Battle on the Beach

With our guesthouse plopped between two villages filled with children, our beach became an intense battle zone today. Bunkers were built, sides were decided, strategic maneuvers were implemented, and gear was distributed. Watching the skirmish unfold, I learned that sandballs were better artillery than a plastic gun in this battle.

Trust in Strangers

Traveling forces the practice of observation. I have always loved people watching, but living as an expat and traveling to so many unknown places has forced me to watch my surroundings even further. While sitting on the ferry, making the hour or so crossing to Bantayan, Zach and I chatted about our trust in strangers as watched the ferry crew make preparations for departure.

While so much of the world propagates the don't talk to strangers mantra, we talked about how much of our day to day routine actually relies on strangers. Within the past couple of days, I put my trust in an unknown flight crew to get me across the ocean. I trusted a driver of a very large bus to get me out of Cebu City to Hagnaya port. A crew of young men and one woman steered a hunk of metal across a section of ocean to get me to Bantayan. Ultimately, it is actually bewildering to dwell on how many unknown people it takes to make everyday systems work. 

Bantayan: Trading the Extraordinary for the Ordinary

When planning travel this year, Zach and I made the conscious effort to slow down. Rather than blazing a wild trail somewhere in the world, we chose to stay put. Instead of four countries, we settled on two. We did not know what it would look like nor would it be something we could handle.

Before we left, I read a BBC Travel article where the author described the experience of trading the extraordinary for the ordinary, a practice of finding the humdrum of day to day life in a place and ultimately realizing the charm found in it. I resonated with his sentiments, so much so that I bookmarked the page so I could return to it now and again. I embraced the mantra for what was to come with this holiday.

I also decided to simplify my blogging. I foresaw not a lot of narrative, but rather challenged myself to take the picture-a-day approach.

After escaping Cebu City, we headed north to Bantayan Island. Touted as beach bum paradise, it sounded like the spot for us. As we prepared to board the ferry, we had to wait for it to dock and unload. I could not figure out why these men, dressed in basketball jerseys, lined the dock as the ferry approached. Once the whistle blew and the front deck lowered to the concrete pier, these men went running, jostling one another into the nether regions of the ship. When some of them returned a few minutes later carrying boxes, I realized they were porters. Their skill at dodging vehicles and passengers was commendable and entertaining.

Cebu City: Two Hours Needed

Once we would respond with Philippines as our travel destination, reactions were decisively split. It was either a “don’t go, you will die or hate it” or “eh, you will probably like it.” We realized reactions towards the Philippines were on par with inquiries about traveling to Vietnam and Paris; one either loves it or hates it. Admittedly, we booked the trip with some trepidation. This archipelago is portrayed as a swashbuckling, high crime, drug lord ran syndicate of islands. However, if there is anything we have learned about living overseas, media outlets are drama queens. According to the news in Asia, every American is sitting on their front stoop, holding an AK-47, pop shot-ing every passerby while leisurely drinking a Coke and eating McDonalds.

Luck was in our favor. If there is a time to visit Cebu, it is when the 51st Eucharist Convention has convened and security is everywhere and on high alert. Apparently, being rogue and ruthless is highly frowned upon when the Catholics are convened.

Touted as the "Queen City of the South", Cebu City is not glamorous nor visitor friendly. Traffic is atrocious, walk-ability is slim, and all points of interest can be seen in two hours. Nonetheless, we made the most of our day among the chaos.

Zach and I agree that the more we travel, the more history saddens us and challenges us to continually look at context of stories. The Philippines history is full of disaster, natural and man-made. For this region, most of the story hinges on the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, his demise, and what came in his wake. Rather fascinating to think a religious zealot who slaughtered those who would not convert to Christianity or the Portuguese way of life is harked as a martyr. Today, I think the classification would be psychopath and terrorist. Nonetheless, he paved the way for the Spanish control until the turn of the century when America got involved and ultimately purchased this archipelago for the nice sum of 20 million dollars, but somehow after cahooting with locals against the Spanish rule. Since then, it has been a lot of governmental flip-flopping, a world war, and an array of other events. Surmise to say, it's complicated.

Colonization stuck, so Catholic churches dot nearly every street corner. The famous one is Basilica Minore del Santo Nino, built around a doll found on the beach in the years following Magellan and was declared the Holy Child of Cebu. During our walk through of the basilica, we spotted at least three Santo Nino statues strategically placed, thus making us wonder which one was real and whether there is an internal rotation. Later that day, I spied another in a barber shop as Zach got his hair cut.

Next to the basilica is Magellan's Cross, housed beneath a small chapel. Inside is a wooden cross which supposedly envelops the actual wooden cross that the explorer planted himself. Around the base are many multi-colored candles placed by devout believers, all while random women wave candles in the air, chant, dance, and then sell them to be laid among the others.

A little further down the road is the fort. Preparations for a Eucharist event was taking place in the park in front, but the fort itself was quiet. Towards the middle of our stroll it became a bit dicey walking as the stones and rain made for a slippery surface. Beyond the stone walls and a narrow view of the surrounding city, the fort venture was rather bland.

Afterwards, we were walking around the fort when a local stopped us, asking where we were going. We mentioned that we were just strolling, she said not to. We inquired as to what else we could see. She mentioned the basilica, fort and cross. We confirmed that we had seen them. Her response? "Go back to your hotel. There is nothing more to see."

I believed her. Everything I had read confirmed her sentiments. We hailed a cab and made a slow trek back to our hotel, ready to break free of the city and embrace island life. 

In Bangkok

In Bangkok, we watched Star Wars.

In Bangkok, we drank a lot of Thai milk tea.

In Bangkok, we revisited wats. 

In Bangkok, we saw a lot of Buddhas.

In Bangkok, we had a massage.

In Bangkok, we toured the National (football) Stadium.

In Bangkok, we laughed, ate a lot of somtum (papaya salad) and pad thai, walked new streets, relaxed, read, and met new people as well as reunited with old.

Fare thee well, Bangkok. Until we meet again.

Ayutthaya: A Day Among the Ruins of Siam

I have always had a fascination with history and relics of the past, so Southeast Asia has truly become a playground for me. Pioneer cemeteries of America really pale in comparison to giant complexes of bygone kingdoms. Sadly, many of these complexes have been ransacked by legendary battles of times long gone as well as time itself. Nonetheless, ruins have become our draw, so we knew we would eventually make it to Ayutthaya.

A mere 80km outside of Bangkok, the ancient capital of Ayutthaya is a great day trip. It is easily accessible via the Victory Monument van hub and gives the opportunity to shake the busyness of the city. Even though we have found Bangkok to be a place of solace post-China, it still grates on the nerves after a while.

After exiting the van, we waved off the horde of tuk tuk drivers and set out on foot. Though I had read that the layout was similar to Angkor Wat, we quickly realized it was not. It took a bit of walking and a stop at a coffee shop to acquire a map and our bearings. Rather than a huddle of temples completely separated from the town, the post-kingdom dwellers built in and around the ruins, so today it resembles a massive scavenger hunt.

For six hours, we weaved our way through alleys and grassy walkways. We did a little climbing, but this towering capital had been decimated. A few towers remained, but were skeletons of what had once been. I initially thought Ayutthaya would resemble Angkor Wat as well, but after a bit of exploration, we likened them more to the temples of Bagan. Lots and lots of red brick. Every so often a piece of artistry could be found, like the iconic Buddha head wrapped within the roots of a Banyan tree in Wat Phra Mahthat.

There were definitely oddities to be found; the rooster filled complex of Wat Thammikarat and the most cartoonish reclining Buddha I have seen at Wat Lokayasutharam. It was interesting to see the temples which were still being used versus the ones left to be dormant. There were few which were half and half, barren and desolate only to turn a corner and find a local kowtowing before a yellow shrouded statue.  

Along our walk, we picked up a guard dog. We do not know why or how, but Mr. Tagalong joined us early in the trek and worked reconnaissance with the meandering dogs throughout the day. At one point he stopped, which made us think he was done. Nope. We took a wrong turn, retraced our steps and found him sitting in the path we needed to take. At a few of the temples, fellow travelers took notice and inquired about Mr. Tagalong. After hearing the short tale, they would smile and acknowledge the unique situation. 

Our last temple of the day, Mr. Tagalong stayed, lolling in the grass as a self congratulatory treat after a hard day's work.

The bonus of the day was seeing elephants. A couple nights before this journey, I had skyped with mom. During our conversation, she asked if elephants would be seen. I laughed and said no. I was wrong. Though nothing like the wilds of Sri Lanka or along the banks of the Mekong in Laos, spotting elephants in front of the temple in Ayutthaya was thrilling. Those endearing pachyderms stop me in my tracks every single time I see them. 

Foot weary, sweaty, sated with an early dinner, and satisfied with our trek of the day, we made our way back to Bangkok as the sun set.

Season of Reunions

My appreciation for reunions has greatly deepened since taking on the life of an expat. Seeing familiar faces anywhere in the world is a treat beyond words. In a stroke of strange, the past month has been filled with these precious moments. The end of our semester was filled with returning students and the start of our holiday travel has been reuniting with friends from afar.

While she dreamed about what it would take to move to Thailand as we sat in Portland, Zach and I would interject every so often that we would come see her when she did. This past fall, Kaoxu made the jump and we landed in Bangkok as our first stop of the winter holiday. We were so excited to hear her stories and our first meal together was a bit surreal.

One night during our travel transit, Zach said, "Hey, guess who is going to be in Bangkok?"

"Kaoxu," I replied.

"Ha ha ha. Yes and no." He responded.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"The Broglis."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"They are making a run through SE Asia and will be in Bangkok the same time as us. Want to meet up with them?"

With that, our first Saturday in Bangkok, we met dear friends from our days in Kentucky. A couple we had not seen in ten years, though upon our first hugs in their hotel lobby, it felt as though no time had passed. We spent the day swapping traveling stories, catching up on lives that had not intersected in so long, and strolling through the iconic sites of Bangkok.

That evening, as Zach and I made our way back to our condo, we chatted about how this season of reunions has been overwhelming in reminding us how blessed we are to have friends all over the globe.

In Transit

The moment when I sit down to write and process the start of 2016, only to discover every picture from the first two weeks of the year have been moved from my SD card to my computer...which is tucked into a wardrobe 1,337 kilometers away.

A moment of angst.

A moment of resolve.

The travelogues begin.

Our decision making towards this round of holiday travel was equally comical and embarrassing. I completely blame Laos - for three years, it was our beacon landmark. With it marked off the list, our travel-wanter compass was askew and the world was wide open. Our commitment level to a decision harbored on aloof. More than once, I wondered if there was a travel app that I could input a starting location and it would spit out the cheapest airfare anywhere in the world. At one point in searching, I had a tabs opened that involved Paris, Brussels, Iceland, South Africa, UAE, Qatar, and New Zealand. I am sure the employee monitoring the Expedia site sat baffled at the eclectic search pattern originating from a seaside village in China.

The other component confounding my search was that we had agreed to slow down this year. Generating a plan that involved less than four countries and not bounding around each one, was a shock to the system. Plus, Zach threw in the thought of just finding a beach to plop on, which blind-sided me as he never says those words.

At the end of December, we made our choice. Two countries, one new and one old. We begin with the familiar and end with the unfamiliar. Thailand and the Philippines.

We even took a slow approach to exiting the country. Airfare has gone wonky in mainland China, so for our first time since living on the mainland, we had a flight from Hong Kong. We took a day bus to Shenzhen, spent the night, then hopped the border on January 13.

Hong Kong is the city that challenges my detest for big cities. When I walk its crowded streets, I am rejuvenated and reminded of my very first exploration so many years ago. It was my first taste of the world beyond America's borders. Because of Hong Kong, I learned to look in the nooks and crannies to find the soul of a place. While I know I could not live there, Hong Kong is a tangible reminder of how far I have come as a world traveler.

It was a short stay. 

The next day we were bound for Bangkok via Manila. 

 
We caught a quick glimpse of our to-be-explored country. The puffy white clouds were overtaken by pollution smog the closer we got to Manila. Our stay on the ground was a quick hour and a half, enough time to figure out that Manila airport is one of the most under-developed airports I have been in to date. One bathroom for an entire international terminal was quite drastic. Here's to hoping the international terminal does not fall down and a domestic terminal even exists for our return in two weeks.

This was our first flight with Philippine Airlines and it was memorable. Not for service. Not for plane selection. Not for food (my vegetarian meal was a banana, an apple, an orange and three pieces of toast.) It was memorable for its soundtrack. It seems the person in charge of the on-board airwaves did not flip their calendar, so our touchdown in Bangkok was to the resounding lyrics of, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."

After laughing hysterically, we faced Bangkok. She welcomed us with humidity, hustle and bustle, and wonderful street food smells; ironically, our city of refuge.

ABCs of 2015

A side effect of living overseas is that I am more emotional. While I could sidetrack on this confession, I will not...but will say that preparing a year in review post proves it. This is such a beautiful and precious season that we live in; looking through pictures and stories of 2015 brings the joys, struggles, fears, and doubts of the year around once again. While I know friends and family will read this post, I confess that I really write this to remind myself of our journey. 

It is a journey that looks completely different than what we dreamed, yet far surpasses what we could even imagine. We have an amazing community near and far. We are seeing wonders of the world from architects of the ages. We are constantly challenging our worldview. We have laughed with those who have wrinkles on their faces to wee ones who face an unknown future. 

In 2015, Zach and I stepped foot into eight countries; two being the motherland and our adopted motherland. I stepped into seven states, Zach hit four. We marked off a bucket list item by attending the Women's World Cup. My sister got married. Timbers won the MLS Cup. I saw wild elephants in Sri Lanka and rode an elephant in Laos. 
 

2015 was another fantastic year, though one we found ourselves frequently wondering how long this journey will continue. Years ago, Zach made the remark that the world is truly never at peace but rather at rest. We have seen and poignantly felt the vibrations of a world rumbling. The face of travel is changing and, while we do not live in fear, we do wonder what 2016 will bring.

However, before we face the year to come, here is where we have been. Our year, A to Z, with a few stories making their blog debut.

A: Angkor Wat

Three years ago, this sprawl of architectural brilliance captured our love and awe. We acknowledged that one day was not enough and vowed to return. This year, we did and spent three glorious days exploring the highs and lows of this vast temple complex. To this day, it remains the best historical site we have seen. 

B: Books Read

I finished the year with a total of 90 books, ten short from my goal of 100. I read books from fourteen different countries. My favorite nonfiction book was Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The Flavia deLuce series by Alan Bradley wins my best series of the year. My favorite fiction book is a tri-tie between Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, Assegai by Wilbur Smith, and The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher.

C: Cuisine Memory

It began with my comment of, "Hey, there is enough bread in the freezer to make stuffing." A month later, dear friends gathered and we feasted on a traditional Thanksgiving meal...in August. 

D: Destination of the Year

It was in the travel plan every year, though casually tossed aside due to re-direction or time limits. When we crossed into Laos as the sun was rising that morning, we could not believe we had actually arrived. Laos was everything we had hoped and we enjoyed our time rambling around the landlocked country.

E: Event That Made You Say Wow

Thousands of fans walking down the street, chanting. Scarves swirling. Flags waving. The air was boisterous. Fifteen minutes after the start whistle, the air was manic. The Women's World Cup final game was epic - especially with the US Women's team winning.

F: Favorite Picture(s) of the Year 

This category is always a tough one for me, for I take a lot of pictures and I cherish them. This year, I chose four pictures - two that I captured, two that other people did.

I snapped this photo at the wat across from our Vientiane hotel, as we were walking home after a day of exploration. The monk silhouette against the very vibrant Buddha caught my eye. 

I took no less than 800 pictures in Angkor Wat, but this is the one I look to when I need a moment of calm and relaxation.  

Fellow Sri Lanka traveler, Doug, snapped this photo in Galle as we were making our way to Colombo. Zach and I rarely get photos together, so I fell in love with this one that seemed to catch the essence of us - always on the go and very happy about it. 

In a stroke of strangeness, I have a couple hundred photos of children, who do not belong to me, on my computer. While I do not desire the motherhood role, I absolutely adore the aunt role. I am so grateful for those who allow me to love on (and spoil) their children. Zach snapped this photo during our summer in Portland. In July and August, I spent countless hours in this pool with a variety of children in my life. While this photo is Kaden and me, it is a photo that reminds me of so many hours laughing and playing with wee ones I greatly love.

G: Grossest Moment

Between Phnom Penh and Battambang, Cambodia, Zach and I were honestly questioning our sanity and soul searching as to why we are actually stupid enough to travel. This journey takes the award not only for grossest moment but also bus-ride-from-hell award. Cambodian KTV pop music on full blast coupled with a non-functioning air conditioner made for a busload of cranky, sweaty passengers. One knows it is bad when even the locals are not happy. Mid-trip, smoke filled the bus and a petrol smell lingered all the way to Battambang. I made Zach check the bags because I knew petrol was leaking. With each trip down the steps into the belly of the bus, I feared the attendant would light a cigarette and blow us up. 

The trip from hell ended in bewilderment when we, alongside four other foreigners, were unceremoniously left on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. By luck, one tuk tuk emerged from the night and became our rescuing chariot. However, the smell of petrol suspiciously followed us. I said to Zach that my bag was soaked with it, to which he waved off my comment as resonating fumes. After checking into our hotel, we found that my suspicions were correct; my bag and clothes were soaked with petrol. For the record, attempting to de-petrol a bag is torture to the hands.

H: Happiest Moment 

My encounters with elephants!

I: Incidental Win 

In a remote village, in the hills of eastern Guangdong, Zach and I were taught how to play mahjong by Ruby and her grandmother. It was pure beginner's luck on our wins and we had so much fun learning China's iconic game.  

J: Journey That Took You the Longest 

Every bus ride in Laos. We quickly learned to double the stated travel time. Eight hours really meant a sixteen hour trip with wild shenanigans and multiple stops throughout the trip.

K: Keepsake from Your Travels

Tea and an elephant painting from Sri Lanka, an embroidered square and coffee from Laos, and material from Cambodia. From our travels, I commissioned an Angkor Wat Bayon painting from Masha for Zach's birthday.

L: Life Interrupted  

Our routine was interrupted early October when we sustained substantial typhoon damage. Our holiday travel was cut short and our hutong became en plein air as well as a jungle gym for most of the month. I got to check cleaning-up-after-a-natural-disaster off my what-I-do-not-want-to-do bucket list. 

M: Moment When You (Re)Fell in Love with Travel

Zach says Angkor Wat, I say moments with elephants. Yet, my unexpected moment of re-falling in love with travel, Zach captured in the above photo. Though we vowed not to return to Vietnam, we did. On a boat, in the middle of Halong Bay, I was content. Granted, hours later, we ended up in a battle of cheated time, scam promises, and the typical travel headache, but for this moment, on a boat surrounded by beauty, I remembered why we travel.

N: Nicest Hotel of the Year

Our Zhanjiang staycation  hotel wins this award - The Sheraton.

O: Odd, Just Odd

Laos. We quickly dubbed it the largest-ball-of-twine country. From a cave filled with a ridiculous amount of Buddhas to a plain speckled with concrete jars of every shape and size, Laos was filled with the bizarre and the country smelled like a perpetual BBQ.

Runner-up in this category is Flugtag. Behemoth man-made contraptions being flung from a cliff was bizarre yet so funny.
  

P: Pat

When my dad bought the True Value store, a very large hippie came with it. Swaggering, swearing, cigarette-smoking, alcohol-loving Pat was as much a fixture in the store as the nut and bolt aisle. He was everything the world urged me not to be, yet it was alongside Pat that I learned so much. Pat watched me grow up - from the ten-year-old brat kid of the boss to the girl who sought his advice throughout university to the woman who poignantly remembers his congratulations for her wedding. 

Pat was so many things. He was brash. He was constantly longing for a Long Island Iced Tea, or any type of alcohol for that matter. He was a master of the tool world. He was always lacking money. He was a very bad dancer. He was boisterous yet moody. His laugh was infectious. He had many demons and a lot of baggage. He had a Mary Poppins tool belt.  He always had a secret stash of weed in the small pocket of his carpenter pants. 

I  learned a lot from him. While some of it would probably bewilder my dad, I am so grateful that he allowed me to work alongside Pat. I learned not only the ways of hardware, but also life. I learned to listen to a person's story. I learned acceptance. I learned not to judge by looks. I learned about struggles and personal demons. I learned that laughter can be found even in the direst of situations. 

In March, I received the message from my mom saying that Pat was found in his driveway, an apparent massive heart attack. I mourned his death. I could not imagine a True Value without a Pat. When I joined my dad for work this summer, I felt that loss. However, as I browsed the plumbing aisle I couldn't help but chuckle as I looked at a faucet display, remembering a conversation so long ago about how Pat wanted to secretly turn one of them into a dispenser of Long Island Iced Tea. 

I hope he found peace and an ever-flowing river of Long Island Iced Tea on the other side.
 
Q: Quote of the Year

You can describe it to them as much as you want. You can write books about what you felt, what you experienced. You can compose poems and songs about what it was like. But until they have seen it for themselves, they can't really know what it is you are talking about. A few people will clearly see the effect it had on you, will understand that much, at least. But they won't know.

- The Aeronaut's Windlass, Jim Butcher

R: Relaxed Moment

After countless hours on a bus throughout Laos and a phone theft in Phnom Penh, we practically fell onto the beach of Otres Beach and did not move for seven days. It was glorious. 

S: Superstar Moment

We were featured in the special Zhanjiang section of the China Daily issue that coincided with Mr. Xi's visit to the US. In true Chinese fashion, it was a last minute, elusive decree from our boss to show up for the interview. We deduced that had some importance when the head dude of our department entered the room to listen - in five years, I have seen him three times.

T: Touristy Thing

After Jennie's wedding, Mom and I road tripped to the Biltmore. It had been on our mother-daughter bucket list from the days when we watched America's Castles. We were giddy with excitement and absolutely loved our day strolling the house and grounds.

Zach took to Holiday World with the Banker clan.

U: Unforgettable Travel Memory

We faced our fear of train travel in Sri Lanka and loved it. From Kandy to Ella, on a track that wove through tea plantations, valleys, and mountain tops, we were completely besotted. I finally felt the romanticism attached to rail travel.

V: Visit of the Year

One of the best things about travel is the people - locals and fellow travelers. Throughout 2015, we connected with so many people from so many countries, many who I remain in contact with today. One such case was Doug and Cassandra, who we met in Galle. They declared us non-axe murderers and invited us to stay with them during the World Cup. From Galle, Sri Lanka to Vancouver, Canada, we loved reconnecting with them and are so grateful for their hospitality. They were a fantastic reminder that connecting with people is always a treat. 

W: Wedding

My sister became a wife! In a jet lag haze, I watched my sister marry Chris on Fripp Island, South Carolina. She was a beautiful bride and I was so proud. 

X: eXcellent View

The typhoon damage was devastating to our area. However, the perk was the post-typhoon star gazing. With no electricity and any pollution blown to smithereens, we saw a majestic night sky - a rarity for China. 

Y: Your Hardest Moment While Traveling

Together, it was Zach's phone getting stolen in Phnom Penh. While we completely realized and understood that a phone was replaceable, it was a vicious reminder that hate and greed can be found anywhere. 

Separately, my Triple Crown travel award bestowed on my journey to my sister's wedding wins this category. A cancelled flight, a night in an airport, and lost baggage made for a rough return to America. Zach's return to America wasn't much better.
 

Z: Zealous Sports Fans

I think this category will forever be held by the Timbers Army. However, this year I was repeatedly reminded that football fans are a unique bunch anywhere in the world.