seriously lacking. Aside from McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Koshary (a lentil, chickpea, rice, onion and marinara concoction), there was just the random market store with biscuits. We ate sooo bad and have gained a little weight because of it. Darn. Back to working it off!!
After two weeks in Cairo, breathing the smog, battling the flies and cats, and wearing soot in all of our clothes, we finally escaped to Dahab--the Red Sea backpackers paradise.
But we did see a few things. We spent a day walking around Coptic Cairo (Coptic is the Eastern Orthodox sect of Christianity in Egypt), a day shopping for that ever elusive alabaster chess set in the Muslim Quarter tourist markets (didn't find the right one), a day wandering around the pyramids (which I already posted on), and an evening at a free Sufi twirling performance--spectacular! The twirling performance is actually Sufi's entering a trance like state of worship to Allah through spinning. It's really quite beautiful and moving. It wasn't hard to see the sincerity in their faces or the passion of the singers and musicians; several performers were crying. But just watching them spin for over 30 minutes straight is enough to make even the most seasoned sailor motion sick! They should have handed out bags and motion sickness meds at the door! Jk. Unfortunately we didn't take a camera. :(
I think these were some of the old city gates in Islamic Cairo.
Cairo over the Nile. This place is only clean looking because it's next to the Hyatt. Everywhere else is gritty.
Some mosque in Coptic Cairo where the men at the front tried to rip us off by asking for baksheesh (sorta like tipping) for minding our shoes. We refused to pay.
A view over Islamic Cairo.
This interesting little street in Coptic Cairo sold lots of English books and some tourist treasures like gold Annubis statues. Bah.
This is Midan Talat Harb, near where we stayed.
One of the lovely old Coptic churches in Coptic Cairo. The stained glass was amazing and made the whole chapel sparkle like a kaleidoscope. There was also an interesting synagogue nearby that is supposedly where Moses was found in the reeds but like most synagogues in Egypt, no photos allowed. It was beautiful though.
Jeremy took this picture from the roof of our hotel. Lovely, eh?
Other than that and the constant battle to have my x-rays released (it took several visits and phone calls to the embassy and hospital along with numerous arguments with power-tripping receptionists and a letter from the Australian Department of Immigration) and Jeremy's back and forth with the Iranian embassy, we pretty much sat online or read books.
Food wise, the downtown area of Cairo where we stayed was seriously lacking. Aside from McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Koshary (a lentil, chickpea, rice, onion and marinara concoction), there was just the random market store with biscuits. We ate sooo bad and have gained a little weight because of it. Darn. Back to working it off!!
After two weeks in Cairo, breathing the smog, battling the flies and cats, and wearing soot in all of our clothes, we finally escaped to Dahab--the Red Sea backpackers paradise.
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