A Year in Review

It's been one year since we started our adventure halfway across the world - and WOW - what a year it has been! While some days have felt like a lifetime, at other times, I can't believe how fast it has gone by. We have had the amazing opportunity to see another part of the world, meet some wonderful people, and learn so, so much.

In the past year, we have:

• Explored six new countries:
• Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand,  Vietnam; Cambodia
• Travelled via:
• Car, Airplane, Boat, Inflatable Raft, Canoe, Bamboo Raft, Bus, Subway, Taxi, Monorail,   Elephant, Oxcart, Cambodian Tuk-Tuk (not to be confused with a...), Thailand Tuk-Tuk, Cable Car, Sky Ride, Tram, Speedboat, Becak; Zip-line

• Made new friends from countless places including (but not limited to):
• Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand,  Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Korea, China,  Australia, California, Arizona, Florida, Texas,  Sweden, Norway, Canada, Brazil, Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Hungary; Tawain
• Learned to play the Gamelan and the Angklung

• Dustin flew on his first airplane - and his second, and his third, and his fourth, and his fifth, and his sixth, and his (I've honestly lost count)...
  

• Hiked our first active volcano

• Hugged our first Tiger.

• Visited our first:
• Sultan's Palace, Safari, Ancient Temple, Floating Village, Hindu Temple; Monk Chat

In the past year, I have learned:

• Exactly where Indonesia is on the map.
• A little about 5 new religions: Islam, Balinese, Buddhism, Hinduism; Baha'i
• I can live without a dishwasher, but I really, REALLY miss my garbage disposal.
• A tuk-tuk is a fun way to explore a new country.

• How to distinctly identify the smell of a durian.
• I should have paid more attention to Metric Conversions in math class.
• Kids are able to play and become friends - even without speaking the same language.
• I'm not a big fan of traveling via oxcart.

• How quickly a family of four can get into the habit of taking their shoes off as soon as they get inside a building.
• Learning a new language is a lot of work.
• The inventor of Skype/FaceTime deserves a raise.

• "It's a Dry Heat" means absolutely nothing. I'll take this humidity over Arizona's dry heat any day!
• Cooking rice is a true art form (I'm talking real rice - not minute rice!)
• "Personal Space" means different things in different countries.
• Traditional Vietnamese music is...indescribable!

• Showing tolerance and understanding for different cultures will garner you the same respect in return.
• It's best to look for a blue taxi in Indonesia and a red taxi in Thailand.
• The ability to laugh at yourself is one of the greatest lessons you can learn.

• I've developed "itchy feet." I'm constantly planning what part of the world we will be exploring next (if you ever want to join us, let me know and I will give you a rundown of what's in the works!)
• Having a refrigerator roughly the same size as my four year old means daily trips to the grocery store.

• Things are not always black and white.  
• Grab it while you can...just because you see something here today, does not mean it will still be here tomorrow (nor will it be available anywhere for the next 6 months)
• Expect the unexpected - You never know when a giant Orangutan is going to fling a pile of poop at you.

• Patience is the key to living in any foreign country.
• Target is a WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL place!
• No matter how much I love Asian food, American food will always be my comfort food.

• Living in a hotel is not as glamorous (nor as horrible) as it sounds.
• Never go to the grocery store without at least two back-up plans for dinner. Typically, our dinner consists of one out of three planned meals depending on what ingredients are available at the store on that particular day.
• It's a small world - You're bound to run into someone you know in the oddest of places.
• My kids are much more resilient and open to adventure than I ever could have hoped.

• Someone calling everyday at 5:00PM to make sure we don't need housekeeping is strangely comforting (even though we have said no every time they have called for the past year).
• Just because it's 1.6 Kilometers away (1 mile), does not mean it will take you less than half an hour to get there.
• It's all about your attitude - After several months of hating the way we are constantly stared at, Emilie turned to me and said, "You know what Mom? They're always going to stare at us, so I've decided to stop being annoyed. I'm just going to smile at them and take it as a compliment."

• There are many differences between the cultures of the world - As well as many, many similarities
• Learning to say thank you in a country's native tongue goes a long way with the locals.
• The world is filled with truly wonderful, diverse people.

• I can't wait to see where the world takes us this year!

Sunrise over Saigon

Sunrise over the Saigon River

I have a list of new places I want to visit.  As I cross them off the list, I find myself adding a little asterisk to each place, followed by a list of all the things I want to see when I go back. Vietnam is no exception. I have friends who have spent weeks exploring Vietnam; And now I know why.  I can't wait to go back and explore more of this amazing country.

It's hard to believe that 9 months ago, this guy had never flown on an airplane.  Now, he has more stamps in his passport than candles on his birthday cake!

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) was vastly different from any of the other cities we have visited.  It's not a city I am able to easily describe.  The traffic is heavy, but very orderly.  There are a lot more motorbikes than Indonesia, but a lot fewer cars.  Everyone seemed to be wearing a helmet (unlike both Indonesia and Thailand), but they seemed to be more for fashion (or simply to skirt around the helmet laws) then for actual protection.

The city parks are packed with people in the evenings, but no one ever walks on the grass.  We were told by our guide that most young people live at home, with a couple of generations, and will escape the scrutiny of family members by having dates at the park.  It is cheap and they don't run the risk of Mom, Dad, or Grandma eavesdropping on their courtship.

We tried to jam in as much as possible during our short visit.  We visited a factory where citizens, harmed by Agent Orange, were trained to make art using egg shells and mother of pearl.  We took a tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels.  We had a ride along the Mekong Delta where we got to make a few stops, including a visit to a coconut candy factory.  We touched bees and stuck our hands right into the hive to taste fresh honey.  We wrestled pythons and experienced a traditional folk music show.  We took a canoe ride in a canopy of coconut palms.  We walked through the city enjoying the sites as well as a little shopping.  We saw a water puppet show and took a dinner cruise along the Saigon river.  All in the course of two days...

Did you know...Rubber is made from rubber trees?  Both Vietnam and Thailand had acres and acres of Rubber Tree Plantations.  The sap from the trees is collected on a daily basis and sent to rubber making plants in Singapore.

Hammocks were hanging everywhere we looked.  My theory (not substantiated by anyone or anything) is that it is so hot, most people enjoy a little siesta after lunch before heading back to work...

At the Cu Chi Tunnels, it was interesting to learn a little more about what the American Troops were up against during the Vietnam War (known as the American War in Vietnam). But it was a bit of a drive outside of Ho Chi Minh City and very touristy (we were also warned ahead of time that it was slanted to boast the efforts of the Vietcong).  I am glad we did it. I think we all (Emilie especially) learned a little more about the war, but given our limited amount of time in Ho Chi Minh City, I think we would have been better off spending more time in the city.

Dustin was not very fond of hanging out in the tunnels

The tunnels were made to look like giant termite mounds - making them nearly impossible to see.   

It is very common to see gravesites built close to homes.  The belief is that the spirits of the dead join the family for dinner.  This means a place is left for them at the table.  This also means that children tend to be better behaved at dinner for fear of what the spirits might do if they misbehave.  

We enjoyed a couple of amazing meals with a set menu.  This gave us the opportunity to try some new things like this delicious Elephant Ear Fish!

Cruising along the Mekong Delta

Making coconut candy

Tea with fresh honey!

I wonder how well this guy would get along with Sophie and Sadie?

Traditional Vietnamese Folk Music is...indescribable!

The canoe ride among the coconut palms was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Ahhhh...this is the life!

Just before the sun was setting, there were dozens of people flying kites in all of the fields. It went along the entire countryside and was quite the site. 

The water puppet show was fun.  We didn't understand a word of what was said, but it was action packed; We saw some really cool instruments, and we got to hear more of the Traditional Vietnamese Folk Music - which is...indescribable.

We took a night cruise along the Saigon River.  This included another amazing dinner as we cruised along the river looking at the lights of the Ho Chi Minh city skyline.  Emile even learned how to play the teacups...another important life lesson!

...And before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye to Vietnam.