Photo links

I finally got more photos uploaded from this summer

Vietnam: http://picasaweb.google.com/melody.jordahl/Vietnam?feat=directlink

Cambodia: http://picasaweb.google.com/melody.jordahl/Cambodia?feat=directlink

Alaska (belated, but still true!)

In early August, 2009, I traveled to Alaska with my mom . The excuse was a friend's wedding, but we had both been wanting to go for a long time.
As most flights arrive in Anchorage late at night, we left on the train for Denali after a short night. It was a very overcast day which made for a quiet ride on the way up. And a very long 8 hours. It did clear a bit, but not much. We also realized once we got to Denali that what was clouds had changed to smoke: there were many fires in the area. Our first night there, we went on a horse-drawn carriage ride that included a family style dinner. It was nice and relaxing and a great meal.
The next morning was slightly clearer as it had rained. We slept in, did a little shopping, then headed out the the park mid-afternoon. Although the clouds were low hanging because of the rain (so we didn't seen any mountains, let alone Denali), it was still gorgeous. We saw some wildlife, including some male caribou several miles below us and some Dall sheep on the mountain. However, the highlight was seeing several grizzly bears. First was a mother with her two year-old cubs napping on the side of the road on the way in. Then, on the way out, we saw the same three bears plus another mom and cub eating berries. The groups got a little too close for comfort so we got to see a bit of a confrontation between the moms, which was amazing. Our driver said it was rare to see that sort of thing so close to the road.
Next day we headed back to Anchorage. It was a beautiful day which made for a much nicer ride on the way home (train again). Once back in Anchorage, we were picked up by a friend of mine for dinner. We went to the Bear Tooth Grill which was very good. While waiting for dinner, we stopped at Earthquake Park and did get a view of Denali, even if it was from that far away!
The next day we headed to Matanuska Glacier, where the wedding was held. A friend of mine, who also knows the bride, picked us up and we drove out. The reception was at a lodge nearby, but the wedding was actually out on the glacier, about a 40 minute hike. And yes, the bride wore a traditional wedding dress, although she did wear mukluks. We spent the night at the lodge where the reception was to enjoy our evening.
Next stop was Seward (via Anchorage of course). We picked up a rental car in Anchorage and headed south. It was another gorgeous day for the drive. We stopped along the way to take some pictures and just enjoy the day. After a relaxing evening, we went on a glacier cruise the next morning. We saw lots of wildlife, such as whales, Dall porpoises, sea otters, sea lions, and lots and lots of puffins. We spent quite a bit of time at the Holgate Glacier, watching the birds and the ice fall.
After spending the morning at the Sealife Center (funded by money from the Exxon Valdez settlement) and shopping again, we headed back to Anchorage. We had dinner at the Moose's Tooth, a good pizza place and the sister of the Bear's Tooth. We spent the next morning at Potter Marsh, where we finally saw salmon running (and more birds). After wondering around a bit more in Anchorage, we left for home.

Overall it was a great trip. Beautiful state. Friendly people. Relaxed atmosphere. I can't wait to go again and see even more!

To see a few pics, check out my Picasa album http://picasaweb.google.com/melody.jordahl/Alaska?feat=directlink

Last Days in SE Asia

Sorry about the long delay on this. I wanted to add pictures and had limited internet access in Alaska (which you can read about in another post).

Day 13

Not a very exciting day. We flew from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. On the way to the hotel we did get our first glimpse of Angkor Wat but that was it for temples today. After checking in we took a little walking tour or the town and got some lunch. I then headed back to the hotel with a few others for an afternoon of relaxation. Sat by the pool and did nothing. I was truly on vacation. Then headed into town to have dinner at Dead Fish Pub. It was built over an old crocodile pit so the crocs are still there and quite alive. It was interesting. There were also some traditional Khmer dancers performing throughout the evening. Early bed because we were leaving at 4:15 the next morning for sunrise.

Day 14

The early morning was so worth it. Both our tour coordinator and our local guide said it was the best sunrise over Angkor Wat they had seen. It didn't look too exciting and then all of a sudden the sky just lit up. Breathtaking is about all I can say about it. We then toured Angkor Wat and several other temples that day. The architecture and carving skills from these buildings built between 900 and about 1400 were amazing. We spent the entire day out. For those who are curious, we went to Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom (including Bayon, the elephant terrace, the royal palace, and the leper king's terrace), Ta Prohm (where Tomb Raider was filmed), and several smaller temples. We watched sunrise from on top of Ta Keo. After, we went to dinner at a Korean BBQ place which was fun. Then headed to the bar to drink buckets. Literally, alcohol filled sand buckets. I felt like I was 21 again, but it was fun. I left much earlier than the others as I was getting up for an optional trip. It was a fun night.

Day 15

A few of us left early (although not as early as the day before) to go to Banteay Srei, a temple built for the Hindu god Vishnu. I had wanted to see it before arriving in the country so I was excited. The carving there is even better than at the other temples. And it is very well preserved. It was gorgeous and well worth the early morning after a late night. After that we saw Preah Kahn and Neak Pean. Back into town for a relaxing afternoon (I napped) before our last night in town. We went to a presentation at a local pediatric hospital given by it's founder, a Swiss doctor. It was interesting to see the work being done and the success they have. They have build 4 hospitals in Cambodia and do amazing work. Plus, the only non-Cambodians there are the physician we heard speak and the head of the lab and blood bank. Several of my group members even donated blood to help out. We had a late dinner at a traditional Khmer place then went to the night market. I got a few last minute souviners and then got an interesting pedicure. Small fish eat the dead skin off your feet. It was interesting and actually felt pretty good.

Day 16

Today was my last full day. We drove the the Thai border and then beyond to Bangkok. By the time we got there the royal palace and other sights were closed, so I just went to the backpacker area and wandered, checkmy my flights, etc. We had a farewell dinner at a very good Thai place in the same area. It was a nice way to end the trip.

It was overall a fantastic trip. I had a few injuries and the heat and humidity were dreadful, but I'd consider doing it again. I met some great people that will remain friends for a long time.

For those on Facebook, I have many more pictures there.

The truth about Cambodia

Day 11
Today we crossed into Cambodia by public bus. However, the bus was nothing I would have imagined when thinking about a public bus in Vietnam. It was really nice with AC, reclining seats, even a bathroom that I hear wasn't very bad. It picked us up at our hotel then stopped to pick up the rest of the passengers and we were on our way. It took a few hours to get to the boarder. Didn't take us to long to get through the Vietnamese side then we took the bus about a half a kilometer to the Cambodian side. Thanks to a few extra dollars, that side didn't take long either. Our luggage next even left the bus. After a quick lunch of what seemed like mostly bones but tasted good, we got back on the road. I slept most of the way, but do remember crossing a river on a ferry at some point. Once we got into Phnom Penh and checked into our hotel, we went on a cyclo tour. Cyclos are an interesting contraption. They are basically a high bicycle with a compartment in front for people to sit. It was a good way to get around town and see some of the sights. Also, we used an organization that helps cyclo drivers try to have a better life. Teaching them English, giving them a place to shower and eat. Cyclo drivers are some of the poorest people, similar to homeless in the US as they often use the cyclo for business during the day and sleep in it at night. We stopped at Independence Monument (built to celebrate independence from the French), drove down Embassy Row where I tried to take a forbidden picture of the US Embassy (oops), Wat Phnom, and the Royal Palace. The biggest excitment was at Wat Phnom and it wasn't the monkeys playing everywhere. People kept pointing and making fun of me, I'm assuming for my weight, as they would say things to my driver. I got sick of it and was trying to rush away from one lady when I was getting of the cyclo. Instead I tripped and had a wonderful fall. Hit my knee pretty hard and got a nice scratch on my hand in addition to having my ego bruised. (I had encountered what a local had called teasing in Vietnam, but for some reason it hadn't affected me as much. I had a few other isolated encouters about the same issue, but overall the people of Cambodia were very nice and I enjoyed my time there.) Right as we finished the tour, it started to pour so we enjoyed happy hour at the FCC. We continued out good work of the day at dinner. We ate at a place called Friends that trains street kids in a profession so they can make something of themselves. So all of our servers were part of the organization and I think the cooks, etc, were, too. In addition to culinary education they also get a general education. And the food was amazing. It was early to bed after a long day.

Day 12
This is the day I referred to in the title of this entry. Today we spent a lot of time discussing the recent civil war and Khmer Rouge and touring a couple of relevant sites. We first want to Tuol Sleng, or Security Prison 21 (S21). It formerly was a school, as were most of the prisions in that time. It was a place people thought to be a threat (anyone with an education or thought to be a spy) were taken for torture and to confess their "crimes" before being killed. It was said once someone was sent there they were already dead. The only people who survived were 4 individuals who were somehow missed on the final day. In many ways, it felt like being back at Auschwitz only there at least some survived. After our visit there where we saw the cells, torutre devices, and pictures of a lot of the victims (both alive and dead as the Khmer Rouge was very good at documenting everything), we went to the killing fields. This is were the prisoners who didn't die of starvation or disease were taken to be killed. They were transported in the middle of the night and killed in the countryside where they were dumped into mass graves. To conserve bullets, most were killed with bamboo canes or other "ingenious" ways. Again, it was good to see but a downer. On the way back into town, we stopped at a local market for some lunch. Then we went to a public school to meet some kids. It was a nice ending to a depressing day. We gave out some basic supplies and just played a bit. One of our guys brought a frisbee which the kids loved until it got broken. I spent the afternoon at the National Museum with a few other tour members. We tried to go the Royal Palace but found out it was closed early for a Buddhist holiday. We didn't believe the people on the street at first as in Thailand this can be a scam. However, we finally found the ticket office and were told the same thing. We also then walked a bit and found a small pagoda that people were flocking to and giving flowers, etc, to Buddha. It was cool to see. It of course started raining soon after so myself and the other Arizonan on the trip, Flora, went for a blind massage. $6/hour, amazing massage. Then dinner at a place to supports an orphanage and then bed.

Motorbikes

So, I didn't get many good pics, but wanted to share a few more. Motorbikes in SE Asia, and Vietnam specifically, are like SUVs in the US. I saw people carrying pigs, stacks of eggs, luggage doors, even a fridge. You can even transport an entire family on one motorbike. These are just a few things I saw, usually I didn't have time to grab my camera.

Final Days in Vietnam

Internet access in Ho Chi Minh City and Cambodia was hard to find, so I'll finish the trip with a few more posts.

Day 9
We left this morning to go to the Cu Chi Tunnels. They are a tunnel system used during the Vietnam War that stretched about 200 km. It was an interesting day, lots of war propaganda. We watched a video that kept mentioning people getting awards for being an American Killer Hero. I know we gave out medals for the opposite, it was just the way it was discussed. Anyway, the tunnels themselves were interesting. The small openings were amazing, as you can see in the picture.
We got back to the city a little after noon. After lunch, a few of us went to the War Remnants Museum, which told the Vietnamese side of the "American War." It was interesting to say the least. Lots of pictures. Again, was very one-sided, but good to see.
This was the first night for 6 people joining us for the next leg and the last night for 6 others. We went to a group dinner at the night market. Many of us cooked our own beef on heated roof tiles on the table. It was yummy.

Day 10
Today was a beautiful day, which was perfect for our trip to the Mekong Delta. Visited a floating market, saw how rice paper was made. Floated down some smaller canals. Even took a short trip in a traditional row boat. It rained (as it did just about every day) but luckily only while we were off the boat looking at other things under cover. After we got back to town, I went for a walk with a friend to the market, bought a few souvenirs. Dinner tonight was supposed to be a recommended restaurant. Instead it ended up being a bit of a tourist trap. A bit of an issue between a group member and the staff about some shrimp, but ended up being an OK meal. Then a few of us went to a saloon. Literally, a western themed bar in the middle of Saigon. Funny.

2 days of relaxation in Vietnam

Day 7
I had a nice day in Hoi An. Slept in a bit, then went to the tailor the have my first fitting. Over the course of the day, I went back several times to get the dress right, but the pants and shirt were great the first time I put them on. All that needed fixing was the hem on the pants. And the dress did get to be what I wanted in about 36 hours, so no complaints about several fittings. In between fittings, I explored (and shopped) a bit and went to a cooking class. As part of the class, we went to the market and were told about the native fruits, vegetables, and herbs. It was a good education. Then we went down the river about 4 km to the place the class was held. It was a nice trip and I got to see some of the local techniques for fishing. The class itself was fun, the most interesting part was learning how to make rice paper which was easier than I expected it to be. On the way back we got caught in a heavy rainstorm, but by the time the boat got back to town it was done. And it meant it cooled down a bit which was nice. After a drink with some of the group and then dinner, I called it a night. I had my laundry done so had completely repack everything for our trip to Ho Chi Minh.

Day 8
Not too exciting today. Relaxing morning. We drove to Danang to catch our flight to Ho Chi Minh City. We did almost have an accident at a round-about: a truck didn't want to yield to us and we stopped about a yard away. No one was hurt but there was a good staredown between the drivers. Flight was without incident. I was afraid I was going to miss it though as they called me back to check my luggage. I am bringing back some chili sauce and they wanted to know what it was. Unlike in the US, they made me open the bag. At home, they would have just searched it. I think I ate something that disagreed with me so I am just relaxing until dinner. By the time we got to town, most of the museums, etc, were closing soon anyway. So I can explore tomorrow.

Learning to dodge cars and motorbikes

So I fell a bit behind in my posting, but am now caught up. I have included a few pics. One of me in Halong Bay, one of our tour guide Tim, 2 of people carrying stuff on motorbikes, and one of our group on our motorbike tour at Bunker Hill in Hue.


Day 1

I arrived in Hanoi after about 25 hours of travel. I was tired and hot. And hungry. So I decided to leave the hotel and get money and food. I finally found the ATM after walking past it by about 4 blocks. Then the real challenge: crossing a major road in Hanoi. The largest mode of transportation in Vietnam seems to be the motorbike. Whether it's one person or 4, traveling with no luggage or with 8 pigs, it all goes on a little motorbike. There are thousands. And very few lights. I had read that you just pick a time with less traffic and walk. The bikes will go around you. And amazingly it works! And now, 4 days later, I feel like a pro. I can cross the street any time. It's a bit scary, but kind of fun. So, after I met up with the rest of my travel companions for the next 2 weeks, we went to dinner. I called it an early evening given the jet lag. There were 5 of us joining a group of 10 who had traveled through Thailand and Laos for about 2 weeks already. Other than our tour coordinator, Tim, there is one other in the group from the US. She also happens to be from Arizona. Small world, I know. There are also people from Canada, Australia, Britain, Switzerland, and Mexico.

Day 2

Got up early to leave for Halong Bay, a world heritage site, only to find the trip was likely off due to monsoons. After about an hour or so, the trip was off with the decision to stay in Hanoi another day and maybe be able to go the next day. We were all very disappointed given the plan for relaxation on a boat for the next 24 hours, but understood we couldn't control the weather. So I set out to see a few things in Hanoi with some of the group. We first walked to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's oldest university. It was in many ways a temple to Confucius. And unfortunately shops. We next went to the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts. Considering it wasn't in most of the guidebooks, it was quite a good museum. Artifacts from ancient dynasties to modern Veitnamese artists. We then had some lunch and taught our waitress a bit of English. Including what scrambled eggs are and the differences between scrambled eggs and fried eggs. Finally, we headed to the Ho Chi Minh Museum. One of the oddest experiences of my life to be honest. Lots of memorabilia of his life starting as a child and of the rise of the communist party in Vietnam. Would have been better if I could read Vietnamese, but it was fine. The odd part was the modern art installments throughout the museum. (If you are ever in Hanoi, I would skip this museum.) We walked back to the hotel and got caught in a monsoon storm. Streets turned to streams quite quickly. I was very glad for my rain pancho as it kept my backpack and everything in it dry. Yummy Vietnamese food for dinner again. Then to a jazz club for a bit. The musicians were actually quite good, played typical American jazz.

Day 3

I was awoken at 8:10 by a knock on the door and told to be in the lobby to leave for Halong Bay at 8:30. Now, we all knew it was possible we would get to go a day late, but none of us were counting on it. And we thought it we went we would be going much earlier and with a bit more notice. So although a nice suprise, not a fun way to wake up. So, I threw stuff in my bag for overnight and packed up the big backpack to leave at the hotel. And we were off. After about a 3.5 hour drive, we arrived at the bay. And had what turned out to be an amazing day and a half. No rain, pretty clear skies. The original forecast had been for a 10 day monsoon. Not only did we get beautiful weather, but we somehow got upgraded to a really nice junk (flat-bottomed) boat. As in supposed to be $300/night nice, which is a fortune here. The other hotels we have been in are about $30/night and quite nice. So we mostly just floated around and enjoyed the scenery. Stopped at a cave on an island and climbed about a million steps up and down to get the whole tour, not sure if it was worth it, but the cave was nice enough. After we got back to the boat, we moved to the area near an oyster farm to go swimming. The guys decided to jump off the side of the boat. Which was about 2 stories above the water. Then many of the women also did it. And somehow, despite my fear of heights, I also did it. Exhilarating, but I only did it once. Hitting the water stung a bit. Floated around a bit but there were jellyfish in the area, so got out soon after. Other than relaxing and eating a ton of seafood, not much else happened on the boat. Well, we did go “squidding” although I just watched. There were a few squid caught though.

Day 4

Today started out with a bang. Well, with me causing a bang. My glasses were fogged and either I missed a step or thought there was another one and fell. Jammed my left middle finger pretty good (almost back to normal 2 days later) and have a great bruise on my chest. The boat driver heard it and came to check on me. But no one saw it happen actually. Once I recovered from that, I enjoyed a morning on the boat. Once we reached land we drove back to Hanoi and had several hours to kill. It was hot, humid, and seemed about to rain. So a few of us went to see “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” Entertaining and air conditioned, so good enough for me. Museums, etc, were closed by the time we got there so not much else to do anyway. That night we took an overnight train from Hanoi to Hue. Cabins for 4 people, overall not as bad as the nickname “cockroach express” made me think it would be. However, there were 3 Vietnamese women in my cabin when we got there. They were in the wrong place, the train worker came and had them move. We did feel a little bad they sat in the hallway the whole night, but think that is what their tickets were for and they just picked our cabin and hoped it would be empty. The only other issue was the AC in our cabin didn't work. So it was a hot, humid night, but we all made it through.

Day 5

When the train arrived in Hue, we thankfully checked into the hotel and had time to shower, etc. I had a bit of a minor emergency as bug spray had leaked all over the outside picket of my backpack, but I got it cleaned out and all is now well. We all then left for a very fun tour of Hue. On motorbike. We didn't drive, just rode on the back, but it was fun. I was worried at first I'd fall off, but soon I wasn't holding onto my driver and was snapping pictures the whole time. We got to see the country side and most of the historical attractions in Hue. It is an interesting place as it was the capital during the last dynasty (Nguyen) and is only about 60 km south of south of the 17^th Parallel, which was the official separation between southern and northern Vietnam. We also ate lunch at a Buddhist nunnery, probably the best vegetarian food I've ever had. Dinner that night was at Ushi's, who is apparently a celebrity chef in the Netherlands.

Day 6

Today started out with a tour of the citadel in Hue, which contains the Forbidden City of the last dynasty. Although much of it was destroyed in the Vietnam War, the city is trying to restore it. What is completed looks beautiful but it was interesting to look at what was still behind the barriers. Once that tour was over, we headed south to Hoi An. Because of fog, we missed what is supposed to be one of the most beautiful drives in the world, but looking at pictures there are many similar places along many coasts. After arriving here, we took a short tour and then went to a little hole-in-the-wall place that has make your own spring rolls. All you can eat for about $3. So, so good. Then I headed to the tailor to get fitted for a dress and some other things. An interesting time, I can't wait to see how the pieces turn out. Then for one of the most fascinating things I've done yet. I went to the family shop/home of a Vietnamese woman I know in the US. They were so welcoming, gave me and my friend a beer, some soda, a snack. And lots of hot sauce to take back to their daughter. I was very glad Ezekiel, one of my fellow travelers, joined me. He is originally from Panama so was able to use his Spanish and the man we visited's French to carry on a conversation. Tonight we had another good dinner, hung out a bit for some drinks, then back to finally finish this.

That is the trip so far. It's been great, even if the schedule changed a bit. Tomorrow I go back for fittings to the tailer and am also taking a cooking class. The next entry won't be so long, I promise. I'll keep up better.

Leaving the city

I'm giving in and doing a blog. Lots of people have asked me about where I am going to live, etc. So I figured this was the easiest way to get all the info out at once.
After living in Phoenix for the past 4 years, I have 2 weeks left of city life. I'm looking forward to leaving the traffice jams and pollution behind. I am moving to Polacca, AZ, on the Hopi Reservation in northern Arizona. The closest supermarket will be an hour away in Winslow. (There are small grocery stores on the res though!) About 7,000 people live in Hopiland. Although the actual "hospital" is small, the health care center is good sized there is a large community of physicians and other health care workers there. And my house is only about 9 years old and quite nice. The pic is the view out of my front door. My house looks just like those across the street.

I'm also going to use this space to update people on my travels. This summer I am taking a vacation and travelling to Vietnam and Cambodia. Then after a meeting in exotic Kansas City, MO, I'm finally going to Alaska for a friend's wedding.

So, over the next few months, I'll post more about where I'm going and what I'm doing. And how I'm adjusting to living in Polacca. And about the Hopi culture and people. It's an amazing culture and has kept a lot of traditions intact, such as the Kachina dances.