Goodbye Asia…til we meet again!
Tuesday, August 1st, 2006After just under 3 months in SE Asia i’m preparing to board a plane to leave it all behind. When I arrived in Singapore on the 12th of May at 4:30 in the morning I had no idea what awaited me. I knew in the back of my mind that this would be some of the most difficult traveling I would do on my journey but didn’t know how rewarding it would be. The people I’ve met, the relationships i’ve established, the kids i’ve farted on, the places I saw were all so much more amazing than they were in my mind. All told I visited 7 countries in Asia. Here is a quick wrap up of each country starting in the order I visited them.
Singapore – Hot, humid, did i mention hot? A clean, modern city. A nice place to welcome anyone into Asia for the first time. Great Markets, friendly people but lacking anything cultural or entertaining. Maybe i’d go back but only cause it would be a cheap place to fly to.
Malaysia – All of the excitement in Malaysia lies to the east on the Island of Borneo. Still my highlight of the trip. Scuba Diving, going into the rainforest and seeing the Orangutans will be a moment I will cherish forever. Not many days have passed since where I haven’t thought how incredible my time was that I spent there. I’m still thinking about when I will go back, hopefully sooner rather than later as i realistically just hit the tip of the iceberg as far as seeing all there is to see.
Brunei – ….crickets chirping….crickets chirping…tumbleweed! I would rather get a chocolate swirly than go back to Brunei.
Thailand – I absolutely feel in love with Thailand from the moment i stepped foot into it. Ok, it was the second step that made me fall in fell in love with it cause the first one i took landed in a pile of dog crap. Beautiful beaches, great people, fascinating culture, prostitutes, drugs…oh wait, i dont’ know anything about the last two…i swear. You haven’t been to SE Asia until you’ve been to Thailand. I saw a fraction of it and I am dying to go back. When I do will sit down and order a Chang Beer and get a bowl of Red Vegetable Curry with some steamed rice, may favorite meal in asia.
Cambodia – Probabaly behind Borneo this was my favorite place. If there was any place that made me appreciate what I have in life it was Cambodia. The people are amazing, and their plight is even more amazing. From the kids selling you postcards and bracelets on the streets and at Angkor Wat to the chaos of Phnom Penh. I wish I could have stayed longer but definitely another place I would love to go back and visit.
Vietnam – There is so much to say about Vietnam but i’ll keep it brief. From Ho Chi Minh in the south to Hanoi in the North and the trash an filth on the beaches. The differences in these two cities are as much as New York and Boston. Learning about the war and the history of these people is something that will always amaze me. I would love to go back and would welcome the challenges that would come with it.
Hong Kong – see post!
Gagnonius