Southeast Asia: Same Same but Different

Ok, so as promised, some closing thoughts on Southeast Asia, but first a world geography refresher in case you are like me...


Prior to buying our "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring" guidebook I thought Southeast Asia was Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.  Flipping through the pages, however, I quickly learned that it is those four countries PLUS the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Myanmar/Burma, all of which we visited, as well as East Timor and Brunei, which we did not visit.  

And now my closing thoughts:

There's this saying in several Southeast Asian countries: "Same same but different."  We heard it used in a number of different contexts and situations.  Some were hilarious like when a girl tried to sell us a bracelet after we purchased some postcards and told us that the bracelet was same same but different.  Others were tragic like when our guide showed us before and after pictures of a village that had been bombed and explained that it was same same but different.

After spending four and a half months in Southeast Asian countries, we realized that the saying also applied to the region.  

There were things that were same same, like rice being a major staple and some countries had overlaps in traditions, language, cuisine, and architecture.  But there was so much that was different, like the economies, the dominant religions, and each country's history.  For example, Malaysia and Singapore have strong economies, especially in contrast with the rest of the region.  The Philippines is predominantly Catholic while Malaysia and Indonesia (which is the fourth largest country in the world) are largely Muslim countries.  Among the Buddhist countries (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar/Burma) we observed differences in practice.  The longer we were in the area, the more nuances we observed. 

Although we've been out of Southeast Asia for almost two months now, I still find myself using the phrase.  I guess the whole world is same same but different.

trajectory update: may, june, and beyond!

Yesterday marked 9 months since our adventures began.  Holy moly.  Some days are great, others are challenging, but at the end of every day we're just thankful to be experiencing it all together.

As I'm a little behind (okay...a lot behind) on sharing our experiences post- Myanmar/Burma, just wanted to do a quick update on where we've been and where we are going ... and also give a preview of the stories I hope to have posted soon!

{May 1-29: Nepal} 

We did two awesome treks in Nepal and also took a road trip to Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.  Wait until you see the pics!  

{May 29-June 5: Oman}

Despite the ridiculously hot temperatures (120-130 degrees!), we were wowed by Oman's beauty and her people, especially Abdullah & his wife Nargis.  Our time with them gives us hope in a world marred by conflict. 

{June 5-19: Ethiopia}

Ethiopia was our first stop on a new continent - AFRICA!  While the sights have been incredible (we've visited some of the earliest Christian churches in the world!), I struggled to adjust to our new environment more than I anticipated.

{June 19-???: Kenya}

Today we fly south to Nairobi, Kenya.  We hope to do some hiking and a safari but since we don't have definite plans, we don't know how long we'll be in the country.  Oh, the dilemmas of traveling ;-)

{Post-Kenya}

After we visit Kenya, we want to visit one more African country (any suggestions?!?).  Then, we'll head back north.  We are thinking we'll go to Jordan and perhaps Greece. It's still TBD, but what we are pretty certain of is that we want to be in Spain by the end of August.  Europe wasn't on our wish-list, but after the treks in Nepal we just want to keep walking, so we've decided to try our hand at one of the most famous pilgrimages in the world, El Camino de Santiago.

And that's as far as we've got...

Love and miss you all!

-Stephanie

More Than Just a Number: The Faces of Myanmar/Burma

As we mentioned in our other post about Myanmar/Burma, the country has one of the worst records for human rights abuses.  All you have to do is google "Myanmar" or "Burma" and "Human Rights" and you'll find countless stories about the atrocities that were committed and that still are being committed.

It's one thing to hear about oppressive governments and their policies, but it's quite another to see those affected.  It is much harder to turn a blind eye when the numbers become faces ... and when the faces become names.

The Golden Land

In our relationship, I'm the detail-oriented one, the worrier, the manager (surprise!).  Planning the logistics of our two weeks (April 16-29)  in Myanmar/Burma, a country that has only had its borders open to tourists for a few years and is rapidly changing, was challenging.  For example, consider the money situation.  Usually we have on us just enough US dollars for visa fees and emergencies and we get the local currency from ATMs.  But while reading about Myanmar/Burma there was so much contradicting information that I couldn't figure out if we needed to enter the country with enough money to get us through the two weeks or if we'd be able to access ATMs.  Some websites said there were no ATMs while others said the ATMs in the cities only accepted MasterCards.  Erring on the side of caution, I started to calculate how much we would need...except I couldn't get my head around what our daily budget would be.  The hotels cost 3-7 times as much as hotels in other parts of Southeast Asia so would the food as well?

Another challenge was navigating the political situation.  In 2011, CIRI (www.humanrightsdata.com) ranked Myanmar/Burma the 4th worst country in the world for respect for human rights (Iran, Eritrea, and Saudi Arabia were the bottom three).  Thus, whenever possible, we wanted to avoid directly or indirectly supporting the government.  We had heard that one of the best ways to do this is to stay in hotels that are not government owned or affiliated, but we couldn't figure out which hotels fall into that category.

Knowing that we were facing so many unknowns made me anxious, so much so that I was not at all looking forward to going to the country despite the fact that every traveller we met was telling us to go before it loses some of its uniqueness.

Our first 12 hours in Myanmar/Burma were exactly what I didn't want them to be.  We arrived around 10:30 at night.  Our room had only a ceiling fan and so when the power went out that night, the uncomfortable 40 degree temperature became unbearable.  I lay awake most of the night wishing I was back in the states cuddling up with my pup.  Once dawn broke, we eagerly left our sauna to meet with the staff and solidify our itinerary.

The first question we had was if it was possible to switch rooms.  Something bigger (the double bed literally took up the entire room), something on a lower floor (we were on the top & heat rises), something not facing the sun?  The answer, "We are fully booked, sir," crushed any hope I had that the day was going to get better.  Considering that our guesthouse was completely booked, we asked when the internet would be running so that we could make upcoming hotel reservations.  Again, the answer wasn't what I wanted to hear.  The staff member who knew how to fix the router was away on holiday.  I started to panic that we weren't going to find rooms at other places.

As we proceeded to discuss our plans with the staff, the clouds of doom and gloom got bigger.  Although we prefer to travel over land, given that we had just under two weeks in the country and it would take entire days (8-14hours) to get from city to city, it made more sense to fly.  Unfortunately, jet-setting across Myanmar/Burma put us waaaay over budget and put me in a bad mood.  The travel situation was exacerbated when I learned it was impossible for us to pay the nearly $700 bill with a credit card.  Upon trying to pay in cash,  we were told that half of our US money wasn't in good condition and they could not accept it (the 2009 & 2013 bills had a crease in the middle from being in an envelope).

Nothing seemed to be in our favor that morning and I nearly broke down in tears (ok, I did break down in tears).  When we finally went to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda to do some sight seeing, I was not a happy camper.

This is my "not-a-happy-camper" face.

Usually when I'm having a rough day, I'll just hang out in our room and read or watch movies.  But there was no way our 45+ degree room was going to provide any sort of respite.  So, we hopped in a taxi and drove around until we found some relief from the heat - a movie theater.

It was while watching "Noah" that I laughed for the first time that day.  The previews ended, but the chatter didn't.  In fact, it actually got louder as the movie, which was neither dubbed nor subtitled in Burmese, started playing.  All around us everyone was talking and popping sunflower seeds.  Suddenly, there was a chorus of burps.

At that point, all my pent-up frustration from the morning dissolved in a fit of silent giggles.  The laughter cleared my mind, helping me to see our situation with a fresh perspective.  Everyone was at the movies for the same reason - to catch a break from the midday heat.  But that was where the similarities ended.  I was worried about not supporting the government whereas the Burmese have to worry about living under the government.  I was worried about ATMs and the condition of our money whereas the Burmese have to worry about having money in the first place.  My traveler's woes were put in check.

The heat didn't let up during our two weeks in Myanmar/Burma (at one point I went into shock) and we did indeed spend more than we budgeted, but I learned not to let those experiences define my time there.  These ones, however, do: we participated in a Shinbyu ceremony - a rite of passage for young boys as they become novices in the Burmese Buddhist order; we spent two days touring ancient pagodas & stupas; we walked on the longest wooden bridge in the world; we witnessed several hundred monks silently line up to eat their last meal of the day; we saw hope in the eyes of staff members of the National League for Democracy, the main opposition party to the government.

The Shinbyu ceremony.  Brian joined in with the musicians escorting the new novices (seen riding the elephant).

  Brian & his team of boys from the village celebrating a goal on Nagapali Beach.

We LOVED visiting Bagan and exploring 12 of its 2000 some pagodas, stupas, and temples.

Brian goofing around with novices at a temple outside of Mandalay.

This was the quietest lunch line I've ever seen.

Standing on the world's longest wooden bridge.

Visiting the NLD office in Bagan.  We happily purchased t-shirts, bumper stickers, and even a very fashionable and hip sun visor to help support their cause.

Myanmar/Burma is also called the Golden Land.  My time there may not have started off golden, but it definitely ended that way.



Note: If you haven't figured it out yet, I (Stephanie) maintain the blog and Brian keeps in touch through Facebook.  Usually, I try to share OUR adventures but we experienced Myanmar/Burma differently so this is just my story.

Another note: You may be wondering why I refer to the country as Myanmar/Burma.  In 1989, the military junta (the government that has committed atrocious human rights abuses) changed the country's name from Burma to Myanmar.  We met many individuals who still identify as being from Burma and so to honor their experiences as well as to keep the hope alive for major reform within the government, we refer to the country by its official name and the name of the people.

trajectory update: moving west from the southeast

In a few hours we fly from Bangkok, Thailand to Kathmandu, Nepal (and we're super stoked to be joined by Brian's childhood BFF there!). While we aren't flying very far geographically, this flight is momentous as it signifies the end of our time in Southeast Asia.  With the exception of 10 days we spent visiting our beloved friend Eric in South Korea, we've been in Southeast Asia since January 4th - almost 5 months ( if you count our time in the Philippines back in November then it's been over 5 months)!!   [Steph's addendum 16 hours after this was posted: I clearly am a little travel weary and got my math and months all wrong.  We were in Southeast Asia for 4, not 5, months.] 

We're not expecting to have reliable internet while trekking through the Himalayas in Nepal, so it's going to be some time before we're able to share our most recent adventures in Myanmar/Burma with you all and to offer up some closing thoughts on Southeast Asia. But we think this is a good thing.  It gives us time to absorb everything we've seen, heard, & experienced so that we can more deeply reflect on this physical, emotional, & spiritual journey that we're taking together.

We'll be in Nepal from May 1st through May 29th and will try to get stuff posted if & when we can, but it's possible that the next post will be after we've left the Himalayas and are instead in the 15th country of our trip  ...drum roll... the SULTANATE of OMAN!  

Love and miss you all! And an early Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there ... especially our own <3

-the Plums

April 6-16: Back on American Soil

One of Stephanie's friends from college, Eric, is stationed in South Korea.  When we found out he had a long weekend in April, we jumped at the chance to visit him.  Although we did some sightseeing, we spent a lot of our time on military bases and so technically we were back on US soil.  Ha ha ;-)

Eric's the closest thing to family we've seen in months and it was wonderful to get to spend so much time with him.  Here are some highlights:

 

Steph wore an "apron" (aka bib) while chowing down on duck & leaf.  We grilled the duck and then, along with other delicious veggies and sauces, wrapped it up in lettuce leaves.  

They have piano stairs in the subway!  And they really plays music!!!

Brian looking at a 500 year old book.

Although he couldn't eat anything there thanks to his allergy, Brian loved the fish market.  He kinda looks like a northeastern fisherman in this picture.

At Freedom Bridge.  This wall is covered with messages of hope for a reunification of the north and south.

 

At the DMZ.  Although a cease fire was signed, North and South Korea are technically still at war and have been for the past 61 years.  

Stephanie is pretty sure the North Korean guard was checking out Brian's beard.

Eric and his friends, Christy and Mike, ran a half marathon (Mike ran it with a 50lb pack on!).  Brian and I got our work out cheering them on and also watching Christy and Mike's pup, Allie. 

South Korea has 4D theaters!  The only thing more amazing than getting sprayed with air and having your chair move when Captain America flies around is having clip-on 3D glasses. 

Christy made the most amazing chocolate lava molten cake goodness to celebrate Brian's birthday. 

The other way we celebrated Brian's birthday was by watching "Jump," a hilarious production combining martial arts and slapstick comedy.  Here we are posing with some of the performers.

One dog + two travelers + three soldiers = an awesome weekend!  Thanks for hosting us, Christy & Mike & Allie!

Eric showed us around a real live Black Hawk helicopter.  Whoa...

It's a beautiful day for a hike!

Brian ate more bugs while on the hike.  We'll let you guess which is the before shot and which is the after shot.

THANK YOU, ERIC!  TIL NEXT TIME!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOD EVENING, VIETNAM!

Don't worry -- you didn't miss the sequel to Robin Williams's movie.  We just thought this sounded cooler than labeling our posts "Part I" and "Part II" :-)

While our main reasons for going to Vietnam were to visit Danang and the Hanoi Hilton, considering that our Vietnam visa was the most expensive to date we made sure to pack as much as we could into our three weeks.  We toured Hue (the former capital city), the DMZ, Hanoi, Sapa, and Ha Long Bay. Hope you enjoy the photos!

HUE

The architecture of the Imperial City was so cool!

Stephanie thought this statue looked like our dog, Lana gets.  We later found out it's a dragon-horse.  Wishful thinking, Steph.

Kids will be kids -- Brian had a split in shorts and the kids were whispering and pointing at his butt.  As anyone would do in this scenario, Brian purposely dropped some change and bent over to pick it up.  The students burst out laughing and then clamored to get their picture taken with him.   

DMZ

The main tourist attraction at the DMZ are the Vinh Moc Tunnels.  The tunnels were built to shelter people from the bombing during the war, though American forces believed the tunnels were also being used to supply goods to the North.

The tunnels were tiny and dark!  Brian struggled to find room just to sit down.  It was hard to imagine people living in them for six years.

Before we went into the tunnels, our guide told us that there were family rooms and maternity rooms inside (something like 17 babies were born in the tunnels).  We imagined something much bigger than a room that could only fit one cot.

HANOI

One of our favorite things about Hanoi was the food.  Here's Stephanie digging in and wrapping her own spring rolls.

We saw a lot of barbers set up shop on the street.  Brian felt it was time for a haircut (the beard went untouched).  Stephanie served double duty, taking pictures for us and for the barber :-)

Look at all the coffee!!!!!!!!!

Stephanie perusing one of the many street markets in Hanoi.

One of our guilty pleasures on the road is watching the show "Cupcake Wars" online.  When we walked past this cupcake store we couldn't resist stopping in and trying (ok...devouring) their cupcakes!  Our favorites were their keylime pie and mocha cupcakes.  Yum! 

SAPA

After spending a couple days in crazy-busy Hanoi, it was refreshing to arrive in Sapa and be greeted by the mountains.

Sapa has amazing terraced rice fields.  We got to spend a whole day trekking through this beautiful landscape!

Stephanie trying to learn the names of all our guides.  There were 2 Su's, Ku, Tu, Bo, and Do...she thinks.  These lovely ladies are Hmong and are wearing traditional clothes (which they wear all the time...not just because we were there).

Their weavings were stunning.  And they dye the cloth using indigo!  

Spinning hemp yarn.

Brian & Bo.  They were besties by the end of the day.

Stephanie discovered that all those years of gymnastics did not prepare her for walking on rice terraces.

One of the women carrying bamboo shoots down to the village.  We just thought this was a cool picture.

Our group!  Our guide is in the middle.  In case you're wondering if she's a child, she's not - she's 20!

The next day we went to Bac Ha Market and got to see another Hmong people -- the Flower Hmong.  We loved the vibrant colors!

HA LONG BAY

(Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Here comes our boat!

You know you've got a skilled captain when he can steer a boat with his feet!

Our first glimpse at some of Ha Long Bay's 2,000ish limestone islets!

As beautiful as the karst is, the highlight for us was the fishing village.  This village is boasts 200 families and 800 people.

After failing miserably at kayaking in Laos, we were determined to succeed in Vietnam.  Mission accomplished!

One of the fishing boats.  The lights are for when the men go out at night and help them attract squid. 

It was wild to see houses floating on the water.  From what we understand, thirty years ago the fishermen's wives didn't want to live on the boats anymore but also didn't want to live in town as they would never get to see their husbands due to the distance.  So, they created these villages.   

How the villagers get their goods.

Brian and some of our shipmates swimming in the bay.  He's the one with the beard.

Brian doing some night squid fishing and catching everyone else's dinner.  The boat's crew was great about making him non-seafood :-)

Waking up to green water, karst, and the morning mist was magical!

We were also victorious on day 2 of kayaking around Ha Long Bay.  Score!

These rocks are the iconic Ha Long Bay rocks.  They're in a lot of pictures, posters, etc.  Naturally, we had to take a photo ourselves.

Night 2 of our Ha Long Bay adventure was spent with a family on one of the islands.  We learned how to prepare spring rolls.  Brian was assigned to cut glass noodles with little scissors.  Stephanie was given the big butcher knife to chop mushrooms.  Hmmm….

Brian enjoying the fruits of our labor.

The family was up & descaling fish bright and early.   

Before we left the island and Ha Long Bay, we got to ride bikes around the island. Stephanie was waiting for everyone to break out into songs from the "Sound of Music."