Ah, Doraemon! You like?

We have arrived in Taipei and about to board the plane to SanFran. 

Mom left her pillow in Vietnam, so we had no pillow for the flight home. We have looked all over Thailand and Cambodia to try to find one. Well, evidently 

they don't use pillows over here in Asia because there is no where you can buy them. So we were walking through the airport today and were on the search for something we could use as a pillow. We came across these circled, stuffed, cat face, pillow thing that we decided to buy. We have gotten tons of attention from these things. Doraemon is the cats name and he is a hot commodity in Japan. At least 10 people have stopped us and asked if we liked Doraemon. I just look at them and tell them I don't know what they are talking about.

Next stop San Francisco, USA!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Today is our last full day in Thailand. Many have said that Thailand is gorgeous and that the people are stunning. Well I am here (in Thailand) to tell you that I disagree. Don't get me wrong the people are averagely pretty but nothing compared to the people of Cambodia or Vietnam. As for the atmosphere it's a dirty Myrtle with Thai speaking people. The beaches aren't as pretty as the ones in Chuck and they are lined with beach chairs. It's just a tourist mecca, no local charm.

We did however ride an elephant yesterday (did you know they had hair). Our guide that mom booked had the reputation of being the best; everything on Trip Adviser said that he was wonderful and by far the best. He drove me and mom crazy! He didn't listen to a thing you said and in the middle of your sentence he would just start talking over you until you were quite. He informed me and mom that if he was to choose a religion he would be Buddhist because the monks only had three things: their robe, man purse, and something else I don't remember. He was basically a self-centered, ignorant, punk.

Today was way better thatn yesterday. We went to a Thai cooking class. We were taught how to make six different things: Tom Kha Kai (coconut soup w/ chicken), spring rolls, a spicy vermicelli salad, panaeng curry w/ pork (we even made the curry paste), sweet & sour vegetables w/ shrimp, and pumpkin in coconut milk. It was a lot of food. The tom kha kai was my favorite and my least favorite was the curry. It happened that the lady that came to pick us up was the owner (we didn't figure that out til later). She offered to take us to buy pearls after the class, so we went.

Once back at the hotel we had facials then ate our left overs (from the cooking class) for lunch. Our first plane leaves at 1 tomorrow.

"America. President Obama. America. Next to Canada & Mexico..."

Cambodia was wonderful. It's definitely one of my top favorite places. As I said before the place was flooded. It was like a snow day in Charleston to these people. Little kids were floating down the streets, people were just watching the water flow through the river and the cars/tuk tuks couldn't make it down some roads (particularly the one to get to our hotel). The flood water didn't hold us back though.

After we got up we went and had breakfast on the rooftop of our wonderful hotel (Viroth). We then went to a Cambodian cooking class. Yit was our chief/guide. He took us to a local market and showed us all the different fruits and veggies and gave a brief description of them. Me and mom were even brave enough to try some fried bananas from a street vender... they were so good! After the visit to the market we went back to begin the cooking part of the class. It was 3 courses plus a drink. Oh, and he showed us how to cut/design a banana leave (lets just say I could never make paper snowflakes).The dishes included: Banana Flower Salad (kind of like a slaw), Khmer Amok Fish (yumminess in a bowl), Sweet Potato w/ Sago & Coconut Milk, and lastly Cambodian Hibiscus Tea. We bought a cook book and had Yit (mom kept thinking it was Yip) sign it for us. We left there and went to visit Angkor Wat. We saw the two main temples but it all started to look like a whole bunch of rock so we decided to forgo seeing all the rest. We did however get attacked by kids trying to sell us stuff when we walked out. It all started when mom decided to by one book from one boy. Then two more kids came over trying to sell bracelets, magnets, or what have you. About this time we saw our tuk tuk driver and started walking fastly towards him. when we sat down in our seats the tuk tuk was surrounded by kids trying to get us to by stuff. If you told them no or you didn't want it they would just lower the price (imagine being in a pond with hungry piranhas and telling them not to bite you). Needless to say, we got two books, five bracelets, and two magnets before we were airlifted (or tuk tuk driven) out of there.

On the way back to the hotel the tuk tuk driver took us by the Children's Hospital. We walked around for a few minuets. It was relatively nice. Once the we got back to the hotel and regrouped we swam (I mean walked) to the Old Market. It was probably the nicest market we've been to so far. A lot of good local stuff. Afterwords we went and grabbed something to drink at a side street cafe. While sitting there a little boy walks up and tries to sell us a book. We say no but he stays and ask were we are from when we tell him America he turns into a instant fact book and tells us about the population, government, geography, etc. (I guess he thinks that will score him some points). Once again we tell him no because we all ready have the books he was trying to sell us. He then says they are the "same, same but different" (in other words yes you do have this same book but it's not exactly the same because it didn't come from him). He laughs and then we laugh. He tried a few more things then he finally said that he would leave us alone if we bought a book so mom asked if we gave him a dollar would he leave. He said yes so she did and he left. Evidently he went and told some of his friends that there are two American girls that will give you money if you don't leave them alone because two little girls walked up and tried the same thing. They even followed us for a good 15 minuets trying to get us to buy "ten bracelets for one dollar" but we finally ignored them and they left us alone.

We ended the day by going to the night market. After being there for about 10 minuets the power went out so it was truly a night market. We couldn't see anything. We walked around trying to see but eventually left and went to Khmer Kitchen. It was really good (and cheap). We brought our leftovers back to the hotel and gave it to the guy at the front desk and he had a smile from ear to ear. The next morning we got up and walked around a bit. On the way to the airport we tried to stop by the silk farm but it was completely flooded so we went on to the airport to fly to Thailand.

Offical Name Change: Bay & Pink Panther's Irreverent Cambodia & Thailand Blog

(Mom waiting for our ride)

As the Chucktown crew went to the left so they could go to gate 17 (headed back home) me and mom took a right and said bye bye to the cruise ship as we boarded our plan to Cambodia. No more herding us around like cattle, we are on our own. It has been quit an experience so far. Getting through the airport and customs was a brezze but once we stepped out of the airport the adventure started. We had no clue if someone from the hotel would be waiting for us to drive us so when we walked out wwe scanned the couple of signs and saw no familiar names. So, we go to the taxi station and tell them were we are going (Vilroth Hotel) and they bring us a taxi around. The taxi driver couldn't be nicer. He informed us that were our hotel is located is completely flooded. He was then nice enough to let us borrow his phone so we could call and make sure that the hotel wasn't flooded/closed; it wasn't (thank God!). He had originally told us that he wouldn't be able to drive us all the way and we would have to walk. He was right in the fact that he could not drive us all the way but we did not walk. He dropped us off at a gas station and informed us that someone from the hotel would be there in a sec to pick us up and not to move. We waited for about 10 mins then got scared and decided to get another Tut Tut to take us. We could have never walked not only was is way to far but we didn't have the slightest clue of were it was located. So we rode the Tut Tut (imagine a motorized pedicab) through the thigh deep water to our hotel were they had put sandbags at the entrance so the water wouldn't come in. Mom said she choose this hotel because it was in the center of town and you could walk to a bunch of cool restaurants. I'm not quit sure why she didn't take into concederation that a typhoon would come a flood everthing and instead of walking we would be swimming from restaurant to restaurant (good thing we have albenazole). Speaking of restaurants we had dinner at an amazing place. We had a baked pumpkin type dish (their pumpkin = our squash, some type of curry, shrimp and veggies w/ sweet & sour sauce, and 3 cokes for a grand total of $12.


(the view from the hotel entrance)

Tomorrow we will go to a Cambodian cooking class and I'm not sure what else.

As The Waves Roll In, We Roll Out

Today is the last day (yay!). It has been fun but all good thing must come to an end. Tomorrow all the Seacoasters will go back to America except for me and mom. We will be on our way to Cambodia. But enough about tomorrow lets talk about today and yesterday...

The past two days can be summed up in two words massages & surfing. Jordan and Micheal are very grateful for the swells that were brought in post typhoon. They woke up bright and early then surfed all day yesterday. After their surf sess. they went across the street and got a $10, 60 min, massage. Right about now JB is waiting for his 4th massage (I was in the middle of writing this and realized that I was late for my massage). He says that he just gets all these massages because he wants the cultural experience (whatever we all know he likes those girls touching him). While JB & Micheal were surfing the girls (and Jack) went to a smelly market. It was a straight local market. We didn't stay but 10 mins then we came back and got massages. Today kindof went the same the boys got up to go surfing (they woke me up to go take pictures but i went back to sleep) and the girls (and Jack) went shopping in a cool little town down the road a bit. When we got back me, mom, and Cyn went and got a intenese massage from the place across the street. Me and mom followed that up by going to get another massage with JB, Michael, and Jack (I swear there was literally nothing else to do besides eat).

We have to leave the airport at 1130 in the morning. Me and the boys from room 335 (Jb & M) are utilizing the free wifi in the lounge.

Crazy Debbie says, "Hello Typhoon!"

The Below Events are True & Actually Happened. None of the Names were Changed

Once upon a time (thats how all great stories start), there lived a group of missionaries that traveled to the country side of Vietnam (A Loui, to be exact). Their purpose was simple... to bring much needed health care to the people and through their actions let the sick know WWJD. It was the morning of the second to last day of clinic when the leader of the missionaries got a call saying that he and his team needed to leave the country side because their was a big typhoon coming and the roads might be blocked the longer they waited. So, the leader, we will just call him Chuck, went to all of his people and told them that the team was request to evacuate the area after lunch. Chuck also told his people that not all sick would be seen but to try their best to see a big handful (185 patients were seen).  After the group ate lunch (or not) and gathered their things they headed up the road to Da Nang. Oh, what an adventure they had. The winds were starting to whirl and the rains beginning to drop all the while 6 buses started on the adventure that was bestowed on them. It started with a fallen tree in the middle of the road (but don't worry all the big, burley, strong men got out to save the day and move it).  Followed by another tree in our path. Next, came a mud covered strip. The team was questionable weather or not they would make it through. They did. They continued on with a few bathroom stops on the way (you know the 60+ crowd have a problem holding it) till they were faced with yet another mud spot. At this point, if they were in South Carolina all the boys would  be yellin, " whoa doggie look at that mud spray." But they weren't so it was more of a "I hope we don't get stuck." After a few more restroom breaks and a little bit more mud, the team arrived at the massiveness that is commonly known as a active mud slide. Now, so far they had been in the bus for 3 hours and the storm had gotten worse so they knew their only option was to try and get through alive. The first bus made it through (I mean of course nothing was going to happen to the Seacoast group), then the next one and the next and so on and so forth till all the buses were through this gravitative barrier of mud and clay. It had been about 30 minuets since the last time the busses had stopped for a bathroom break so the old people, I mean the advanced in age, had to go drain the main vein. After that the 3hr trip turned into a 4 hr trip, which led to a 4 hr 15 min trip, which ended with a total of 5 hrs under its belt. The people then found their hotel rooms and went to sleep.

The next morning upon awaking one of the members, Bailey, heard the typhoon outside her room. When she opened the door to look outside rain came rushing in and the wind was blowing the trees sideways. Her an her roommate went down to breakfast and arrived soaked from head to toe. After breakfast there was literally one thing to do and that was to find some place in the hotel and sit. So thats what everyone did. Oh, and they lived happily ever after (that's how all great stories end).

Ok but for real there was a typhoon its name was Ketsana and it killed some people in Vietnam and the Philippines. It rained alot and the trees blew and thats about the end of the story. Oh, we were stuck inside all day with nothing to do. Now thats the end of the story.

** pics will come later on

Flashbacks, Reruns, History, The Past, What Once Was...

Some random pictures and things from the trip so far...

Can't go over it. Can't Go Under It. Can't Go Around It. Gotta Go Through It

 Today is our first free day since we have started working. It got kind of chaotic with all the organizing of people getting on the right van to the place they choose to visit. The choices included but were not limited to going to the waterfall, going to the waterfall, or going to the waterfall. Oh yea, there was another option.... sit in your room (read post below about rooms). We decided to go to the waterfall. Since we are with Vets With A Mission the majority of the people are veterans, so that means they are at least 60. With that in mind I was envisioning this waterfall experience to be as follows: we pull up in the vans, walk no more then a 100 yard, arrive at the waterfall, marvel and take pictures, then return to the bus. Big whoop, I know. But, oh no, we are in Vietnam and when in Vietnam everything is exciting (except the native food). It went a little more like this: We pull up in the vans or mopeds, notice that we are on the edge of a cliff, of sorts, survey how to get to the waterfall, we realize the only way is to go down this cleared out strip of red clay trail, JB goes first, of course. I'm not going to lie it was kind of sketch but the "young" crowd (aka the translators + Seacoast group & Debbie), minus Cyn & Baba, head down the face of this cliff. Dr. Dave also came with us ( he is apart of the "young at heart" crowd). When we got to the bottom of this almost vertical, 50 foot, trail we were faced with a raging river that we had to cross. The water was cold, the rocks were a bit slippery , and approximately 4 people fell into the water, that doesn't include Jordan & Jack who were swimming in it. It was all up hill from there, literally. We scurried down the path trying to avoid the nice presents the cows had left for us. It was like the game mind sweeper, you steep in the wrong spot and you would wish your foot had blown up. The dirt path turned into antique looking stairs, which then turned in to a rock which was overlooking blustering river waters. The waterfall was in sight and there was no way we were going this far without getting to that waterfall. So, we bounce down into the water and skip, like little fairies, across the river rocks till we reach the other side. We had arrived at the waterfall so we did the typical and took pictures in front, beside, and under the waterfall. The reversed the above steps. I believe I have failed to mention that the water contained some very loving friends... leeches. They were just trying to show some Vietnamese love by kiss our legs and feet. Everybody got at least one leech on them but me (haha). 

For lunch we went to some place the translators knew about. It was different from the restaurant we had eaten lunch and dinner at for the past 3 days, which was a bad idea because they had kind of figured out what we will/will not eat. Not at this new restaurant. Our lunch consisted of wild boar or goat (no one knew), a fish that was fried whole, rice, french fries (upon request), and lizard, yes, lizard. Some one picked up a big lizard, dropped it in some hot grease, chopped it into some big pieces, put it on a plate and served it to us. Eyeballs, legs, skin, everything was still intact. None of the local translators would eat it but they wanted us to. That is like someone telling you to jump into a fire because it is the funnest thing ever but when you ask them if they want to get in the fire the say of course not. Needless to say I didn't eat the lizard. 

Jb spent his free day doing far away from homework. (for about 30 mins)

Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn

We have internet here, obviously, or you wouldn't be reading this (actually I don't have it right now for some reason). 

So, we arrived in A Luoi yesterday, early evening. We are staying at a Vietnam guest house. Now, let me just tell you about a Vietnamese guest house... Ok, imagine a 3 store townhouse mixed with a Motel 8. On the bottom floor is an open room with a front desk/bar, stair case, and about 10 tables (which make up a restaurant). If you choose to go up the stairs you will enter into the "guest house" part. The top to floors are laid out the same. A hall with 5 bedrooms, 2 on one side and 3 on the other. When you arrive at the door to your room and put the key in, you have to give the door a pretty sturdy shake for the door to come unlocked. At this point if you walk into the room to fast you will hit the other wall. The rooms are, how do you say, simple, possibly a little dirty (as in sleep with your whole body covered), and with a chance of some type of fungus. Two twin beds are crammed into this "quaint" little space. The beds are lets just say there. They have only a fitted sheet with a "baby making" fleece blanket folded at the end. There is no air condition but the fan will turn the room into a ice box (if thats any indication of the size of the room).  There is a bathroom, I mean shower, I mean bathroom. Um, well, it's a 4 foot by 6 foot room with a toilet, sink (that drains to into the floor), mirror, towel rack, and shower head; call it what you want. So, when you take a shower you have to remove any thing you don't want to get wet including the toilet paper. And when you get finished everything is wet (including the toilet seat). Oh, and another thing, the toilet paper roll is probably half the size of American rolls. I mean I'm not saying that Americans have fat butts but the Vietnamese just don't require as much tp. 

 

After dinner last night Me, Jb, Michael, Debbie (psycho roommate), Steve (deranged triage leader), and Lou (ragged out pharmacy pirate) went out with the college translators. They took us to do none other than karaoke. Now, here, in A Loui when you go out for karaoke you go this place that is once again very similar to a Motel 8, but one story. You went into this 12' by 12' room that had a plastic "leather" couch that was fallen to pieces, a little tv, a disco ball, two speakers, and two microphones. They even had a book full of english songs you could choose from (if you were born in 1934 they would have been your college jams). We stayed there for a good 2hrs and then returned "home".

Today was the first day of clinic for this place. There were a lot of old people, a lot of little babies and a few in between. The people didn't seem to be as sick. We did however still see over 200 patients. During our stay in A Loui for lunch and dinner we will eat at the same restaurant every day. Hopefully by the end of the trip they will realize that we don't particularly care for things that have bones sticking out or isn't completely cooked. Dinner tonight was the first time in the past 4 meals that I didn't just eat rice, it was really good. Fried rice, french fries, veggies, and steak bites; about as American as they could get it. Have I mentioned that the coffee is amazing., well it is.

Tomorrow  will be the last day in this clinic. We will move to another clinic, just down the street always for 2 days. Then on Tuesday we will go to the Furama for the final days.

** Lou & Steve are actually way cool people.