Two things that stuck out to me:

2. Traveling helps you encounter compassion

Traveling will change you like little else can. It will put you in places that will force you to care for issues that are bigger than you.

If you go to southeast Asia, you may encounter the slave trade. If eastern Europe, you may see the effects of genocide and religious persecution. If Haiti, you’ll witness the the ugly side Western paternalism.

Your heart will break.

One of my first experiences abroad was when I visited the Philippines for the first time on a medical mission. Prior to that, I had never been to the developing world, despite studying it extensively in college. Well, you know what they say about real world experience versus book experience. The visit shook me to my core and truly made me learn to appreciate the things I had in my life. I consider it one of the monumental moments where I can pinpoint my life turning from the path it was on.

Another great part:

When you look back on your life, you will have moments of which you are proud and maybe a few you regret. It’s likely that the following won’t be on the latter list:

• Bicycled across the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Appeared on Italian TV.
• Hiked a Mayan ruin.
• Learned Spanish in three months.
• Toured Europe by train.

They’re not on mine (fun fact: I’ve done all of the above).

That made me smile. What should be on my list?

• Became the English voice on an audio tour at a Japanese museum
• Took a boat up the Mekong and learned what $5 buys on the Laos side and what it buys on the Thai side
• Fled from a monkey trying to steal my candy
• Drank a mysterious concoction poured from an old salad dressing bottle into a half-coconut by a toothless man
• Tasted moonshine distilled in an old oil barrel
• Went scuba diving and caught my own uni

Buoyancy isn't something we'd worked on yet...

Something I’ve always wanted to do is learn how to scuba dive. Imagine my delight when I found out that not only does my cousin dive, but she was willing to take us out somewhere to go on an intro dive.

We drove out to Anilao in Batangas to a small resort. When I arrived, I looked out to the grey ocean and felt a bit anxious. It was a gloomy day and the water looked choppy and cold. Did I mention I am actually afraid of the ocean, and more importantly, putting my head under the water? It all stems from when I almost drowned trying to surf in Hawaii….but I digress… =P

I was a bit nervous during the briefing, I knew it was just an introductory course and that everything would be okay…but you know, the fear was there. So we get geared up, we get on the boat, and I’m told I need to fall backwards into the water (oh good lord, I thought!) Managing all the courage I could muster, I let the weight of the air tanks pull me backwards and…

Well, I entered a whole new world. If the sea looked grey and bleak from the surface, it was completely different below. I saw so many fish, and bright coral, and weird looking plants. You know when you go to an aquarium and you see all the neon colored anemone, and coral that look like brains, and weird stripey fish? Yeah, somehow I just thought all that stuff was fake and created for aquariums. But then I got to see it for real, and it was just amazing. All my fear washed away.

Hugh eating fresh uni out of the sea

After our intro dive, we went to shore with a bag of uni (sea urchin) which we had plucked from the rocks near the shore (apparently it is not illegal to get them in the Philippines.) I’m not a fan of uni personally, and I think I’m even less of a fan after watching the resort chef hack them open. It’s amazing how little meat is actually inside of those suckers! Anyways, Hugh and my cousin were both extremely pleased by the quality of the uni which they ate with calamansi juice.

We had so much fun we promptly decided to sign up for our certification. It took a week and with it came a whole new set of stress and tears (on my part) but when I actually accomplished the task I couldn’t do for days (clearing a mask underwater) I felt a very happy sense of accomplishment. Oh, and I also got stung by a firecoral down there so I guess now I have battle scars =P

It’s wonderful to have conquered a fear AND crossed something off my Life To-Do List!

A local shop selling and making laolao aka rice whiskey

Last night’s accomodation can be best described, at best as “basic” at worst as “dismal.” As we unloaded off the boat, we were bombarded with touts who wanted to bring us to their insanely overpriced guest-houses. The one Hugh and I finally settled on is probably the most basic one we have ever stayed at, thus giving us a new thresh-hold of pain we can withstand: the bed was rock-hard, though it did kindly have a mosquito net rigged up above it. The toilet, though western-style, had to be flushed by pouring water down it. The hot shower was down the hall.

None of this would have really been bad except for the fact the rooms were basically jerry-rigged out of pieces of corrugated steel. We could hear conversations happening clearly in rooms all around us and the room was freezing. The power went out at 9pm, but that didn’t matter as Hugh and I were already shivering ourselves to sleep while fully dressed. On the positive side: Mama Souk who ran the place was a very industrious, energetic, hilarious woman. (ie: we were trying in vain to get her to pronounce Hugh’s name, which is notoriously difficult for Asians to pronounce. She kept saying “Cue, cue!” so finally I said, “No, Hugh–you know, like the actor? Hugh Grant?” and she gave me this huge cheeky grin and knowingly said, “yeah yeah, Cue Gran!” Okay, Cue it is.) How she managed to not only sell us the rooms but also lunch in the morning is a testament to this woman’s business skill.

Boys bathing before dinner in a village by the Mekong

The next morning, the boat journey continued on a decidedly crappier boat. Instead of the nice leather seats we had yesterday, we were treated to poorly constructed wooden benches. It really wouldn’t have been so bad except for the fact we had to listen to a couple travelers whining on the boat for hours on end. One guy, we’ll call “Eric” was pissed off that a bottle of beer cost 20,000 kip on the boat instead of 10,000. He refused to pay the bill, but also refused to stop whining about it for 4 hours straight. Christ man, just buy the damn beer. I really don’t understand the attitude of people who travel solely for the cheap beer.

I should add that 10,000 kip is about $1.25, so he was angry about having to pay $2.50 for a giant bottle. The whining finally stopped, but naturally, we had to pass a small wooden boat laden with Beerlao bottles so the bitching started all over again. At one point he also commented, “Man, this boat is too touristy.” But he must have been ignoring the dozen or so locals and their cargo. He also whined when we stopped to drop off those locals. Also, new roads being built mean anyone who can take a road will take a road–the locals lived in village with no road access. Without tourism, the once bustling river traffic would disappear. It’s give and take.

New friends eating a well-deserved feast

We finally arrived in Huay Xai, however, it was too late to cross into Thailand. The 5 of us (now 6–we picked up a Chinese girl named Jaja) were a bit disheartened, until we were approached by a woman offering us rooms in her guesthouse. The price was 200baht (about $6)–the same as last night, but we were offered warm rooms, GLASS in the windows, hot showers in the rooms, and amazingly, television. It was amusing watching how fast our spirits were raised by little things such as glass and sealed rooms. After settling in, we set out and had a bit of a Thai/Lao feast and really great conversation. See, bad mornings don’t always turn into bad days. =)

Hugh and I came in last night and head out to Angkor Wat for sunset. We decided to opt out in watching the actual sunset over the main temples since we have a 3day pass and can do that another day.

Despite not even having gotten close to it, when I spotted the main 3 spires in the distance my heart stopped. These are the experiences that people dream about and here I am experiencing them. It’s amazing. I felt myself overwhelmed with emotion…the temples are beautiful, pictures can do no justice. To see something and know that they were built a 1000 years ago by people long dead also puts your life in perspective. Plus knowing just a little bit of the history of the Cambodian people made it all that much more sad. Great civilizations rise and fall, from the very top to the very bottom.

This morning we woke up and watched the sun rise over Angkor Wat, and the pictures I have are spectacular. After sunrise we went to Ta Prohm temple which is apparently where they shot Tomb Raider. They’ve cleaned it up, but basically it’s a temple slowly being re-consumed by the jungle. The most shocking part about Angkor Wat is there is very little to stop you from clambering all over the place. Hugh and I walked into dark hallways and climbed over centuries old rubble with only dusty shafts of light (and the flashes on our cameras) to guide the way. We found a completely dark passage-way and almost adventurously walked in, but I was afraid of snakes (irrational, I know). It was cool to be able to roam free, but didn’t seem safe to either visitors or the temple itself. Knowing I will never return (or at least, never return in the state it is now) and knowing I am one of 0.0009% of people who will ever see it in real life makes me feel alternately very special, and very small.

I urge you to see this place. It will make your heart stop. Most anyone who reads my blog can see these Angkor Wat for themselves IF they want to. Money is the first thing people say keeps them back, when it should be the last (time should be your first concern). If a person drank 1 less beer a week for a year you’d have enough money to go to SE Asia AND drink those 52 beers. Every day we meet backpackers living off $10 US a day. This has nothing to do with whether or not a person has money, but how far you are willing to step out of your comfort zone…

Oh and what a step out. Siem Reap is dirty. I don’t mean like garbage everywhere (though that is true) but literally, there’s dirt everywhere. There’s some paved roads through the main tourist drags, but a lot of it is still dirt roads and in the dry season it’s everywhere. We’re staying at a guest house ($17 a night for a double room with hot water and AC, and that’s really splurging…you can easily get a $2 a night room if you don’t need those things) near the more Cambodia part of town. As with all guesthouses, the shower and the toilet are literally in the same room. LITERALLY. The shower sprays over the toilet. I should do both things at one time and save myself some time! But its run by very helpful people and the pace of life is nice.

The people staying at Le Meridien and all those posh establishments never get to really see the area they’re staying in…and quite honestly, when you are in a country as poor as this it can really make you feel like an jerk just demanding things like internet access and AC. I’m not judging people who choose to spend more money, because I’d do it too if I had the money, but in my eyes there’s far more to travel than just taking a picture of a famous temple.

Anyways, all I really wanted to say is, this is one of the most memorable Christmases I have ever spent.

Hugh and I are celebrating my 26th birthday in Okinawa in the best of ways — with the coming of a typhoon to this normally tropical paradise! Hurray!

Well, we aren’t the sort of people to let bad weather ruin our trip so despite the lack of sunshine, we made it to the beach, which is lovely. The hotel, which is under renovation was a bit disappointing at first, but now I find it rather charming.

Definitely the interesting point last night was when we stopped by the local alcohol shop and the lady offered to let us sample some awamori, which is the local Okinawan alcohol. Now, most of it DOESN’T come with a dead snake coiled at the bottom, but traditionally it did. Remember in science class how you had those vats of frogs and snakes in brown liquid? Ever wonder what that might taste like? Yeah. We tried it. We’re hardcore. Awamori apparently comes in between 25% alcohol and 65%…this lovely snake juice was 35% but it felt like the sort of buzz only formaldehyde could give you. Raw horse meat has nothing on this. Thanks, Japan.

The first wacky thing we all did: ate raw horse meat (a Kumamoto Prefecture specialty).

The second feat of bravery: we entered a mixed bath together

Before I continue, I must explain what an onsen is to those who have no idea. If you already know what it is, then skip this paragraph. Onsen is Japanese for hot springs and, in my opinion, is one of the hallmarks of their culture. Every town, no matter how tiny, has an onsen–or at least a sento, which is a public bath. In the past, mixed bathing was fairly normal and no one thought anything of it. That has since changed and most onsen now seperate the men from the women. Most foreigners, obviously, are nervous the first time they go…but everyone does it and everyone enjoys it. It’s one thing to go topless at a beach when not everyone else is. In an onsen, everyone is naked. Little babies, old grannies, you, your friends. Yeah, you are naked, but so is everyone else. Westerns find onsens to be liberating, relaxing, and a wonderful bonding experience.

Anyways, so my friends and I are all onsen ‘experts’ so we decided to go to Kurokawa Onsen which is a town famous in Japan for its hot springs. It’s a beautiful, scenic town and very traditional. In fact, so traditional that almost every onsen still has mixed bathing. At all the places, women still got their own private sections, meanwhile the mens area was actually the mixed bathing area.

We adventurous females decided we would try it. First, we took advantage of the family bath that came with our room reservation. Yes, it was 3 girls and 1 guy (who is my boyfriend) and no, it did not turn into an orgy. Yes, folks, believe it or not a mixed group of people CAN be naked together AND have it not be sexual in the slightest. We sat in the water and discussed life, Japan, and how hot the water was. No one looked at anyone’s naughty bits (well, for long). It was friends bathing.

So, after mastering that feat we decided we should do it again — but this time with the general Japanese public. Why should the men get the best rotenburo (outdoor baths) just because women are scared to go? So we went to the first one at this one cave onsen…and it was fine. This random old man started jabbering to me, and there was a youngish guy in there with us, but he didn’t look twice (or maybe he did, but I never saw it.)

Next, we went to this amazing place called Yama Mizuki. The water temperature was perfect and the baths are situated outside along a rushing river. Us girls entered the mixed bathing when it was just Hugh and a couple old men and their sons. There were glances at us, but nothing special. We watched the children play on the rocks and their fathers yell at them to not fall into the river. Hugh sunned himself along some big boulders.

Then another woman came in, she was in her mid-30s and she positioned herself with her partner near us. The day was really lovely, the sun was shining on our naked bodies, and the dozen or so people sitting in the water or the rocks were just absorbing the sun and listening to the water falling over the rocks. I never felt uncomfortable or like I was being stared at. I was amazed by the Japanese woman because she seemed to be just showing it all off. But it was great, we were communing with nature and what not. Yeah, I saw male private parts. Yes, they saw my breasts. There was nothing sexual about it….

…and then….

The Japanese woman, I started to notice, was looking at us a lot with her husband…and I had also noticed she had positioned herself almost directly across from Hugh and wasn’t exactly doing anything to hide herself from him (but he was watching the water falling). Me and Heidi then spotted the woman PLAYING with her partner’s male parts. I turned away in surprise and tried not to let it bother me. Immediately after we left, the couple left as well. Hugh then later told me that the man had been staring at us the entire time. I laughed and we tried to shrug this off, we told Hugh we’d meet him outside in the reception area after we got dressed.

We got dressed and headed to the reception, as I was opening the door, I saw the same woman from before. She was dressed in what can be best described as something far too young and prostitutey. She was sitting across from Hugh (but he had his back turned) and she had her skirt pulled open and was attempting to show Hugh her white panties.

These things do NOT happen on accident, my friends. What was interesting was that we were more scandalised by her behaviour when she had clothes on than when she was naked. I guess since everyone was naked we took her actions to be the actions of a liberated female, but when she had clothes on, her intentions were far more obvious.

We were all horrified, but we tried to act nonchalant. We sighed with relief when the couple left, only to see them sitting on a bench outside. Where they waiting for us? Was this some sort of proposition for something? We kept our eyes lowered and walked quickly past the couple and got in our car. They did the same. We waited until they left and then sighed with relief. We decided to go to one more onsen since the one we had just been to didn’t have shower facilities.

So we pull into the next place’s parking lot….and so does the couple. WTF? They left BEFORE us. We tried to be as casual about it as possible, maybe we were just misunderstanding the situation.

So we split up again and said we would meet in the mixed pool for our last bathing session. We did the whole ritual cleaning thing then got into the pool. To get into the mixed bathing area, we had to wade through the girls area, and then walk through a little tunnel and open the door — I opened the door and what did I see? The man and the woman sitting in the rocks, the man was fully erect and the woman had her hand on him and looked ready to do something. I yelped in horror and fell backwards (and also gave myself a nasty scrape on the knee from the rocks) and told the girls to go back.

Meanwhile, Hugh waited for us to come out–but we didn’t. So it was him, the guy and the woman, and the woman was apparently doing things like stretching out on the middle rock. When it became obvious we weren’t coming out, he left. We were all horrified by what happened.

We got into the car and left…and then saw them following us back into town. We were freaked out by now, so after we turned a corner we quickly went into a parking lot. From the rearview window I watched the car drive forward, but when they realised they had lost us, they pulled over with their blinkers on. They waited a few minutes and then pulled a U-Turn and left.

WTF?

Yeah, it was a really weird situation. But also, a really amusing story. We laughed about the horrors of seeing real-life porn, and about the couple ruining the sanctity of the onsen. But whatever. I mean, that’s bound to happen, right? Despite all that, I would definitely do mixed bathing again — but not if its just me and Hugh, I fear that it might how swingers find their partners ;P Oh and obviously, I wouldn’t just hop naked with anyone–they’d have to be friends I really trust…but I think it was just a really great experience. Definitely nothing that everyone could do, but I was really pleased to see how unbothered I was–not just by being naked in front of other people, but that me and Hugh were both unbothered (relatively) by the situation. I don’t think a lot of people would have been cool having other people see their partner, but the way I see it, if I have to fear my boyfriend is going to leave me cause he saw another girl naked, then he probably wasn’t worth my time anyways. =P

P.S. Horse is delicious, unfortunately.

Yama Mizuki’s Outdoor Bath

Originally uploaded by Janelle (Himene).