Honeymoon to SE Asia

We've just returned from a 3 week honeymoon trip around SE Asia. We traveled to Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. We left on Thanksgiving Day and returned Dec 15th. It ended up being a perfect time of year for traveling as it's after the rainy season and not horrendously humid. It was 85-95* and just right! Here's our itinerary and packing guide for our 3 week adventure.

Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Accommodations: QG Resort
Duration: 1 night

We traveled Denver to Bangkok, with a 2 hour layover in Tokyo. The flight was a touch more $ than other options but only had one connecting flight which was important to us. Six hours to Tokyo, 10 hours to Bangkok and we're done. We stayed one night in Bangkok before an early flight to Cambodia.

Location: Siem Riep, Cambodia
Accommodations:
Duration: 2 nights
Excursions: Cooking class, Sunrise at Angkor Wat, other Angkor sites during the day

Took a 6 am flight to Siem Riep, Cambodia to kick off our SE Asia trip at Angkor Wat. We arrived mid day. We opted for massages and a cooking class at the hotel. Was a nice way to kick off the trip.

For the next day, our hotel suggested the sunrise trip to Angkor Wat, come back to the hotel for breakfast, then back to the temples this time with a guide. Seeing the sunrise over Angkor Wat was a wonderful experience! The ticket lines open at 5 am. We left our hotel at 4:30 and were in line by 4:50. There was only a few people in line ahead of us. By 5 am however multiple tour buses and dozens of minibuses had arrived and there were now easily over a hundred people in line. I'd suggest getting to the line a few minutes before 5! Because we didn't get stuck in the ticket line, we were able to drive over to Angkor Wat without 'traffic' and had our choice for where to watch the sunrise. My suggestion is to watch from the left side, we felt our view was better than the right side. We saw multiple temple sites that day, beautiful experience to go through. Get a guide so they can tell you about the meanings and local culture.

Location: Hoi Ann, Vietnam
Accommodations: Little Town Villa
Duration: 3 nights
Excursions: Thought about day trips and then opted for hanging around Hoi Ann. Got tailor made clothes from Bien Dep, a tailor that our friends had recommended us to. VERY good. Would highly recommend. 

Next was Vietnam. Don't forget to bring cash for your Visa. We first traveled to Hoi Ann. A quaint, French inspired town outside of Da Nang. Hoi Ann was absolutely stunning at night. We opted for Hoi Ann based on a recommendation from a friend but hadn't researched the town at all. I'm glad we didn't and we didn't know what to expect. We arrived in the evening and walked out for dinner that night. We were blow away with the lanterns all around the town. It's such a romantic, memorizing place in the evening! It rained the morning of our first day and we were grateful we packed umbrellas. This stop was really relaxing for us. We had tailor made clothes made, got massages, ate mango smoothies (it became an obsession for my husband), rode bikes to the beach, and leisurely strolled the streets. I would recommend staying within walking distance of the main market. We met some folks who had to take a taxi in to the area. It would definitely not have the same charm if you couldn't walk out your door to experience Hoi Ann.

Location: Ho Chi Ming City, Vietnam
Accommodations: Local friends
Duration: 3 nights
Excursions: Vespa Adventures, Saigon Tourist Mekong Delta by speedboat trip

On to Ho Chi Minh City. We have friends who live in the city and we stayed with them. They showed us around District One during the day and we did a Vespa Adventures tour that evening. The Vespa City tour is fantastic! Highly recommend it!! It's a great way of seeing the city, eating local food, and riding safely on a Vespa in the crazy traffic. The next day we did the Mekong Delta by speedboat. It was a fast and furious whirlwind through Ho Chi Minh City.

Location: Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Accommodations: Sea Sense Resort
Duration: 3 nights
Excursions: Best massage at the hotel spa

Our last stop in Vietnam was to the island of Phu Quoc. Our friends from Ho Chi Minh City said they go to Phu Quoc when they want to completely peace out on life. And that is the truth. The whole island is not large, you could drive the whole thing in probably less than 2 hours. We ended up never leaving the resort. The resort had a beach with perfect water, kayaks you could use, a spa, and swimming pool. Our second night we walked down the beach and had dinner at a local hotel's restaurant. We had the best massages of our trip at the resort.

Location: Phuket, Thailand
Accommodations: Casa Blanca
Duration: 1 night (had to stay in Phuket one night because of flight and ferry times)

Location: Ko Lanta, Thailand
Accommodations: Royal Lanta
Duration: 5 nights
Excursions: Open Water Dive Certification through Blue Planet Diving, the best facial at the hotel spa

After Vietnam, we were on to Thailand! We didn't plan our Thailand portion of the trip prior to leaving. We knew we wanted to get dive certified and figured we'd end up in the Phuket/Krabi area. We wanted to talk with travelers on our way to get the best suggestion for Thailand. While we were in Hoi Ann, we talked with the owner (?) of the Dive Bar and got his input on dive spots. He suggested we head to the island Ko Lanta, southeast of Phuket. From the Phuket airport, you take a taxi to the pier, and then can take the ferry or opt for a speed boat to Ko Lanta. We wanted to save time and so for a few extra dollars we did the speed boat. The speed boat will get you there fast but it's not for the faint of heart. They do go fast, you will get wet, and you will fly out of your seat as you go over the waves. We loved it, but not everyone would. We ended up loving our time in Ko Lanta. You can rent a motorbike to get around. A one day motorbike rental will most likely be less than a single taxi ride so opt for the motorbike. We got open water dive certified at Ko Lanta through Blue Planet Diving. Our instructor Dominic was amazing! We are so impressed with Blue Planet Diving and Dominic. We met friends who got open water certified on a different island in Thailand and said the diving at Ko Lanta was much better. We are already planning on returning to Ko Lanta. It's a beautiful, safe, comfortable island.

Location: Khao Sok
Accommodations: Royal Cliff Resort and Spa 
Duration: 2 nights
Excursions: Chao Lake tour

From the beaches, we headed north to Khao Sok National Park. We took a minibus from Ko Lanta right to Khao Sok. You can also get a private car. We heard amazing things about Chao Lake and it certainly didn't disappoint. We did a Lake Day tour. The limestone rocks are breathtaking. Highly recommend. Our hotel had the best view and was in a good location. You can walk to the restaurants.


The last three days were a mix of driving to Phuket, staying in Phuket 1 night, then flying to Bangkok and staying there 2 nights. It was three weeks of adventure across three countries. We had a fantastic honeymoon!

Packing list:
We used all of these items on on trip. The shoes were fantastic, very comfortable for LOTS of walking while still being stylish. We used the umbrella for rain and sun. The hat stretcher ended up being SO useful for carrying my hat hands free with a caribeaner (never leave home without them!) and our day pack. The bride & groom sunglasses were a hit everywhere, they even got us a free flight upgrade! I loved my compression pants. I wore them under the long black dress for the flights.

                                     

Update on the South Africa Project

It's now 3 days from World Cup 2010 in South Africa! Kalen and I can hardly believe it's been almost a year since we were there. We wish we were there to experience the African joy and spirit during the World Cup. Cheers to the games!

We have been fully active with the South Africa project over the last year. Since we came back we have been busy finishing the work from last summer and getting the next teams ready to go. One team is already there as I type this!

After returning to the states we worked to analyze the data. Last summer we were busy collecting 458 charts, then realizing we need to change the dates we were collecting and starting all over to collect 500 more charts (our targeted sample size). When we began analyzing the data we realized that despite taking all statistical precautions with calculating the sample size we were in need of more patients to make the study significant. (Preliminary results are supporting our hypothesis that there is a significant difference in morbidity associated with patients with and without TB, HIV/AIDS.) Dr Richards is sending three more teams down this summer to collect more data for this study and work on some of his other studies.

Kalen and I have been helping train the next teams going down and create manuals for the study. Our team was the first to go and helped create the data collection process used. Once in country we had to tweak and adjust a lot of things, typical for international studies. As such we understood the project very well and had worked through many problems during our time. We are hoping to stream line future teams to avoid them dealing with the same problems and help Dr Richards create some solid documents for the "HR" side of his studies going forward.

Dr Richards is now in the process of starting a non-profit, 501(c)3 which would house all the logistics for the students working on the studies. We think of it now as the "South Africa Consortium" and are excited to see the non-profit be formed and allow more students to become involved. I will be partnering with Dr Richards this summer to get that off the ground.

We would like to thank Warner Pacific College, our alma mater, for highlighting the South Africa project in the spring 2010 edition of 'The Experience' college magazine. We are grateful for the strong support we continue to receive from WPC and are proud to be alums. If you are interested in learning more about this project or supporting one of Dr Richards studies or nonprofit please contact me (mstokke@du.edu).

“GO BACK HOME AND TELL THEM OF THE BEAUTY OF AFRICA”

In my final wrap up of our Cape Town experience I want to share one of my most cherished memories of Cape Town- a conversation with a waiter at a local coffee shop in Sea Point. His name is Blaze and he comes from the Congo. A fascinating character who earned a scholarship to study Middle Eastern conflict in Switzerland while learning English, French, Italian and German. Ultimately he dreams of getting into politics and in between he is working in the tourist industry now. That’s what brought him to Cape Town actually, the lure of the great 2010 World Cup- the promise of clients, adventure and money. He was an absolutely brilliant, funny and humble man.

We got to talk about culture differences. He asked what it was like to grow up in the “world’s super power” (arms outstretching high in exaggeration as he said it). The question made me pause, I had never actually thought of it in that way before. It seems that I wouldn’t entirely be able to understand and answer that question without traveling outside of the States. How do I know the great things I have without the contrast of what a life without is like? Go beyond even the well-known super power benefits of freedom, politics and money that we have. Think about the simple things. Do we understand the comfort it is to have reliable water, electricity and toilets on hand? Are we conscious of the education available to us without censorship? The mere prospect of having career paths based on an individual desires and goals and not set tracks? It’s a beautiful and opportunistic, comforting blessing to be from the world’s super power. But I wouldn’t understand that as deeply as I do without experiencing what it would be like elsewhere.

Blaze later laughed because of the ‘silliness’ of American culture. Smiling and laughing with us he said, “Africans love to dance and sing and drink our tea. We are content with that- it makes us happy. I watched CNN last night. What are you concerned about? Jacko’s (Michael Jackson’s) doctor! You are so silly. I don’t understand the priorities of your culture!” We laughed with him realizing how silly we do look with our CNN headlines, People magazine attraction, and Bruno type movies.

We know the USA as much more than what the media portrays of us. We have our own rich culture and history. A myriad of people and experiences that are deeply meaningful but that are lost to outsiders who equate the USA with Hollywood. In the same regard how often do we generalize other cultures based on their media portrayal?

Africa is infinitely more than an area of poverty, hunger and safaris. It is a continent brimming with hope and the most genuine happiness I have experienced. A happiness that transcends circumstances and flows right from the core soul. It is a people alive with song, music, art and dance. Blaze told us to, “go home and tell others of the beauty of Africa!” I was told the same thing last year while in Tanzania. All over the continent, people are spilling over with happiness and a desire for the goodness of Africa to be known.

So I hope that through our experience you may see Africa as more than a place of poverty and need. Begin to see the people who have expressions of joy and an illustrious sense of hope in the greatness of humanity. Go and visit Africa and see it for yourself...

Few more Township Tour pictures

Bo-Kaap, a Muslim area as is known by the brightly colored houses- a tradition inspired by the Malaysian culture as a group of slaves traced back their heritage to Malaysian royalty. The palm tree in the back center is a protected site- the seeds were brought back from a Mecca journey and planted there. There are a number of these protected tree sites around Cape Town. 

Township Tour

Township shacks
A sign in the District Six museum
A street on District Six before it was demolished
The same street now. (see the three arches at the top of the stairs)

We were blessed with the opportunity of taking a township tour with the best tour guide, Colleen Knipe-Solomon of siyaFundisa Edu Tour. We were happy we did it at the end of our trip and not at the begining because we were able to understand the context so much better. During the tour we covered some of the historical/political/cultural/social contexts of the townships of Cape Town; Bo-Kaap (ex slave quarters); major contributions slaves and Muslims played in Cape Town communities; District Six (Apartheid Group Areas Forced Removals and its legacy); understanding the displacements of huge communities to the Cape Flats (aka townships), the formation of sub-economic Townships and perpetuation of their social crises; Langa (oldest township) how, why, when and events leading to Joe Slovo; informal residents- backyard dwellers and Delft residents; a drive through Bonteheuwel and Gugulethu- Guguletu 7 and Amy Biehl Memorials; Khayelisha- meeting with a local tailor and learn about her business and also what it is like for her living with HIV/AIDS; Philani Nutrition Centre; and the world famous Vicky's B & B in a township shack.

It was a moving, insightful experience and one of the highlights of the trips. I jotted down only a few of the interesting things we learned.

Township Tour Tidbits:

~ It was illegal to teach a black person math beyond the 8th grade. The government said there was no reason for them to have any math skills beyond that given their life course and they should not be given any kind of hope.

~ No houses were built from 1950-1978 as a way of keeping black people out of town (the houses were already occupied by whites after everyone else was forcefully removed). This began the chronic housing shortage.

~ Drugs only because a large issue after the forced removal. After forced removal, stay at home mothers had to get a job. Removing this nucleus of the family created a void of attention and care for the children. Gangs moved into the areas and took on the role as they recruited young boys into the gangs.

~ Afrikaans language is a mixture of languages including Dutch and Indonesian.

~ African culture has a hard time forsaking their liberator leaders even after they become tyrants. It’s difficult to let go of the original idea of the liberators as protectors.

~ Stadium workers (on the 2010 World Cup stadiums) make $2/day.

~ South Africans were the only people in the world who didn’t know what Nelson Mandela looked like until he was released and made his first public speech. All pictures of him were banned in country.

~ The government did ‘culture tests’ to determine an individuals race. The most famous is the ‘pencil test’ where a pencil was placed in the hair and if it fell out you were classified as colored and if it stayed in you were classified as black. This is why beauty parlors were so popular in those days (and following to present day) as everyone wanted to get their hair treated, straightened or relaxed.

~ Other ‘culture tests’ included measuring the diameter of one’s nose and whether one had pink under their finger nail beds.

~ Speaking of apartheid, “What Hitler created in 15 years, we perfected in 50 years”.

~ One of the biggest misconceptions: South African slaves were of Asian descent, they weren’t native blacks.

~ There are 332 townships in Cape Town.

~ Government housing plans during the forced removals were done with no plans of urbanization. Houses were moved with out toilets or water.

~ Township has a Love Light Project focused on youths where youths have to take a 3-week course on sex education and HIV education before using the youth rec. facility. It’s been very helpful for the community.

~ In township, every child is sexually active by 12

~ S. Africa has the lowest abortion rules in world.

~ Projects around the township

· Restaurant training, Recycling, Youth Center, Storage units as stores

~ Khayletsha township residents are the most determined. They are proud and happy of their accomplishments and how far they’ve come. They are very ambitions.

~ 39% unemployment at the national level. 60-80% unemployment in the townships, of which ¼ are women with HIV/AIDS and 1/10 are men with HIV/AIDS

~ Swaziland has 59% HIV/AIDS rates, the highest percentage of total population in the world

~ South Africa’s HIV/AIDS rate is highest prevalence in the world

~ Townships are so tightly placed next to others that fires can spread rapidly. Record fire in December 2008 burned 500 houses in 8 minutes.

~ Government housing flats were promised at 25 Rand per month (roughly $3.20 US), but ended up being 750-1100 Rand per month ($96.15- $141.03). Only 1 family could afford to move in.

~ Cape Town offers the best hands-on medical training in the world because of its health disparity and problems.

~ Actor Danny Glover has a foundation that works in the townships.

~ The local cemetery is so full that bodies are three deep. The black community does not cremate. Bones are VERY important in the culture.

~ If the former president had not stepped down, Action Treatment Campaign would have charged him with war crimes for limiting ARV’s (HIV/AIDS medicine).

~ In the government forced removal, the government planned for people to live in very small areas and have different resources. This was in order to increase animosity between different races in neighboring townships. And it worked. It was called “Spatial Ethnical Engineering”

~ And most important quote:

· “Life is difficult but we never give up.”

Shark Diving!!!!

The sun is setting on our adventure in South Africa, but we'd like to think that we ended on a high note.  

Tipp, Ofer, and Valerie all came to town for a little adventure vacation.  Including Megan, Rusty and I, that made 6 travelers total.  

We first took a road trip along the Southern Coast for a few hours and stopped at the Arabella Hotel and Resort just outside of the city of Hermanus.  The Arabella was a St. Regis brand resort and the rooms were gorgeous.  The next morning we woke up early and went SHARK DIVING.

It only took about 30 minutes for the first shark to appear and take a nibble at the bait.  Shortly after, we had 15 Great White Sharks circling the boat for 5 hours straight.  

At one point, while I was in the cage, a great white made short work of the bait then in all his fury, he slammed into the cage, directly in front of me.  It was the most intense thing ever (see pictures)!!!

After a 3 day weekend in Arabella, we headed back to Cape Town and did a fully guided tour of the townships, including the history and oppression of Apartheid.  

To top it off, we drove the southern coast to the Southern most tip of the African Continent, where the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Oceans meet (Cape L' Agulhas).

I also worked a short shift today with the single goal of saying goodbye to the all the doctors and students at the ER.  However, right after I said goodbye, they put me to work for a few hours.  I surgically removed a bullet from a patient's leg, placed an intercostal drain (needle aspiration, for those of you who care), and did a lumbar puncture, all within 2 hours.  I love Africa!  

We will try our best to post one last concluding blog about our time in South Africa. It is difficult to end an overseas stay like this.  How can any of us fully describe this incredible experience?  This blog is merely the beginning of a great adventure that Megan and I were compelled into.  I will say for myself, that South Africa has been the deepest and richest learning experience of my life.  

Strikers

During our time here numerous sectors have gone on strike. I assumed it was in part due to the trump card these sectors held with the upcoming 2010 World Cup. South Africa is oozing over with 2010 pride and excitement. A single night would not go by without having TV commercials on, a car trip won't pass without seeing 2010 advertisements and the first thing you see leaving the airport is a large count down of days till 2010. South Africa is beaming about this honor. The second strike we experienced was the World Cup stadium workers. One of the nine stadiums in the country, The Green Point Stadium, is located 6 minutes from our apartment. The Green Point stadium workers showed up daily to protest and walk down the main road. Harmless and impressive to watch. They protest their salaries, if you could call it that. They make the tiny amount of $2 a day. 

When we got here the doctors were on strike. Doctors here make less than teachers, they protested. (Now that's something to think about- why are the salaries of doctors and teachers always compared to each other as justification of poor salaries?) We worked one night in the ER during the strike. It was eerie to walk in, there was only two patients inside when normally there would be at least twenty-two. Doctors during the strike would either not come to work, or in the case of the ER where doctors could not be absent, they would only treat immediate emergencies. During the negotiations, a caller called into the local radio station and said not to buy in to the promises in the negotiations. That, for instance, officials were promising a 12% salary increase to doctors, but in the fine print they would also be given a 34% tax increase on any overtime or they could also lose part of their benefits. So in the end it was a wash. Tricky tricky!

Since then, the municipal works have gone on strike: those workers responsible for service delivery (i.e. garbage collector). And in the news today the telecommunication workers are striking. 

At least 4 sectors in 6 weeks! Here's to your 2010 trump card, hope it lasts post 2010.....