Laos/Lao

Hanoi ended with a ciclo ride through the streets of Hanoi and visiting a few more statues of "Uncle Ho Chi Min."

After two days in Laos we are heading to the airport to make our way to Cambodia, the last stop on the trip where the Flynns will head home while I stay for the next seven months. Laos, or as they say there, Lao, is as beautiful as everyone says. The country is not developed yet, which means that it is still green and beautiful.

After seeing the old royal residence, we took a dragon boat ride down the Mekong and got to see a little bit of the surrounding countryside and mountains.

Following a delicious lunch of fried rice, chicken, fish, and a tasting of the local beer (beer Lao) we finished our ride down the Mekong and went to visit the oldest Wat in Laos. It's extremely ornate with gold decorating every inch, an interesting contrast to the underdeveloped rest of the country.

We finished the day hiking up to the top of Phousi Mountain to watch the sunset. Well, due to the number of smelly French tourists (who missed the memo on showering), we left a little before the sun actually set.

We ended with waking up with the roosters to give rice to the monks during "alms giving" at 6AM this morning. The early morning wake up was entirely worth it and clearly a meaningful tradition. All in all, our trip through Laos has been a successful mix of viewing the history, religion, and nature. Very excited to return to Siem Reap after three years and I am curious to see how much or little it has changed.

Hello Asia!

After Christmas in Hong Kong, we have made it down to Southeast Asia and are in Hanoi. Hong Kong included eating some interesting dishes, including a 100 year old egg, and some extreme shopping. Despite some issues with jet lag the first night (resulting in watching BBC at 3AM), we have adjusted well to the 12 hour time difference. 

Hanoi is a beautiful city and the French influence is very apparent. The first day of touring was great. We started at the Ho Chi Min memorial and saw where he lived- a tiny one bedroom house on stilts because he thought the palace had bad feng shui. The French had been there, then the Japanese, then the Chinese and all had been forced out. Mr. Flynn and I discussed the political irony of the fact that he essentially defeated the greatest super power in the world (and their leaders in their fancy homes) from a shack. We then tried some passion fruit with sugar (recommendation of Mrs Flynn)- definitely a high point. 

Then we saw the “Hanoi Hilton” or prison where POWs were kept. There are quite a few pictures of John McCain. It was very interesting to hear the Vietnamese take on the treatment of American POWs during the war- none of which seemed to line up with what we have learned. They even have a statue to commemorate where John McCain was shot down. The statue is a man parachuting down- there is an inscription to the left and a USAF to the right. Not entirely what you might find in the USA, but interesting none the less. 

We ended at the Temple of Literature- an historic royal education center in Hanoi. For good luck in law school for the next three years, I made sure to enter through all the appropriate gates. The crane standing on the turtle's back with the pearl in it's beak symbolizes balance in wisdom so I obviously decided to take a picture with that as well. Just for good measure. 

All in all, the trip is going well. After receiving my letter of attestation from the IJM office, I am becoming more and more excited about my upcoming adventure. 

Off we go!

After a nice 7 hour flight, Flynnie and I have officially begun our Southeast Asia adventure! With a week and a half of traveling before us, we have survived a 3AM wake up for our flight and are still talking to each other (for now, we still have another 12 hour flight in front of us today). She has decided to document every moment with a flip cam, so once I figure out how to post it you will see some real gems. Our itinerary includes Hong Kong, Hanoi, Laos, and then ending in Cambodia, where they will leave and I will just stay. 

My last hour in the USA (in the San Fran airport) will unfortunately be quite uneventful. We arrive in Hong Kong tonight (tomorrow for all of you) and then continue on to Hanoi on the 25th. A Christmas in Hong Kong, how fun! 

More updates to come once we arrive!

3 days and counting...

So, what's same same but different? Well, its exactly what it sounds like. You can see this phrase all over Cambodia- even on many tee-shirts. It's used to describe something that's similar, but not exactly the same. So, I decided to use the phrase as the title because it describes my return to Cambodia- it's same same but different. Same country, same person, but different circumstances, timing, and city. With less than a month until starting work with the International Justice Mission, I am a little nervous but overall excited about the adventure that is coming.

I have finally finished packing and have somehow managed to fit everything into a suitcase with three days to spare! The weather in CT is making it very easy to leave and I am looking forward to seven months in warm weather. The low of 75 degrees will be a welcome change from a low of 25 degrees.