Day 212 – Back to the USA

I'm finally back in the US today, taking a flight from Madrid to New York City with a layover in Dublin. It feels good to be back somewhere familiar, and just in time to spend Christmas and New Years Eve with some good friends. It's been about 7 months, and I'm a little sad about having this adventure come to an end, but at the same time it's really exciting to be back home. The time had to come sooner or later.

The flights to Ireland and the USA were painless, as were the airport security procedures. It's funny how horrible it is to get out of LAX on any flight somewhere, but other airports can really get their act together and make the experience tolerable. There weren't any long lines and check-in was quick. My flights were with Aer Lingus, and none of the flights were filled to capacity even though it was nearing Christmas. It was rainy in Dublin when I arrived, but the weather wasn't violent or anything that would make for a scary flight.

Seeing the bright lights of New York out the airplane window made me feel really relaxed, and even though I've only visited the city 3 times, I felt at home. It's one of my favorite cities and I even think sometimes of possibly moving here if I find a career here. Maybe these two weeks will be a period for me to get a feel of living here, a trial period. I don't really have too many plans to do touristic things, but just relax after 7 months of non-stop travel. We'll see what happens...

Day 174 - Prague to Rome

The days in Prague got progressively colder each day we were in the city, and today was the coldest it got, reaching below zero in the morning, probably due to the stronger winds in the area. It was a good thing though, since I had way too much clothes to pack, so I wore 5 layers of clothing to save some space. We were taking Wizzair from Prague to Rome, and with discount airlines, you didn't want to mispack and risk having to pay some ridiculous charge for excess baggage.

The Prague airline was clean and organized compared to Rome's Da Vinci airport, which was danky and old, similar to LAX back at home. Check in and security checks were quick and painless. The flight was a little less than 2 hours, with clear skies and a smooth ride.

We arrived in Rome around 5pm and it was already dark. We took a shuttle bus to the city center at the Termini Station. It took over an hour since it was Friday and there was a ton of traffic, or maybe it's always like that in Rome? I read in my Lonely Planet that much of the pollution in the country is caused by the excess number of vehicles on the road. The traffic was chaotic too, since there weren't any lane divisions and cars just sort of tried to fit through any opening to get closer to their destination. Cars also just parked adjacent to a parked car with their emergency lights on, causing further gridlock on the streets at night.

We checked into our hotel, but I didn't anticipate that everything would be so expensive here. I knew it was going to be a lot more expensive than Prague or Asia, but I wasn't thinking it would be this extreme. The reception at the hotel told us we had to pay 50 extra Euro per night to switch from a single to a double room. That's like 3-4 days of my backpacker budget for food, attractions, and a place to stay! We ended up paying for one night, but I am going to look for a hostel tomorrow to save some cash.

We had our first meal here, which we decided would be pasta. Linh had a salmon pasta while I had one with bacon – mediocre. Hopefully I find some more decent places to eat and get some advice from couchsurfers! More and more food for the next couples weeks! Tomorrow, we will purchase Roma Passes and sightsee in the city.

First meal in Italy - Spaghetti with Bacon in Tomato Sauce

Day 168 - Gule Gule Turkey, Ahoj Prague!

Woke up early in the morning to catch the airport bus from Taksim Square to the Ataturk Airport. There was very little traffic today, probably due to the coming holiday (Feast of the Sacrifice) where most Turkish people went to their hometowns to celebrate.

I booked a flight to Prague with Air France, with a layover in Marseille. I was a little scared about boarding an Air France flight, after that terrible accident where the entire flight was lost at sea coming from Brazil back to France, but we made it to Marseille safely, despite it being very foggy and windy in the area. The layover was about 4 hours...the things I do to save a couple dollars on flights... at least Air France flights have free food and wine, which I happily drank on board on my flight from Marseille to Prague.

It was dark when I arrived in Prague, but the transportation was easy to follow to get to my destination. I booked a sweet deal at a hostel/hotel with luxurious bunk beds in the 14-bed dorm room. There were a bunch of Americans in the hostel. I guess Prague is a very popular destination among people from the states? The hostel offered a beer pub crawl for 400 Czech koruna but I opted out since it was too expensive...Beer would be free for the first hour, but I don't think I could get my money's worth downing beer after beer, especially since beer here is anywhere from 25 to 40 CZK for a half liter! I ended up exploring the city at night on my own, stopping by Frank Gehry's Dancing House and a couple other monuments in the area before calling it a night.

Frank Gehry's Dancing House

Day 144 - Kathmandu to Sharjah to Istanbul

After 4.5 months in Asia, I'm headed to a new continent finally! (...well I'll still be on the "Asian" side of Turkey, but I'll consider it Europe)

but I created an inconvenient situation for myself right before I left Nepal...on the very last day, I happened to lose my cell phone! (or have it stolen? I never really know)... so I'll have to find a cheap phone to buy when I get to Turkey.

The airport in Kathmandu was small, but pretty efficient to get through, maybe because there weren't really that many people there in the first place. I took an Air Arabia flight headed to Sharjah, U.A.E. It would be my first time in the Middle East, and I didn't know what to expect. I mean, the media has taught me to fear such places...and I can say it probably persuaded me not to even think about staying for a visit in any of these countries, but after landing there and seeing the possibilities and things to see, I wish I stayed...even for just a couple days just to get a small dose of the beautiful deserts and Arab culture.

Upon arrival in Sharjah, I noticed that the air looked hazy, probably due to the high level of dust and sand in the air. The airport was nice, and it was interesting to see some of the Arab men in their traditional attire, with the long robes (kaftan), head covering (ghoutra), and head circlets (igaal). There was a large presence of overseas Filipino workers at the airport, working for the airlines as well as the restaurants. I was excited to say "salamat" as thank you to them. I asked a McDonalds worker (yes I had a Big Mac) how often she was able to go home to the Philippines. She said she was able to go once, every two years, for two months. I think it's very brave of some of these young workers who travel to other countries to work in an unknown environment to help their families back home. I would think it would be stressful and lonely if things don't work out, but they do it to make things back home better for their families...

After a 4 hour layover, we finally headed to Istanbul. I went on another Air Arabia flight, and for the first time, I heard a Muslim Prayer before the plane took off on flight. I wonder if it was one of the 5 prayers that Muslims perform each day, or if it was just a prayer for a safe flight. Either way, it was quite interesting to see religion play a part in a commercial airline, much like other businesses who inconspicuously do so with their own owners' religions.

I landed in Istanbul just past midnight, took a bus and taxi to my CS Hosts' place, where he was also hosting another guy from Germany, and knocked out. The ride from the airport to the home brought me memories of my city in California. Maybe it was just because I was in a Western country, compared to all my travels in Asia, but it was nice to see clean highways, hotels, shopping centers, toll roads, etc...

Flight to Sharjah

Day 116 - Arrival in Kathmandu and a Live Cremation Ceremony

Things have really gotten better since arriving in Nepal, but one last rant about India! The process of leaving the international airport in Delhi was quick, with a lot less security checkpoints compared to Srinagar. One thing that didn't make sense was exchanging currency at the airport. Apparently, it is illegal to bring 500 and 1,000 Indian rupee notes into Nepal and they could get confiscated upon arrival if they are found. This is due to recent counterfeiting of these Indian Rupee notes in Nepal. But for some reason, if you are travelling to Nepal, you cannot exchange your Indian Rupees to US Dollars, or any other currency for the matter... How does this make any sense? We can't get rid of these notes, but could possibly get them confiscated upon arrival! I ended up just changing my larger Indian Rupee notes to smaller ones to avoid the confiscation...

Upon arrival, I was picked up by a couchsurfer who offered to house me for a couple days. He took me to another couchsurfer's home, a French woman named Sophie, who was so kind and accommodating! We talked a little about her work at an NGO, and some of her experiences traveling the world. She has been living in Nepal for the past two years, and Kathmandu is one of her favorite cities to live in. She lived in Los Angeles for a year, but didn't like it too much.

She took me to Pashupatinath, which is the largest Hindu temple in Nepal. The Bagmati River runs through it and flows to the Ganges River in India. The water was filthy, where people bathed in it, used it as holy water, and also dumped cremated bodies into it. We witnessed a couple of public cremation ceremonies while we were there, with different platforms used for the different castes the deceased were a part of. The whole process was shocking to watch, and I got a little emotional just watching the people mourning. But then again, Sophie and her friend John told me that they sometimes hire mourners for these ceremonies. Sophie also told me that the priest who performs the cremations has to eat a part of the dead body as a part of the process. I didn't get a chance to witness this, although I don't think I would want to. It was also noted by a tour guide that kids 5 years old or younger who have died do not get cremated, but get buried at the bottom of the river because they don't have the opportunity to achieve nirvana because they didn't live long enough in the world...

There was a bull statue is in the middle of the temple as well, and legend has it, that the God Shiva and the bull agreed to have sex with each other, first Shiva would “have sex” with the Bull, and then in return, the Bull would “have sex” with Shiva. When it was time for the Bull to “have sex” with Shiva, the God ran into the temple complex, and now, the Bull waits outside for the God to come out... Interesting how some of these stories come about...

We headed back to Sophie's place, but not before having some delicious Tibetan Momo's (Buffalo Meat Dumplings). They reminded me of Chinese dumplings and I look forward to more of these in my travels through this country.

At the end of the night, John and I headed to Thamel, which is the big backpacker area for some really good sirloin steak! It would be the first time I had a western steak in my entire trip, and every bite was savory and mouthwatering! I already love the food available here too! I ended up walking back to Sophie's place alone and in the dark, and it took about 30 minutes to get there, but was so easy because all the locals were so helpful when I asked how for directions.

Swimming during Cremation Proceedings

Cremations on Platforms for Different Castes

Day 115 - Layover in Delhi

I spent a night in Delhi on layover before heading to Kathmandu. I managed to save about 450 rupees to the Srinagar airport by taking the public bus there. SCORE! On the bus ride there, I met a couple from Mumbai who worked in the financial industry. We talked a little about the accounting profession and the transition to IFRS (international accounting standards). It made me wonder where my old firm was in regards to training the associates on these new standards...

The security at the Srinagar airport was tight! I must have gone through 5 different checkpoints, all checking the contents of my baggage. Luckily I arrived at the airport 2.5 hours before departure or I don't know if I would have made my flight. The security was probably a lot tighter here due to the conflicts that had occurred in the region recently. Most of the security checkpoints were separated for different sexes and for once, the female line was a lot shorter than the male line, probably because less females travel in India?

The flight was painless, and when I arrived, I took a prepaid taxi to my hotel, but not before getting lost a little because the taxi driver didn't know where my hotel was, even though I had the address, and a printout of the directions from the airport to the hotel from googlemaps...

I pretty much stayed in the hotel the whole time, not really brave enough to explore the area. I ventured out just for dinner, but that was just about it. I really feel lonely here in Delhi, and so many thoughts went through my head to just head home. I really want to see friends and family and familiar faces from people who I trust, and who care about me. I skyped a few friends, who told me to just venture on, because I would regret it later... I don't know why I am letting this short trip to India get to me, but hopefully things get better, because I feel a little discouraged from continuing...

Indian Dessert Shop

Street Vendor making Samosas

Day 111 - Hostage on a Houseboat

I should have done research in my Lonely Planet, and heeded the advice of friends I'd met so far on my travels...in the end I think I got what I deserved when I booked a houseboat room on the Dal River in Srinagar in the Kashmir area. The travel books clearly stated that I should NOT book a room in these houseboats while in Delhi, and that I should arrive here and inspect the rooms myself. I guess I was so desperate to get out of Delhi that I just followed the advice of the travel agency I stumbled on when I explored yesterday.

The morning was sketchy as I had an early 5:30am flight out of Delhi to the northwest of India in Srinagar. I checked out, and tried to negotiate a lower price on my bookings because 1)I was given a shitty room without a private bathroom in a shitty hotel (Hotel Hindustan) due probably to overbookings in my hotel of choice with private bathrooms (Kuldeep Guest House) 2)I was relocated after my first day to their other hotel, still never getting a room in my hotel of choice. The second hotel was decent, but I felt I should still get some sort of discount for the trouble. I ended up accepting a 50 rupee discount ($1), even though I wanted a better deal.

Because everyone is trying to make a buck here, I was told by the travel agency not to tell my hotel that I booked the flight through them, to avoid them having to pay some sort of commission. They told me to wait outside the hotel after I checked out for a taxi to the airport, so I stood in the darkness of a narrow and dirty alleyway spilled with trash and stray cats and dogs. I stood there for about 15 minutes, feeling completely uncomfortable, until finally the driver came.

The airport process was painless, although there was continued heightened security due to the recent bombing. The flight on Go Airlines was maybe 60% full, and it took about 1.25 hours to get there.

I researched last night about potential conflicts in the region due to the political instability between Pakistan and India in the predominantly Muslim area. There had been riots at the end of the prior year, but flights had increased in the summer this year and things were relatively safe. I did read though about a 2-day employee strike (curfew) that ended a couple days ago. They were protesting the release of jailed youths who were being detained for no transparent reason, but probably due to their involvement in rallies against the government. I read stories about protesters pelting stones at the military at different demonstrations and it was advised that I stay away from these areas at all costs.

Upon arrival at the airport, all foreigners were required to fill out notification forms. I felt a little more at ease by having something filled out that showed where I was going to stay. I met my driver, who immediately asked me what I told the airport officials. I told him that I let them know where I was staying, and he was a little disturbed by that, saying that I shouldn't have said anything because the government was corrupt and they would also want to ask for some sort of commission. WTF? Who am I supposed to trust?

It was nice to see the river and all the houseboats fixed throughout. These English-style boats were built when England controlled India, and they were not allowed to purchase land in the area, so they built their own houses on water. The houseboats remain in the area, owned by different people who rent them out in the summer to Indian tourists, who call this area the summer capital due to its pleasant weather.

I arrived at my houseboat on the Dal River after taking a shikara (gondola style boat) to get there. After a shitty breakfast of Kashmir tea, toast, and two hard-boiled eggs, I took a long nap to catch up on lost sleep. Waking up after the long nap was when I felt somewhat like a prisoner or hostage in my own houseboat.

The whole idea for the houseboat company was probably to sell me a trekking tour in the Himalaya mountains at prices that I didn't want to pay and probably couldn't afford given the fact that I still had a couple months left to travel. I sat in the houseboat for a while with one of the employees who sort of interviewed me in a friendly manner, asking me how long I was staying, what my other plans were, what my occupation was. I tried to be curt in my responses and give the idea that I was only going to stay in the area for 3 days and I couldn't afford a trek since I was just a “student.”

He told me that his manager would come after the Friday's lunchtime Muslim prayers were over. It seems like everyone says something will arrive in “5 minutes” but it can really mean anywhere from 20-30 minutes, so I waited for about 30 minutes before he came and tried to sell me his spiel about how amazing the treks in the Himalayas would be. I thought hard about doing it since I might never get another chance to do this, but I also felt that I trekked other areas and will be going to Kathmandu so I would get to experience different environments that were equally special, and cheaper. He quoted around $350 for a 4 day, 3 night trek, which I declined. After a little more negotiation, he lowered it to $300, which I also declined. After he realized that I probably wouldn't budge, he shook my hand and said thank you, wanting to leave as quickly as possibly. This is one of the things I really hate. It's all “brotherhood” and “friendship” when they try to initiate business with you, but when business is off the table, they couldn't care less about who you are. There is no compassion or care for the tourist or foreigner at all unless you bring some money on the table – NONE WHATSOEVER.

After he left, I felt stranded again, since I didn't really know if I should wait for another employee to take me on the shikara back to the city, or just hail my own. I waited for another 20 minutes before another employee came and asked me what price I could offer. I HATE THAT TOO! If I don't want to do a damn trek, then no deal will persuade me to do one. It was already decided on my part that I didn't want to do it, so I don't want to negotiate again. Once that failed, one last employee came and offered me another trekking deal for just one day, instead of four. Again, I declined, and said I wanted to visit some of the Mughal gardens instead. He quoted me a ridiculous price on a taxi to the area, and again, I declined, saying I would book it myself when I get back to the city. At this point, we get into an argument and he insinuates that I am accusing him of being a “cheat” because I didn't want to book with him. He was right, but I didn't want to tell him that. And I'm sure all these Indian salespeople are “cheats” and they know so too, or else they wouldn't assume that tourists think that about them. Everyone has been so confrontational and argumentative when I decline an offer for business. And everyone has fibbed about what is included in everything purchased. It seems they say whatever they can to seal the deal, whether it is the truth or not, from hotel lodgings, to food offered, to services included in prices, to distances that treks are, etc...

We arrive back on land where he pressures me to take his taxi ride to the gardens, and I tell him that I'll think about doing it tomorrow since it is already 4pm and the sun would set in a couple hours. Instead, I tell him I want to use the internet, and he ends up staying with me for 2 hours while I book my flight out of India and to Kathmandu... It was frustrating that he was with me the whole day. I wanted to explore the city myself, look for another houseboat to stay at, or at least another hotel on land. Not once all day had I been left alone, except in the houseboat with no means of communication to the outside world. I figure I would get out of the country by plane since no one would be willing to help me book trains through the country without first booking some other tours with them. I'd travel Nepal first, and decide whether or not I would come back to India to finish my tour here, after getting some advice from other travellers.

That is another thing...there weren't many foreign tourists here, which is something I value in certain situations, but I feel that in India, it is best to be with someone, anyone you trust. I couldn't get any advice from other tourists on how much to pay, where to go, how to book trains, etc. Never have I been so distrustful of people on this entire trip, and it has taken a toll mentally and emotionally on me in these past couple of days.

The night was spent on the houseboat again, where I got into another argument with the employee who called me “un-American” for not booking anything with him, even after I explained that I was on a budget and couldn't afford it. I was left to eat dinner on the houseboat, who knows how the food was prepared, and stayed there all night, drinking shitty beer called Hayward 5000, which I was overcharged for after one employee purchased it for me, and I asked another employee how much he gets the beer for. I was quoted 175 rupees when it should have been around 70. One of the employees told me the others were crazy, but I think all he wanted was to hint at me giving him a tip for all his “good service” as a cook.

Hopefully I lose these people tomorrow when I get off the boat and back on land, and hopefully they don't follow me, trying to “help” me find another hotel...

Day 109 - BKK to Delhi, India

Spent the day getting everything settled before heading to India. Spent the morning deciding what to bring with me and what to ship home. I ended up shaving 5kg from my backpack but it cost an arm and a leg to ship stuff back! Afterwards, went to a pharmacy to get some more malaria pills for the rest of my travels in the less developed areas.

I would arrive in India at 10:30pm so I booked a hostel and airport pickup beforehand so I wouldn't have to deal with it when I arrived. The flight ended up taking about 4.5 hours, which was more than I expected, but it was due to the 1.5 hour time difference that I didn't account for when I looked at my itinerary. It's interesting how India and Myanmar have times that are 30 minutes off from the rest of the world on the minute-hand.

The flight was probably 50% booked, and I managed to get a whole row to myself. It also kind of smelled like baby poo at the beginning and end of the flight.

Going through immigration at the Delhi airport was quick and painless, and there weren't too many people there at night. People have told me that it would be a culture shock, and I braced myself. The ride from the airport to the hotel was interesting. It just seemed really dangerous and chaotic driving through the city. There didn't seem to be any method to any of the driving, and I saw many instances that could have potentially ended in an accident (i.e. cars parked on the side lanes, that could easily get hit by oncoming traffic) This was at night too, when I suspect the traffic is less congested.

I arrived in the neighborhood where the hostel was and I could see the sheer poverty of the country already, with many, many people sleeping on the floor and in the streets. Dogs and even cows were also scattered around the roads. Garbage was littered everywhere. I don't know why, but it just reminded me somewhat of what my perception of a warzone would look like in a city. Definitely the worst place I've seen so far in my travels, and this was the area where tourists were! I was scared to leave the taxi, since there were scarcely any streetlights, and I had to walk through dark and narrow alleys to get to the hostel.

There was an earthquake when I was in the taxi on my way to the hostel measuring 6.6, but I didn't feel it. People were talking about it at the hostel though, and it was covered on the news, showing footage of all the locals congregating outside. The hostel ended up transferring me due to some sort of “earthquake” issue to another guesthouse. It was basically a room that I suspect used to be the kitchen. Pretty shitty conditions for my first night in India.

I met an Indian couple who was on their honeymoon at the guesthouse and we talked for a little bit. They informed me that there was a bomb that went off in Delhi earlier today killing around 70 people. I'll have to check the news later to see what that was all about...Hopefully India gets better...People have told me to get out of Delhi and into some of the other parts to really have a pleasant experience. I should follow their advice..

Indira Ghandi International Airport (Delhi, India)

Last meal in BKK

First night's accommodations in Delhi...

Day 37 - Arrival in Boracay Island, Philippines

So much jetlag from all the flying. By the time I arrived in Boracay, I was exhausted from the lack of sleep, jumping from plane to plane to get to Boracay. The worst flight was the Cebu Pacific flight that I took from HCMC to Manila since I had an emergency exit row seat, and the chairs didn't recline. I had to try sleeping on the foldaway table in front of me.

It was comforting to hear the banter of all the Filipinos speaking in Tagalog at the airports and airplanes though. For some reason, it made me feel safe, since it was something I was familiar with, with all the Filipino friends I have back at home.

Getting to the Boracay Island was quite a task with a bunch of departure/arrival/environmental fees that I had to pay at each stopping point. I had to pay 200 pesos to leave the NAIA airport in Manila headed to Caticlan. Once I arrived at Caticlan, I had to pay around 200 additional pesos for an environmental fee, arrival fee, tricycle fee, and boat ride to Boracay Islands. Then, I had to hire another tricycle driver in Boracay to get to my destination - another 150 pesos.

I was going to stay with another CS host again in Boracay. He was at work when I arrived at his home, but had his friend there to welcome me. Another CSer was staying with him too, so I'd have some company around the island during my 3 night stay.

The entire island is very small, and it'd probably take less than 30 minutes to get from the south of the island to the north by tricycle. There were 3 popular areas for tourists on the island called Boat Station "1" "2" and "3" based on actual boat stations used in the past to get to the island. Now, there are different Ports to get to the island, but the popular areas are still called "Boat Station" 1-3, despite not really being stations.

We headed to Boat Station 2, the center of all the tourist activity with restaurants, stores, and bars. The whole area reminded me of being in Hawaii. We decided to get some breakfast, and I would have my first Filipino meal of the trip. I had bulalo (beef marrow) soup and a sweet and spicy chicken with rice dish.

Afterwards, I got the first glimpse of the white sands of Boracay. We stationed ourselves in an area where there were a couple beach chairs to sit on and relaxed for most of the day in the sun, reading books and taking quick naps.

The other CSer, Mark, was Filipino, teaching English in China, and originally from the United States. I spoke with him about what he knew about the Philippines - and we brushed a little on the political climate of the country. Seems like there is always something to criticize about the current president, Benigno Aquino III, and how effective he has been while in office. Mark told me that the Filipino public is not really educated or concerned on making the right choices when voting for government officials, and they end up criticizing the president for lack of effort. They vote for famous people, like Manny Pacquio only to realize that these people don't really have the skills to take on such a role. The current president is the son of former president Gloria Acquino, and he probably won the title of president because of that... I guess this can relate to the politics in America (Bush Jr) and California (Schwarzenegger)..

After beach bumming, we met up with our CS Host Chad, and headed to the market to get some seafood since Chad would be cooking dinner for us! I'd get an authentic home-cooked meal on my first day here!

The dinner was delicious, and consisted of fish, squid, and octopus, along with rice. We had dinner the Filipino way by eating with our hands, and I learned the special technique of holding the food with four fingers while pushing it into your mouth with your thumb. I'd eaten with my hands before while eating Ethiopian food, but never with Filipino Food.

The rest of the night was spent lounging around and drinking our San Miguels and Red Horse beers until we were too exhausted to go out..

Flight from Manila to Caticlan

Tricycle ride along the main road

Bulalo Soup

Sweet & Spicy Chicken with Rice

Seafood Market

Chad, Mark, Rose, Me, and Jerome

Home-cooked Filipino Dinner

Day 18 - Phu Quoc to HCMC to Nha Trang

Apparently small airports don't run 24 hours a day like major international ones. I found that out when I woke up and headed to the airport at 5:45am to catch my 7:40am flight back to HCMC. When I arrived, the airport was deserted. The taxi driver told me it opened at 6am. It was so foreign for me to see someone open the sliding doors, turn on the monitors, and set up the security scanners, since I'm so used to seeing the hustle and bustle of a large airport, filled with people going to different destinations.

The flight took a quick 30 minutes, and upon arrival, I headed straight to the nearest air-conditioned place, which happened to be the airport restaurant. Today was the first day I would not be able to shower, so I did NOT want to be sweating outside at all. I did not book a hotel room today since I had a sleeper bus scheduled at 8PM headed towards Nha Trang. We would arrive at around 7AM the following day.

I spent the next 3 hours at the airport restaurant just using the internet before my friend picked me up on his motorbike and we had lunch at the mall across the street. I ended up roaming around the mall afterwards and decided to watch Kung Fu Panda 2, where the theatre was filled with Vietnamese youth. The movie was not dubbed in Vietnamese, but instead had subtitles. I wondered if the Vietnamese would get the "Jack Black" humor of the movie, or if it would get lost in translation. For the most part, I think everyone got most of the jokes. It could possibly be because it was an animated film, which I think is easier to watch universally.

My friend picked me up after work and we had dinner at a dim sum restaurant. The dim sum was not nearly as good as anything you could find in China or in the hundreds of Chinatowns in the U.S. and the portions were smaller.

My friend dropped me off at the bus station, where I took the shittiest ride of the entire trip! The advertisements for these sleeper buses looked better than reality. The buses were older, and the beds dirtier. Each bus had 2 stories of beds, and a total of 40 beds. I was unlucky in getting a bed in the back and top. You were more prone to feel every pothole if you slept on any of the top beds, and there were 5 beds, side by side in the back, so I got stuck sleeping between two obnoxious French dudes, who for some reason felt it necessary to talk loudly whenever they felt like it throughout the 10 hour bus ride and comment on everything they saw outside the window. Their feet reeked, but so did my armpits...so it was just a bad situation for all of us. Good thing I had my headphones on, but I don't know if I'm going to continue with these buses. I have two more tickets for overnight buses heading to Hoi An, and Hanoi. I might just opt to take a sleeper train, or fly there...

DON'T GET A SLEEPER BUS TICKET UNLESS YOU GET YOUR OWN SEPARATE BED WITH NO ONE SLEEPING ON EITHER SIDE OF YOU

Empty airport in Phu Quoc

My ride back to HCMC

Day 1 - 13 Flight to Taipei

Took a 13 hour flight from Los Angeles to Taipei through EVA Airlines. Was able to watch No Strings Attached, and eat a dinner before dozing off for a good 8 hours. Woke up to eat breakfast and watch Country Strong.

Typing away at the Taipei Airport, which surpasses any sort of amenities that LAX has to offer. I once stopped in South Korea en route to Beijing and I believe that was the MECCA of airports in terms of cleanliness, technology, and shopping.

I do like the free internet here! Seems like internet is free everywhere except in America. Had a little trouble logging onto facebook since it recognized that I was in Taiwan. I had to have my mom translate the text on the screen so I could verify my identity. The question? What was the first concert I ever attended?

Had some Taiwanese Cuisine at the airport, which was very good, considering you wouldn't expect there to be high quality foods at airport food courts. My family and I had Shao Long Bao, Pigs Feet, and Noodles. I didn't try the Feet though... We'll save the exotic foods for when I actually arrive in Vietnam...