From Namastay to "Mama Stay!"

Clearly, some time has passed since my last post. But, as always, if anyone wants a quick update on life abroad, you can message me on WhatsApp! I am astounded at how quickly a month of traveling has blown by - it always scares me when time seems to move this fast.

After our quick visit in Phnom Penh, Lainie and I traveled to the smaller city of Siem Reap, Cambodia, home to the beautiful Angkor Wat temples. Fun fact: in Siem Reap, no buildings can be taller than Angkor Wat, which is about 4 stories tall. That fact was quite a change from the 30-story sky bars that Lainie and I had hit in Phnom Penh! Our hostel in Siem Reap was a colorful and vibrant place - music and drinks always flowing by the pool - and was fun to meet new people at. The Angkor Archeological Park actually houses hundreds of temple ruin sites - major and minor, small and big. In our first full day, Lainie and I visited the (largely intact) Bayon temple which was very cool. The tops of the towers have faces of Buddha carved into them on all sides, and the walls are ornately patterned with dancing buddhas and flowers. After exploring this temple, we took a  boat tour to one of the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake - an activity that definitely humbled me. On this tour, we floated along and saw what life is like for these families - most of the floating shacks don't have bathrooms! Our group was invited into one of the homes (part of the tour) where we sat in a circle on the floor snacking, drinking, and having our questions answered by the older lady who owned the house. The shack rocked with the lake water as we sat - just like a boat would. Lainie and I saw the mats that would be laid down for sleeping and I could not help but be overly thankful for all that I have: mattresses, an overabundance of clothing and shoes, plenty of food to eat, etc.

The next day, Lainie and I were joined by mama!! I was overjoyed to see her - both Lainie and I had tears in our eyes - which I did not expect given my excitement to be traveling without parents. Immediately, we dropped mom's stuff in the room and went to tour another one of the large Angkor temples: Ta Prohm, more commonly known as the Tomb Raider temple for its appearance in the movies. This temple was smaller than the last but had lots more to see! Ta Prohm was overtaken by nature and now has large trees growing into the stones of the walkways and the walls - SO cool.

On Saturday (the 15th) we did a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat which allowed us to see the sun rise over the temple and then tour the inside. Angkor Wat is massive! To reach the inside of the temple, there are different levels, or floors, to climb before reaching the highest point and the greatest view. The stairs leading to the highest tower were large and steep - I am extremely proud of myself for making it out unscathed after a panic attack at our descent (my knees were literally shaking).

Our travels have since brought us to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we spent a good part of the first day at the zoo feeding the animals. The next day was an INCREDIBLE experience spent, again, with animals - it was the day that Lainie and I had been looking forward to for a long time! Early in the morning we found ourselves riding in the back of a truck on our way to an elephant sanctuary. When we got there, we were given a "drug rug" looking shirt to wear and a pocket full of bananas and sugar cane pieces. We fed the elephants, ate lunch ourselves, made medicine balls for the elephants (makes them poop), and then got to bathe the elephants in mud and water. These gentle giants were SO cute - they giggle and play with each other, as well as with the trainers. I'm still not over this day.

We are currently in Chiang Rai, Thailand, where we visited the White Temple, Blue Temple, Black House Exhibit, opium museum, golden triangle, and tea plantation ALL in one day. The White Temple was immaculate: everything was white with silver mosaic tiles that glinted in the sun. Definitely my favorite temple we have seen thus far. The Black House is actually an art exhibit spanning over a large area. The exhibit consists of dark wooden "houses" filled with animal parts giving the space an eery feel. The golden triangle is where Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos meet - a cool tourist attraction. We saw the Blue temple at night when it was lit up with blue and white lights. The inside of this temple was gorgeously painted with Buddhist gods and flowers in cool shades of blue, green, and purple.

Tomorrow morning we are flying to Bangkok which I am very excited to explore!

Till next time,
Lilly

*** Text my mom if you need my WhatsApp number for quicker updates! I enjoy receiving personal messages and knowing who is reading these blogs (I can't actually see that)!***

Double the Countries, Double the fun

Currently mourning week 3's cold weather as I sit in steamy Phnom Penh, Cambodia - that's right...we are onto our next country! It's crazy to me how quickly time is flying, and I still can't quite shake the dream-like feeling of this trip. I keep feeling like I will wake up in the Tri-Delt house at Iowa and this semester will have been a dream!

Hanoi was rainy and cold the entire few days that we were there, but even worse was the fact that they closed ALL tourist attractions/major sites due to the Corona Virus. Lainie and I think that everyone is blowing this way out of proportion. Jokingly, I told Lainie that standing outside in the cold and rain could get us sick faster than this stupid virus - I still think I'm right. Anyway, we walked around the dreary city and day-drank to pass the time before we moved on to our next destination: Sapa, Vietnam.

To get to Sapa we took the Chapa Express: a cozy overnight sleeper train. I am still surprised and proud with myself for taking this train both ways. Before this trip I was truly scared of trains and would avoid them at all costs - I'm not quite sure what changed other than the idea of getting out of my comfort zone. The Chapa Express did not bring Lainie or I the best night's sleep with all the bouncing, but we made do. Our hotel in Spa was our "splurge" hotel. The Hotel De La Coupole is a GORGEOUS place set at the top of the Sapa rice terraces. The room would have been perfect if the view was a little better - we were basically living in the low-hanging clouds. We decided that our first of the two days in Sapa would be a relaxing day, and spent some time at the spa. The next day we toured two of the villages down in the valley below our hotel. The Lao Chai and Ta Van villages are tucked into the steps of the rice fields and are very minimal: dirt roads and small shack-houses. Water buffalo (family pets) roam around the terraces and graze peacefully. When the sun peaked out, the view of the rice terraces was incredible.

After another train ride back to Hanoi, we were headed back to the airport: Phnom Penh awaited our arrival! At first, the heat felt very good coming from a cold and rainy few days in Vietnam, but now I am sweating again (not complaining!). We headed to our Airbnb to find that it had almost no air conditioning - this just would not do. So, like the snobs that we are, we got a refund on that spot and quickly changed to a new location: this one with an incredible view of the city and plenty of aircon. 

We only have about 3 days here, so yesterday we did a full day of walking around the city to the National Museum, the Central Market, and the Wat Phnom Temple before my poor feet couldn't handle my shoes anymore - so many blisters! Today began with the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, and then grew a little more grim as we visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, S21 prison, and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (otherwise known as The Killing Fields). All of these locations were mentally draining and left Lainie and I agreeing that the world is a "fucked up place" (pardon my language). All we can do is remember the joys that life has to offer and hope that history never repeats itself.

On a lighter note, we are now relaxing and will soon head out to see the night market and the Sisowath-Quay boardwalk. 

Wish you were here!

Lilly

Week 2 and a Change of Scenery

WOW...I guess time really does fly when you're having fun! Week 2 went by faster than the first, and has now brought a change of scenery. Lainie and I worked at the orphanage from Monday to Wednesday, and then cooked meals of a local hospital on Thursday and Friday. It feels incredible to have been able to make even a small difference in the world before going on to a new city.

I was very sad to leave Ho Chi Minh. Not only did we get the chance to volunteer, but we met a bunch of cool people along the way. Many of the volunteers were either around my age or in their 50s-60s, making the accommodation feel very safe because I had my friends and my "parents" in one place. From the first week, Lainie and I were able to make friends with the younger volunteers by just hanging out in the building, as well as by going out. We ended up in District One with our new friends almost every day after volunteering where we ate, drank and shopped. One of the best parts of District One is Bui Vien, the famous "Backpacker Street." It's overflowing with triple story bars/clubs, restaurants, and people - LOTS of people. Music blares from every bar and colorful lights paint the street: a drunk paradise. 26 stories above the street, there are a few well-known sky bars with incredible views of District One and the rest of Ho Chi Minh City. Up there, we could dance and laugh for hours, especially on "ladies night" when women drink for free! Such a fun time.

Our group of friends included people from all over. Anna - from France - is a petite girl with a big attitude, and an even bigger heart. We grew very close over my two weeks in Ho Chi Minh. My new friends Jenny (UK), Marion, Wout, and Olivier (all three from Belgium) are hilarious, but were quite cliquey - they'd already known each other - and were a little harder to get to know. Pien and Leanne from Holland came to volunteer at the beginning of week 2, and were the sweetest people I've had the pleasure of getting to know. It was very interesting to make new friends without much prior knowledge of their respective countries. I loved hearing their accents and languages, as well as their stories and family traditions.

On Saturday, Lainie and I left the volunteer accommodation around 6 a.m. for our flight to Hoi An, Vietnam. Straightaway, we were greeted by a cool breeze - something we hadn't felt in a while. Ho Chi Minh had a consistently humid and 90-degree climate, while Hoi An's was breezy and about 80 degrees!! Our AirBnb was a gorgeous haven from the busy streets with a small pool and abundant greenery. Immediately, we dropped our bags and headed out for the afternoon, hitting the bigger market streets filled with trinkets, clothes, street food, and plenty of coffee shops.

Hoi An was a pleasant change from Ho Chi Minh's city structure. Its markets and old quarter/ancient town were colorful, charming areas that bled into each other. The buildings are mostly pastel yellow with terra-cotta roofs, the streets are filled with people, and at night, colorful lanterns glow as far as the eye can see. At night, the Thu Bon river is filled with more lanterns and colorful lights tied boats and canoes of various shapes and sizes.

On Sunday, Lains and I booked a tour to the Am Phu cave, the Monkey Mountain, and the Marble Mountain, all of which were incredible. The Marble Mountain had giant Buddha statues, Chinese temples, two large pagodas, and about 500 steps along the way to the top of the mountain. The climb was slightly treacherous, but the view made the uneven, slippery steps very worth it. The Am Phu cave was just around one side of the mountain and also held a ginormous Buddha statue. On sunnier days, the light floods into the cave and looks like a waterfall, but when we went it didn't quite have that same effect. Needless to say, it was still a wonderful sight. Finally, we headed to the Monkey Mountain where I gaped at the LARGEST Buddha statue I've ever seen. I still cannot seem to wrap my head around how much time and material it must have taken to create such a giant structure.

Today brought with it a new city: Hanoi, Vietnam. The plane ride from Hoi An to Hanoi was only an hour, but a huge change in the climate. It is currently 65 degrees and raining - a great change of pace. Lainie and I found a yummy taco place for lunch (sick of rice and noodles!!) and are now laying in bed as we wait for the worst of the rain to pass. This AirBnb is smaller but still quite nice - the bed is so comfy I might have to go nap right....NOW!

Talk soon,
Lilly