And..its alive again! Hello Shanghai!

Hello indeed...
Ive arrived safely in the land of 1 billion. And on labour day, it is apparent that that population static is absolutely true.

I guess im not new to the shoving and the pushing and the loud talking, as I had similar experiences in Qingdao. But this, is shoving, pushing and loud talking at a MASS level. And I will explain why.

So yesterday after my very kind housemate Ryan patiently took me to buy all the necessities like towels and bedsheets, we took the metro to meet some other SMU interns. When we arrived at our stop and the doors opened, instead of letting us get out first, the people outside immediately tried to push their way in. It was like a rugby scrum that I was unwillingly being roped into. And when I finally pushed my way out in one piece, I didnt know whether to laugh or to be pissed off. I mean, dont they get it? When a glass is full, doesnt matter mow much more water you pour into it, the glass just cant contain more and the excess water will just flow out. So my dear chinese people, why wont you let us out so more of you guys can enter huh?

Pretty cool so far.. but been a lil missing the people at home. My house is quiet n pretty empty. need to change that... Alrighty. People reading this, drop a msg please? Window works both ways!

AAAHHHHH...

So soon? I cant believe it. Seemed like just yesterday when I stayed up all night packing, backing up my music, photos and files, and having butterflies in my stomach, thinking of every worst case scenario possible. Where did time go?

I spent the day taking in the New York air and savoring the last days of my 6-month long journey. Walking, remembering, thinking, smiling, tearing.. like a movie playing in my head.

Isn't it amazing how it is possible that you can experience so much in 6 months, yet other times, nothing much in the same amount of time?
Anthony Bourdain: "I collect experience"
My collection had just expanded 10-folds, and I need to go home and digest my collection before allowing space for more.

I'll be touching home ground in about 24 hrs. And after going everywhere in the past 6 months, I wont be going anywhere far in the next 5 months. I think it's gonna feel weird for a while. But I'll always have my next adventure to look forward to.

Looking forward to seeing all of you back home!

Egypt!

The ride on the cruise from India to Egypt was an adventure on its own. Down the Bay of Bengal, up the Arabian Sea, through the Gulf of Aden, up the Red Sea (!!!), through the Suez Canal and finally arriving at the Mediterranean Sea. That’s 11 days trapped in confined space, floating on water and not having land beneath your feat. Most people would go crazy..but I loved it!

In those 11 days, I chatted with the captain on a tour of the bridge, we passed one of my dream destinations, the Maldives(!!!), we passed a Volcano that was still erupting (some people claimed that they could see red larva spilling out of the crater through the binoculars), the weather was perfect everyday, beautiful sunsets, we had a sports day aka Sea Olympics, where people sock wrestled, synchronize swam, limbo rocked, played basketball and soccer etc. I spent most late afternoons up on the deck with my book, enjoying the weather. It was a good break from traveling that I really needed.

Sailing through the Suez Canal was a real treat. Manymany years ago, The Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea were not connected. (I hope you are googling a map of the world in a new window now as you are reading this) Merchants or Explorers from the West heading to the East had to sail south, around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa to get to their destination. The clever Egyptians then decided to dig a Canal so that boats can sail from the Mediterranean Sea through Egypt to the Red Sea then to the East and it would save the travelers many days of traveling. Apart from its rich history, sailing through it was awesome because we were so close to the banks of the Canal (Egypt) on both sides. We passed plantations, deserts, mansions, resorts, many military guards whom we could hear whistling at us, and a huge bridge with an Egyptian and Japanese flag side by side (I couldn’t figure out why…so if someone would enlighten me that would be helpful) Every few minutes the view of Egypt from the ship would change. I sat outside for a good 7 hours with some friends that day, playing scrabble, (I taught them Majong) and just watching the world go by.

Arriving in Alexandria, Egypt, I didn’t know what to expect. I had never been to or even remotely thought of visiting a Middle Eastern country before. (and Shannon, if you wanna get technical with me, I know Egypt is on the African Continent but it is a middle eastern country) The news always had scary things to say about these places. Bombings, riots, protests, killings, unrest… But I figured, if it was on the itinerary, it couldn’t be that bad.

Egypt receives 9 million tourists a year. Their economy is heavily dependent on tourism. And stepping into the country, it was evident. That’s perhaps why the Egyptian taxi drivers and shopkeepers were by far the most charming ones I’ve ever met. Evolution. Survival of the fittest (or in this case, most charming to the tourists).

As we stepped off the ship, instead of pushy, in-your-face tuktuk drivers, we were greeted with civilized maxi cab drivers. Experience has taught me not to trust cab drivers in foreign lands, especially those that do not go by the meter. Hence, I’m always suspicious of them and I would almost always much rather take the public bus than hop on a taxi. But that morning, I was with 5 other girls heading to Cairo. Majority ruled, and we hopped on the taxi for our 2 hr journey to Cairo from Alexandria.

Looking out the window, I catch the first glimpse of Egypt. It brought back the same feeling I had on my first tuktuk ride out of the port onto the streets of India. Awe. The people, the buildings, the roads, all so different from anywhere else I’ve been. Its developed, yet not really. One moment we are at a parking lot of a huge stand-alone mall with Starbucks and Guess, the next we are passing by rows of slumps by the road on desert ground. Although their heads were covered, Egyptian women had beautiful features, and the men were very good looking.

The taxi ride turned out to be really interesting. Somewhere along the way, the driver revealed that not only does he have a wife he also has a girlfriend! It is legal for Muslim men in Egypt to have up to 4 wives. But I was told that because most people now can’t afford it, they stop at one. He was so refreshingly candid about his extra-marital affair, telling us how his wife doesn’t have time for him and his girlfriend was a really wealthy widow, that I really wonder what kind of men women in this country have to put up with…

First stop, Pyramids of Giza. I was surprised at how close the pyramids were to the hustle and bustle of the city. I read somewhere that the city was fast expanding towards the Pyramids. We could see it from the main road! Ive always thought it was in the middle of the desert.

The weather was perfect for the pyramids. The six of us hopped on 3 horses and 3 camels and into the desert we went! For the first half of the excursion, I was on a horse (Moses was its name). Riding my horse, in the desert, next to the Pyramids of Giza, the feeling was so surreal. When the time came to switch to the camels, I was excited! I don’t think Ive ever seen a real camel before, let alone ride on one. He knelt on his 4 knees to allow me to climb on his back, and then with one swift motion, he stands up, and I am 1.5 meters above everyone else. My camel was cute. Every time we stopped, he would start peeing. I thought camels had to store water. Why did they pee so much?

Soon after, the sun was setting, and the air became cooler. Looking around, all you could see was the vast desert, the huge pyramids and camel tracks in the sand. Apart from the sound of the camel’s footsteps, it was quiet. My mind wonders back to a thousand years ago and I questioned, at the very spot I was standing, what it was like back then.

I liked the feeling of calmness the desert brought me and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be lost in the desert for one night. The silence, the darkness, the cold. Would I survive?

Before long, it was time to go back. As I said goodbye to the Pyramids, the evening prayer came on. The haunting voice of the prayer was broadcasted from the loudspeakers of the mosques across the entire nation. If smells described India, for Egypt it would be the sounds. Prayers from different mosques would be broadcasted in unison everyday, 5 times a day. Every time it comes on, I’d stop what I was doing and just listen and observe my surroundings.

After watching the very touristy but informative night show at the pyramids, we had dinner at a nearby restaurant, and then hopped into a cab heading to Cairo in search for a place to spend the night. As luck would have it, we stumbled upon a really nice budget hotel called the Pension House. The hotel occupied the top 2 levels of a really old building. Since the lift was under repair, we had to trot up 6 floors to get there. Walking up the stairs and down the corridors to the hotel, I couldn’t help but picture scenes of a ghost movie set in a haunted house. With an 80 yr history, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was really haunted. But for the price we were paying, we got a clean room, a cool balcony with a birds eye view of the street below, decent toilet….it was a good deal.

The next morning, I headed out to the balcony and just observed the street 7 floors below. People heading to work, traffic, taxi drivers. To my surprise, a good-looking photographer walking on the sidewalk across the street from my building looked up (7 storeys!!) and caught my eye. I waved and he waved back, and continued walking. Behind him, a taxi driver saw me and called out (from 7 storeys below mind you) “Hello! You need a Taxi?” haha.. I replied, “Maybe later..” Just as I thought it was the end of the exchange, he asked, “Where are you from?” My first face-to-face conversation, 7 storeys apart! “Singapore!” I shouted. If I could hear him, and he could hear me, the entire street must hear us! He went on to say he’d been to Singapore before and he loved my country. The entire time, he had his hands cupped around his mouth, and was looking up 7 storeys at me. And then, still looking up, he proceeded to cross the street over to the side where my building was! From the top, I could see cars coming behind him! I pointed down at the cars coming at him from behind and told him to be careful! Sound advice, which he seemed to ignore, while continuing to yell up at me. Crazy fella! Then he told me to come down and say hi later. I said “Yea sure!” but I never saw him again. But nonetheless an interesting encounter.

We headed for the Egyptian Museum in the morning. There, we saw mummies, jewelry, coffins, statues, ancient writing, tombs, portraits.. The size of the museum and the abundant exhibits really revealed the country’s rich and long history. Next, we had a short tour of the American University in Cairo, and then headed for the night market, where we met the most charming shopkeepers ever. As we walked past their store, they would come up to us and utter the best pickup lines to catch your attention and make you laugh. Instead of “Come in to my store”, “take a look”, “cheap price”, they would say, “Do you want an Egyptian husband?” “I already have a wife, I just want your money”. Unlike in Asia where they just want to sell you something at the highest price possible, the Egyptian way was to charm you first, then sell you something at the highest price possible. We had to catch a 1am bus to Sharm El Sheikh that night and the 2 girls I was with, Alex and Katie almost didn’t want to leave the bazaar…they were smitten!

Nevertheless we made it to the bus and began our 7 hr bus journey to Sharm El Sheikh, southeast of the Sinai Peninsula, overlooking the Red Sea.

After 7 painful sleepless hours, we finally arrived. The weather was beautiful. The sun’s rays were reflecting off the surface of the sea; the sky, like the Red Sea, was clear blue.

My first dive was a check dive off the coast of Sharks Bay Beach at the house reef. We started from the shore, then slowly went deeper and deeper into the blue. It was about 2pm in the afternoon; visibility was good. Looking out into nothingness, the water was the bluest that I’ve ever seen.

Underwater, there was a mixture of healthy hard and soft corals. Only slight bleaching could be observed on the tips of some hard corals. But my favorites were the soft corals and sea anemone that seemed like they were dancing and swaying in sync with the currents.

10 minutes into the dive, we saw a small blue spotted stingray hiding in a cave on the sea floor. As we swam further out, we saw Moorish Idols, Angelfish, and Sergeant Fish all swimming in pairs. As we turned around and headed for shore, we dove under and spotted 3 Lion fish side by side each other in a cave. They were facing inwards, motionless. I made a gesture to ask if they were sleeping, and my guide nodded.

As we got out of the water, my guide told me that the best diving season was June and July when you could see Hammerhead Sharks, Manta Rays, Ray Sharks, all the big marine animals. I asked if the currents were strong, and he said all the dive sites were pretty calm except Yolanda Reef, which is off the coast of Yolanda, the southern most tip of the Sinai Peninsular. Because that is the point where the Red Sea splits and flows into the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba, the currents there are unpredictable. If you were swimming east, parallel alongside the southern part of the reef, you would be sheltered from the currents. But as you approach the end of the reef, strong currents might flow from the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba through the area in between Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, sweeping the diver further south into the Red Sea. Because of the unpredictable strong currents, its advisable that only experienced divers should dive there.

After dinner by the beach, Tara and I headed to Naama Bay, the town area where there are cafes, bars and shopping. Egyptian shopkeepers, though chatty and charming, can be overwhelmingly irritating. Especially when all you want is to browse and buy, not answer questions about your country of origin.

Tara wanted to find her secret sailor present, so we walked into a shop. She picked up a small wooden box in the shape of a house, handed it to me and challenged me to open it. At first, I thought it was an IQ game, so I grabbed the box from her enthusiastically. As I slid open the door of the house, I saw something black suddenly jump out of the box. I screeeeamed and threw the box on the ground. Turns out, it was a trick box. The black thing was a rubber spider. Tara is an idiot. By then, everyone in the shop, including the other shop keepers and customers looking at textiles, were staring at us. The guy serving the other customers looked away shaking his head. I had never been so embarrassed in my life. Tara is an Idiot. The 2 other customers in the shop left shortly after without buying anything.

Turns out, the guy serving them was the boss of the store. Tara asked him if there was anything in the shop that was worth 1 US dollar, and went on to tell him a grandmother story that she had to buy a present for her friend and it had to cost 1 dollar. I told her not to tell everyone her life story, because I didn’t think shopkeepers would take any interest. He laughed and gave me a high five. He must have thought we were poor because he picked up a small gift and told Tara she could have it for free. He then proceeded to tell us his life story.

Titto said he was a student once and he can understand how it feels to want something and not be able to afford it. He went through 8 years of medical school to make his parents happy, but his passion was business. All through college, he didn’t receive a cent from his parents, and funded himself with the profits from his little gift shop. He started his first store at 16, when he was a freshman at university. In the first year, business was so good that not only did he not make a loss; he earned a profit of US$200,000. Subsequently, he expanded and acquired more shops, and today he has 4 shops in total.

Every time we picked up something we liked and asked for the price, he would tell us the original price, and then tell us we could have it for half that price. On multiple occasions, he would tell us to remember – in life, its not always about the money. He said he went into business not because oft the money. I couldn’t figure it out, what was there to business apart from the money? He said he liked sourcing for products, managing people, meeting suppliers, customers, cutting deals, that he would willingly do all those things even if he was not getting paid. And there it was. That’s the Key. I need to find a job that I would willingly do without getting paid. That’s the litmus test.

The next day, I booked a diving tour to Nabq Protected Area, a marine park. The person heading the trip was also the owner of the shop – Claus. He’s from Switzerland and had been in Egypt for 7 years. Since none of my friends were certified divers, I went on the trip alone, while they stayed behind in the resort.

On the trip, I met a family from Switzerland with a 2 yr old boy, a 5 yr old girl and a pregnant mommy. They had been traveling, for 6 weeks already, on a caravan from Switzerland to Egypt, and were moving on to Italy, Greece and other coastal areas before heading home. Amazing! The kids were well behaved, no tantrums, no crying. The mom told me at first her daughter would be afraid to play with the middle eastern little kids (of different skin colour), but gradually opened up. And she would ask questions like “Mommy, do they not take baths?” This little girl would learn so much and grow up so different from her peers. And who ever said having kids should disrupt your plans of traveling the world? Also on the trip were a group of 6 friends from all over Europe. There was a Mathematics PhD Student, 3 girls working at P&G in Denmark, a psychologist and one of their spouses.

The journey to the protected area was about half an hour. As we got closer to the dive site, the view was beautiful…..sand dunes on one side, blue water on the other side. There were no other divers there except us. Apparently, Claus was one of the pioneer explorers of this dive site. The site is so newly discovered that its not even indicated on the diving map. Claus named it “Labyrinth” because it was like a maze, with coral reefs randomly positioned such that it’s difficult to navigate. As we got of, the staff laid a huge mat on the sandy beach by the water and laid our individual equipment boxes out. We rigged up on the mat, put on all our equipment, and walked into the water.

The water near the shore was cold and a about 2 inches deep. The ground was hard and had distinct wave markings. They were in the pattern of waves refracted from the shore. When the water finally got deep enough to dive, the sand settles and visibility was great. Some corals grew upwards several meters and I saw squirrelfish, clownfish. My favourite corals were those pink soft corals that looked like hands opening and closing as they sway with the currents. Once again, no Manta Rays and no Hammerhead Sharks, only small little fishes.

The tough part though, was getting out of the water. Because the tide went down, when we surfaced, we were about 100 meters from the shore where we started out. Imagine carrying my 10-pound weight belt, fins, wearing my soaked wetsuit and BCD, and wading 100m in knee-deep water. I was so tired by the end of it, I was not looking forward to the next dive. So after lunch at the Bourdain Village Hut (Egyptian Nomads), we decided to head back to the resort at sharks bay for our last dive.

Sharks bay dive. This was a wall dive. We would be in between 2 walls, swim along it and turn around and end up back at shore. Five minutes into the five, at a depth of about 6 meters, we saw a Barracuda lurking in the shallows. We swam a little deeper and saw beautiful multicoluored parrotfish, Morish Idols swimming in pairs. 10 mins into the dive, I realized that bubbles were coming out of my BCD’s deflate button. I pointed it out to my DiveMaster, and he tried to fix it but it didn’t work.. So he disconnected my air tank from my BCD. Without the help of the BCD to control my buoyancy, I kept crashing onto the seabed. And because this was going to be a deep dive, I’ll just sink deeper and deeper without control of my buoyancy. (I forgot that I could manually inflate) So 12m underwater, my DiveMaster signaled for us to exchange BCD, Air Tank, Octopus, everything! I mean this was worst-case scenario! Ive done it before, but only as drills, not the real thing! Good thing I am calm… He took my extra regulator, I took off my BCD, held my breadth, took his regulator, breathed through it, put on his BCD, tightened all my releases. My buddy (the Spanish PHD Maths student) was amazing; he helped me through everything and made sure I was good to go. So my DM ended up with an extra small sized BCD and me an L. But we continued the dive, and got to the wall. And it was beautiful. Sea fans that came in all colours, sea urchins, sponges,

So that marked the end of my Red Sea Diving Adventure, and we took the 10-hr night bus back to Alexandria where the boat is docked. By the end of it, I was exhausted. But I take away the stories of people I’ve met, and head to my next destination – Istanbul.

Namaste…India

Oh India… So many things happened that I don’t know where to start.
Ok trivia - what are the two worst places in the world to get your period in? China and India. As if the China experience wasn’t bad enough, I’m now in India!! Brace yourself Sheryl…

The morning our ship arrived at port, the first thing I said to my roommate when we woke up was “Katie, do you smell that?” The air pollution in Chennai is B-A-D. A distinct smell of burning fumes and exhaust. Even in my supposedly airtight cabin, traces of it could still be detected.

I’m finally out of Asia, where everything still seemed vaguely familiar. Stepping into India, everything seemed like it jumped right out of a movie set or a documentary.

The moment we got off the ship, all of us had to have our names recorded in this logbook before we could get out of the gates of Chennai Harbour. 200 students in line, and only one officer sitting at the table writing. The line turned into an impatient crowd surrounding his chair and table, with hands holding their official documents out in front of him. He randomly picks one hand, writes the name down and that person can go.

It must have been more than half an hour and we were still waiting. Pissed, I thought about discretely holding out 10 rupees on top of my paper so that he would pick it first. When in India, do what the Indians do… right? But I was afraid that he might get offended. So Instead, I used the paper I was holding out to fan him a little because it was soo hot, and soon enough, he picked my card and I was free to go!

The road outside was lined with tuk tuks. Drivers kept coming up to us one after the other and before long, we had an entourage of about 25 Indian tuk tuk drivers surrounding us saying “where you going madam?” “Here, my car here..” We asked one driver for the price, another one cut in and answered. Before we could respond, the 2 drivers started hitting each other, right in front of us! We had to break them up saying “no fighting, no fighting!” Haha..that was bizarre. Finally 4 of us hopped into a tuktuk with a driver already sitting in it, minding his own business, not bothering anyone at all.

His name was Rajen and he took us to this restaurant with only Indian locals. I, on the other hand, was with 2 white girls Alex and Katie, and another Asian looking Eurasian girl, Nancy. We definitely attracted some curious stares. Observing the locals using their hands to eat, the girls insisted on following suit. I was happy with my spoon. After lunch, we went next door to get our eyebrows threaded for…20 Rupeees! US 50 cents! Then Alex and I made our way to the local bus station in Chennai to catch a 4 hr bus to Pondicherry! To do yoga! Ok so heres the story. During the 6 days on the ship between Thailand and India, I was swarmed with midterms, papers due, and assignments. (Which explains why I haven’t been updating the blog..:P) The night before my big exam, I was so tired of doing work that I gave up studying and I put Alex’s yoga DVD on. As I was imitating the poses, it suddenly struck me that I was going to India, where yoga was born! So I flipped through my roommate’s India lonely planet and Pondicherry it was!

Back to the 4 hr bus ride. Mummy- remember how we would avoid taking bus 147 on weekends because the bus would be packed with construction workers when we passed Serangoon Road? Imagine that, but two times as packed, without air-con, Indian movie blasting in the speakers, driver honking every 5 minutes for no apparent reason…Thank god I had my ear plugs with me.

I think India is the only country that I don’t like wind in my face when cruising down the roads. Whenever we pass a cannel, oh my godd.. the smell…

Finally at 9pm, we arrive at Pondicherry. After making a few calls, we found a hostel right by the beach facing the Bay of Bengal. When I arrive at a new place, the first thing I like to do is put my bags down and explore.. but on the ship we’ve been warned about India, especially how girls might be harassed and how we should try to wear longs and cover up as much as possible. So at 1030pm at night, exploring wasn’t necessarily a good idea. But we thought we’d walk and get a feel of the streets first, and the moment we felt unsafe, we’d turn back. It turned out to be a really interesting walk along the beach. We saw Indian families probably on holiday; lovers by the beach, and tones of Indian men just sitting around chatting and watching the world go by.

Next morning, we set our alarm at 530am hoping to catch the Bay of Bengal sunrise. After I managed to drag myself out of bed, I walked to the beach only to discover that there was no sunrise. The sun was hidden behind the pollution and smog. But the bay was beautiful anyway. Hungry…we walked to the nearest café. The security guard sitting outside the café saw us coming toward him so he stood up and said “eightoclock..” accompanied with the Indian head bob. Alex asked him “do they serve chai?” he replied “eightoclock” haha.. We looked at each other, laughed and walked away imitating him..”eightoclock…eightoclock”

We made our way to an ashram (temple where devotees pay respects). Im not exactly sure which god they were praying to but old and young would come, light an incense, stick it in a metal tank then kneel in front of a raised platform with a display of flowers. They would close their eyes, lean over and touch the flowers with their forehead and say a silent prayer. Many others would find a corner, sit and meditate. The atmosphere was peaceful. Everyone was silent and you could hear the birds chirping.

Following that, we made our way to breakfast at “eightoclock..” (head bob). Alex got the papers and we spotted an article featuring some semester at sea kids scrubbing walls and painting them in an orphanage in Chennai! We were in the newspapers! So I thought I’d cut it out and bring it home.

After we worked out what we wanted to do for the day, we headed for town, looking for a market. On our way there, we passed a shop along the street selling women’s clothing. Since I only brought tank tops on the trip, I desperately needed cover up clothes. The shop basically sold factory overruns at a fraction of the price you’d get in stores overseas. It was a small run down shop, but they had brands like Marks and Spencer. At the shop, I met Sylvia from Argentina and we immediately hit it off. She was a yoga teacher in Miami and she came to India to travel and learn Meditation yoga. She asked why we were in India, so I showed her the newspaper cutting. I told her I came to Pondicherry to learn and experience yoga, but was unable to find any place that offered that. Then, she suggested that she conduct a class for Alex and I in the park! Awesome! So we said to meet back at the same shop at 4pm that day for our yoga date. Before we left, we kept repeating to each other “4pm, for sure!” “For sure!”

Alex and I then made our way to Auroville, 20 mins from Pondicherry. Now Auroville is a very special place. It is basically an area bought by a private entity with the aim of creating a whole new community free from the evils of the world within its compounds. Basic principals that the community is built upon –
1. A city dedicated to an unending education where education would be given, not with a view of passing examinations and getting certificates and posts, but for enriching the existing faculties and bringing forth new ones.
2. A place where men of all countries would be at home. Their goal is to have residences from all over the world living there.
3. A place where children would be able to grow and develop integrally without losing contact with their soul.
4. A place where work would not be there as the means of gaining one’s live hood, it would be the means whereby to express oneself, develop one’s capacities and possibilities, while doing at the same time service to the whole group, which on its side would provide for each one’s subsistence and for the field of his work.
I was really impressed. Apart from all these, the community is dependent mainly on renewable energy. And the architecture of the buildings within the compounds were all environmentally friendly. Also the food they served was made with distilled Auroville water and the ingredients were all natural, grown in their very own compounds.

They were all really good causes that I entirely agree with, but it all seemed too perfect. And I was uncomfortable with the idea of an artificial isolated community. Its almost like social engineering brought to the extremes. Although I was impressed with all the ideas and principals, I was skeptical that it would work. But Alex and I were very excited that we found that place and we told ourselves we’d go back for at least a month to learn and be immersed in the environment.

So having seen all that, we rushed back to the shop in Pondicherry to meet our new friend Sylvia. Before we stepped into the shop, she called out to us from behind. I was glad to see her. See, sometimes when we travel and meet new people and make arrangements to meet with them later on, more often than not, it doesn’t work out. So I never take it for granted that we’ll end up meeting. But when it does, it makes me really appreciate that person and I’d feel all warm and fuzzy. Haha.. So Sylvia brought us to go buy yoga mats before heading to the park for our yoga session! At the park, we laid our mats on the ground and started the session with breathing techniques. Now this is a person that was fed up with the modern way of living and gave up her dentist career to concentrate on Yoga and reconnecting her mind to her spirit. She believes that Yoga is not an end in itself, but a means to access the mind and soul, and be connected with your body. Now that made a lot of sense to me. I compared the way she taught to some of the Yoga classes I’ve attended at home--world of a difference. The instructors at home just didn’t seem to get the essence of Yoga and it seemed like we were doing the poses for the sake of it and it was more like stretching and exercise than anything more. At the end of the session, while Alex and I were lying on our backs, Sylvia rubbed her hands with a fresh smelling essence and massaged our faces. She then presented us with each a handful of small Indian white flowers. Her generosity and sincerity was amazing. When she smiles, you could see her smile coming from inside. She exudes an aura of calmness and serenity and peace that I wish would rub off on me. And more amazing, was how our meeting was so serendipitous. This is the reason why I travel. To meet people like that.
So, no goodbyes, only see you later. We arranged to meet her in Miami on Dec 7 when our ship arrives there. I know we’ll see Sylvia again.

So we returned to our hostel feeling so blessed and excited about seeing the rest of India. We picked up our bags and headed to the bus station for Mamallapuram, a state in between Chennai and Pondicherry. When we arrived, it was dark. I knew I had to rush back to the ship in Chennai early the next day because that’s where my ‘child labour village homestay’ organized by the school starts off from. So only one night in Mamallapuram, but I was determined to make the most of it. We were exploring the streets, looking for food, and there were some guys on the second story of a building waving and calling out to us, so we decided to have dinner there. Turns out, the people running the place spoke perfect English and they were the funniest and most charismatic Indians I have ever met. After dinner, Alex and I headed up to the roof of the restaurants and just chilled with the local guys. Over beer, we came to the topic about Auroville. Apparently, they said because Auroville was not governed by Indian Law, the regulations are more relaxed and that place had been misused by opportunists who use it for buying and exporting goods. And they said Aurovillians were a proud bunch and there were numerous cases of pedophilia. I was shocked, disappointed but to be honest, I saw it coming. It was too good to be true. But I still do want to see it for myself.

So the next day, it was goodbyes and Alex stayed in Mamallapuram while I headed back for Chennai. Although we met the guys only the night before, we became fast friends and I was a tad sad to leave them.

To get to Chennai, I actually planned to take a tuktuk to the bus stop, then take a local bus to Chennai bus station then take another tuk tuk to Chennai Harbour. But because I was running late, I thought I could take the tuk tuk straight to Chennai Harbour. So I asked my tuk tuk driver how long does the bus take to get from Mamallapuram to Chennai bus station? He said 1 hr 10 min. How long from Chennai busstation to Chennai Harbour? He said 1 hr. Then I asked how long would it take for the tuk tuk to get from Mamallapuram directly to Chennai Harbour? He said 1 hr. So I thought if he just went along the beach, we could head for the Harbour directly and it would cut down on the time taken. He said it would cost 500 rupees for him to take me to Chennai Harbour. And I did repeat several times, “Chennai Harbour, Chennai Harbour”. He said “ok ok”.

The journey was fun. We drove along the beach and the scenery was beautiful. It was expensive but I thought it was worth it. As we turned into the city, he stopped me at a place with a lot of tuk tuks. I kept repeating to him “ Chennai Harbour, Chennai Harbour.” I don’t know if he really didn’t understand or he pretended not to understand. Then, other drivers came and they talked and he told be to go with another driver. I said no, I wanted him to take me. So he drove off and 30 mins later we finally arrived at the harbour. By this time, I had used up all my buffer time that I had planned and I was running very late. Any later, and the bus to the village would leave without me. I paid him 500 rupees and angrily, he said it was supposed to be 700. That 500 was the last of my rupees. We got into an argument and a passerby came by. I told him what happened and I told him that the driver didn’t understand Chennai Harbour but he still kept saying ok ok and 500 was all I had. So he spoke to the driver then the driver walked angrily toward his tuk tuk and the passerby said ok I can go. SO I ran to the ship, packed the fastest I had ever packed for the village homestay, and took the fastest shower I had ever taken, and ran to the dining room to grab a hotdog, then ran to the meeting place.

There were about 20 kids on the child labour village homestay. We took a bus to the village in Kancheepuram, about 2 hrs away from Chennai, where the NGO, Ride, was situated. There, the first place we visited was the bridging school. One of Ride’s projects was to rescue the children forced into working in the sand quarries. They take them in and try to socialize them with other kids, and teach them basic English to prepare them for local schools. But the toughest part was convincing their parents to let their children come to school. Most parents give birth to children hoping that they can work and make more money for the family, so telling them that they should pay money to send their kids to school seemed absurd to them. These kids were, kids. Seeing all their smiling faces, its hard to imagine what difficult backgrounds they come from. Apparently, girls as well as boys have to carry huge stones when working in the quarry. We had a chance to ask the children questions. So through the interpreter, I asked them what they felt about working in the quarry. He called a boy to come forward, and asked him the same question in Tamil. Immediately, the boy went silent, his shoulders dropped, and he dropped his head and looked down on the ground. He whispered, “It’s hard…” None of us understood Tamil, but we all understood his suffering.
After the QnA, we had some time to interact with the kids. I brought the bubble making set I bought in Thailand with me. Before long, I had a group of kids, sitting in a circle around me playing with bubbles. Now I knew I only had one bubble set, so there was a possibility that the kids would fight over it. So I created a system that whoever wanted to play had to sit in my circle, and they would have to take turns going in a clockwise direction. At first there was fighting, everyone wanted to blow into the bubble making tube. But then, I told them who could go next, and it would be in a clockwise direction. They got the rule, and soon after, instead of fighting, they could play orderly and instead of me telling them who could go next, they could regulate their turns by themselves within the group. I taught them how to share! They were so cute playing with the bubbles..blowing it into each other’s faces. I was happy that I brought laughter to them. They might have to work tomorrow and the day after. I wish I could change that, but I can’t. But at least for that few moments, the kids could be kids.

There, we met a volunteer teacher. She was German, with a Masters Degree in Product Design. I asked her how she decided to let go of everything at home and came solo to India to help the less fortunate. She said she was sick of western culture of consumerism and obsession with fashion, food, cars, money and she wanted to do something meaningful with her time. I really admired her courage. For a western lady to go alone to a place like India, let alone a small rural village, not anyone could do that. She must really believe in her cause and really determined. She said at first, people at home always said to her, “why cant you just stay in one place, why must you go everywhere all the time?” They didn’t understand her, and she didn’t understand them. She couldn’t make out how they could tolerate their mundane disconnected lives that consisted of nothing but going to work and maybe the occasional shopping and movie treat during the weekends. My sentiments exactly…
Before I left, I gave her my torchlight as a present because she said she stayed alone in the school without electricity. She lit candles to read at night because she keeps forgetting to buy a flashlight. I was appalled. So although it was my only flashlight, I was happy to hand it to her because she definitely needed it more than I did. And indirectly, I hope she sensed the support and encouragement I meant to show her.

The next day, we visited the Dalit Village. In the cast system in India, the lowest of the lowest class that is not even in the cast system, is the untouchables, or Dalit. They live in dirt huts with thatched roofs and a very low ceiling. We met a Dalit girl that was 18 yrs old with a 6 mth old baby. She brought us to her home and she showed us around. For most of them, their husbands spend all his money on drugs and alcohol. So life is hard for the families. So the organization came up with a micro financing programme which allows the women to borrow a minimal sum of maybe 2500 rupees to start a small business, and they could repay the money back slowly after their business has made money at a monthly interest of 2%. This programme had successfully helped many women become financially independent of their husbands. They even said through the success of the programme, they gained confidence and respect form their husbands. As you know, India is a male dominated society. So for a woman to achieve this is very, very admirable. In fact, Ride is not the only NGO that is supporting the cause of empowering women. Another organization, the Working Women’s Forum also focus on helping women stand on their feet. The organization’s main activity was focused on micro financing, and it was carried out in a much larger scale than the previous one. This organization works with Citibank for funds, and they even have their own bank to manage their member’s loans and savings. After studying about how banks work in school and seeing it for myself during my internship, I personally was interested in how banking could not only make the rich richer but also help the poor. And it was truly eye opening. We were able to interact with the beneficiaries of the programme and get first hand responses about how it had changed their lives. One woman said she gained self-confidence. Another said she gained the respect of her husband. It was a revealing moment how when the question was announced to them in Tamil, so many hands shot up and we had so many firm, enthusiastic answers form the women. This is the beginning of change, and we can only hope for the best.

Before leaving Chennai, I had the pleasure of meeting up with an old friend of my father’s—uncle Ramesh. Growing up, I’ve always heard his name mentioned over phone conversations between him and my Dad. And it was nice to finally meet him and his family. Walking into their 3-storey home, the contrast between the Dalit village home and this mansion really struck me. And when I told them about my experiences at the Dalit village, they didn’t seem very interested. I guess some things are left unsaid in the Indian society.

Overall, I was very satisfied with my time spent in India because not only did I cover some sights and exploration of the country on my own, I got to visit some NGOs and villages and gain a better understanding about how the different people in the country led their lives and how they are being helped. Not to mention the wonderful people I met. It’s the people you meet that make all the difference.

Now that India’s done, I’m looking forward to the 11 days on the ship before Egypt. We’re more than halfway into our 107-day journey, and I don’t know how I can go back home and resume my ‘normal’ life. I’m going to be restless all the time! This is truly an amazing experience, and I believe it’s only the beginning of many more amazing experiences.

Sawadikaa…Thailand

So Thailand was meant to be a break from adventures and family time! It was nice seeing my parents for the first time in 4 months. Looking back, I left home in June not knowing what was ahead of me. So many things have happened since June. Summer Camp, New York, Semester at Sea. 4 months seemed like a year! Yes, I missed my friends and family. But I didn’t miss being at home. Wouldn’t trade living on this ship for anywhere else in the world.

First day in Thailand, Alex and I headed to Pattaya. Now Pattaya, I was familiar with. In May, the sailors and I spent a week in Pattaya racing in the Top of the Gulf races, and almost every night, we’d be at walking street…walking.

Yes..Alex and I went to the ping pong show. I call it the circus. Not only were there ping pongs, there were needles, a cigarette, whistle and things beyond your wildest imaginations. It was a circus alright.

On our way back to the hostel, we passed this roadside stall selling meatball soup noodles. The smell was so irresistible that I had to stop and get a bowl. Thinking about it now still makes my mouth water... After that, I got 2 ice creams, and a crepe. It is impossible to not gain weight in that country.

The following day, we took a 2 hr long bus ride to Bangkok and I headed straight for Arnoma Hotel where I met Daddy and Mommy, while Alex went elephant hunting in Kanchanapuri.

I missed my parents…It was a nice change to be pampered and not have to worry about money, or how to get from here to there or dirty toilets. I was soooo exhausted from all the planning and traveling that all I wanted to do was recharge and chill.

The first night in Bangkok, they took me to Chinatown for local food, then for Thai massage. So…all these times, all those business trips in Thailand…this is what they really do….living the life. Then, it was more shopping the next day for shampoo, food and all those necessities, plus a haircut and a facial before heading to Pattaya again and back to the ship!

Updates from home – brothers got a new girlfriend, the other brother had an annoying Taiwanese exchange student come stay at the house with him for 2 weeks, we might be moving into the new house in December (yay!!), Jennifer went back to Philippines, bird flew away..everything else pretty much was status quo. This trip, my parents got to come aboard the ship and see my cabin, where I eat, where I have classes at, where I sit around and chill. Daddy said he wouldn’t live on the ship even if someone paid him to. Claustrophobia, he said. I on the other hand would live here forever if I could. Well, if only I could choose who I sail with, then that’ll be perfect!

6 days of intense intense academic responsibilities before India!

Vietnam

So I think it was sometime in China that I decided I wasn’t doing to be a tourist on the rest of this journey. I decided that I should learn about each country’s history and current affairs and seek out locals to hang out with. (as opposed to hanging out with young, ignorant, American semester at sea kids). I realized that it was the only way I could make the most out of this trip and really feel a sense of satisfaction at the end of it.

As I was reading my textbook on Vietnam before I arrived, I came across its history that said Vietnam was once divided into 2 countries – the north and the south. The north was communist, while the south was capitalist. During the Vietnam War, America sent troops to back the capitalist south in their fight against the communist north. However, with ingenious Guerilla Warfare and amazing will to survive and teamwork within the community, the North beat the Americans and the south and won the war, resulting in the reunification of the country into the present day Vietnam.

I found it extremely ironic that while Mr Ho Chi Min was the communist leader of the north years ago, the present day Ho Chi Min city was actually Saigon, which was the Capitalistic South years ago, before the war. That explains why Ho Chi Min’s residence is situated in Hanoi and not Ho Chi Min City. In true communist fashion, the north renamed Saigon in the south after their leader Ho Chi Min. So questions in my head popped up. What changes were made in the south after the communist took over? 30 years on, are they happy? Everywhere I went in Vietnam, I asked the locals these questions. I asked the driver that took us to the Cu Chi tunnels, our guide in the Mekong Delta (who calls himself Mr Lovely), Motorbike riders, Taxi Drivers, Everybody! Those that didn’t understand English just smiled and nodded. Mr Lovely said everyone is happy, that there was no animosity at all between the old northerners and southerners. I didn’t quite buy that. Finally, it was my Taxi driver on the last day, the one who took me everywhere looking for lonely planet books that gave me the real story. When I asked him if the old Saigon (present day Ho Chi Min city) was happy, he went silent and shook his head. Then he said “I don’t think so, but people don’t talk about it”. In a war, everyone suffers. Like Sun Zi put it, “Fury can turn into rejoice but people dead cannot come back to life and buildings destroyed cannot be revived.”

Aside from seeking out my answer, I did something in Vietnam that would make Harold very proud. (are you reading this Harold?!?) I took my first motorbike lesson!! All those times I said I would learn Harold, all those times you said “Yea right, Sheryl”, I finally did!!! So technically, according to SAS rules, students are not supposed to rent any motor vehicle, let alone control it. But Vietnam was the perfect place to learn, because I figured, with so many motorbike riders in the country, they must be extremely skilled to maneuver themselves through the crazy ass Vietnam traffic. I only learn from the best. Ok truth was, I have already seen Hanoi and I wasn’t planning on leaving Ho Chi Min, and 5 days in the city was just too much time and not enough things to do.

But back to the bike riding… I loved it! For the longest time, I’ve been wanting to do it. But after Ben and Oozie’s accident in Bali, I had second thoughts. But I’m glad I did it. Now I can go forward, make a left u-turn, a right u-turn, go uphill and go downhill in very light traffic. As a souvenir from that day, I got a huge bruise on my right thigh. Must have gotten it when I crashed into a fence, and following that, I tried to reverse back out, only to discover that bikes do not reverse like a car. You had to manually push it backwards. Who would have thought!





my teacher...


After spending 3 days in the city, the pollution, noise and traffic was starting to give me a really bad headache. I badly needed some peace and quiet. On the last night in Ho Chi Min, my roommate was planning on taking a 4 hr bus ride to Mui Ne beach. Her bus was leaving at 730pm. Desperate to get out of the city, at 7pm, I ran back to the room, pack the fastest I had ever packed, and left for Mui Ne!

Turns out, we had an amazing time at the beach. And we met some amazing people. There were some Irish backpackers going to Singapore, and they were looking for a place to stay. So I told them about Adrian Ho’s The Hive. You’re welcome, Adrian! Met some guys from Greece on the bus that we became fast friends with.

Overall, the cultural experience in Ho Chi Min wasn’t awesome. But I got a feel of the economy, saw so many Korean billboards and Korean business in Vietnam, got an idea of property prices, and how much things cost, and my conclusion is—Vietnam’s the new China. Its probably going to experience rapid growth in the next few years and you could already see the early signs of that happening.

With Vietnam done, I’m looking forward to Thailand, where I meet my parents!! Till next time!

Ni How From China!

China taught me the importance of knowing the language of the country you’re visiting. The first day when we arrived at Qingdao, none of these American kids knew what they were in for. Most of them probably thought that traveling independently would be a breeze…that everywhere will be like Japan where when you ask for directions, you’d get an escort…where people would go out of their way to help you. Boy were they in for a total culture shock.

China, like the rest of South East Asia as we all know, has plenty of poor but very smart locals trying to rip tourists off. Imagine being in Asia for the first time, not speaking the language, not knowing where you want to go, and on top of it, surrounded by impatient, aggressive and sometimes rude shopkeepers and taxi drivers. Some of them were so overwhelmed, all they did was go to Walmart in China. Haha… I did my best to help whoever I can.

Qingdao was dreadful. The typhoon was in the vicinity, schools were evacuated earlier in the afternoon and it was just raining the entire time we were there. I was so bent on getting out of that city and avoiding the entire coastal area. Since typhoons lose its ‘power’ as it travels through land, I thought it would be wise to pick a city further inland. After recalling the places in China where my mom had been with her auntie friends (haha…), I picked Guilin. And my mission for the day was to buy a ticket there from Qingdao.


We headed for the city centre, and I looked out for big hotels with travel agents in the lobby. After a bit of walking around, I finally found one that issued tickets and I bought the earliest flight to Guilin the next day. Now most of my friends were heading to Beijing for the great wall. I had already been there, and besides, I’d rather spend more time in the serene environment at Guilin rather than the polluted city of Beijing. So that meant I had to go solo. First time in my life! I mean I had taken transportation solo, ran errands solo, but sight-seeing solo..that Ive never done. Everywhere Ive traveled, Ive always had someone to meet and stay with or walk around and exploring with. This was a first.

I was to meet my friend Alexandra at the hostel in Guilin one night after I arrive, to travel with her to Yangshuo. She had gone to Bejing first to see the great wall. So I arrived at Guilin and spent one lonely night in the best room they had in the hostel, which had cost me $24 dollars. Honestly, the rooms didn’t matter….I picked the one with the best toilets. I had my route planned out for the next day, and went to bed. Next morning at breakfast, not wanting to travel alone, I looked around for possible travel partners. Couples..nah. Dodgy ol’ men..nah. Groups of 2 or more guys or girls..nah. Single girl traveling alone. Perfect!

The girl I ended up traveling with, her name is Maureen. Shas an Australian working in England (for the pounds). Works a couple of months, earns pounds, then quit and travel until she runs out of cash. But because she makes pounds (three times the value of sing dollars), her salary can pretty much last her a year or so in poorer nations like South America and South East Asia. Like me, shes not a person who will be able to survive the 9-5 desk-bound job. I cant imagine myself doing that, everyday, never being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And she basically showed me that I don’t have to resign myself to that fate. She worked on a contract basis, so that means even though she has to put up with 9-5 for a couple months at a time, she is able to control when her contract ends, and she’s not tied down to a mundane life, makes good money, and can take off seasonally to any part of the world. But there are, of course, downsides. She can do whatever she’s doing only because she’s not close to her family. And also, she doesn’t have a permanent house, only a permanent locker in London where she stores everything to her name while she’s gone. In addition, the weather in London can get the most cheerful person down. And the working hrs are long. But I was thinking, if im not gonna have a life anyway, might as well earn 3 times the money while im at it. And the things she has gained from it, friends from around the world, the knowledge, the personal growth, the increased sensitivity and understanding of other people, their cultures…priceless.


Maureen and I hired a driver for 20Yuan (4 sing dollars!) and spent the rest of the day exploring the Reed flute cave, and Beauty’s peak. Then we took a nice riverboat down the Li River while the sun was setting. It was beautiful…. Like the sacred river in India, the Chinese also do everything in their river. We passed a man shampooing his head in this speedo, several ladies washing raw chicken at the riverbanks, and others washing clothes with river water. So many Chinese people mistook me for a local tour guide because I was translating everything Mandarin to Maureen in English. Hmm…another possible career huh.

When night fell, we ended up at the night market, shopping. There, as we were bargaining with the shop keepers, 2 Chinese university students approached us and asked if we needed help translating. Turns out, they were looking for tourists to practice their English with. They would come to the night market whenever they have free time to look for English speaking tourists to practice. And because I knew both English and Mandarin, I could teach them some words. Their dedication and perseverance for learning - amazing. Need to learn this from them. The day turned out to be unexpectedly enjoyable and I really liked the new friend I met.

By the time we got to the hostel that night, it was almost 12 midnight. And I was anxious to see if Alex had made it there. As I approached the reception desk, the lady told me that my friend had arrived!! She made it! See, whenever we make arrangements like that at port, its like taking a leap of faith. She didn’t have her phone, so from the time we parted to the time we met, anything could have happened to either one of us and plans might change and neither one of us would be able to get hold of each other. So we’d be so excited when we finally meet! So I introduced Maureen to Alex and the next day, 3 of us made our way down to Yangshuo.

Yangshuo is a lesser known town compared to Guilin. But there is a saying in Yangshuo that goes “Guilin might be beautiful, but Yangshuo is more beautiful compared to Guilin.” And it truly was. Imagine a small, friendly town with shops, restaurants, markets, everything you need, set in a backdrop of mountains and padi fields. The fresh air was a nice change from the pollution in Qingdao.


Once we checked into the hotel with the best bathroom, we made our way to the stretch of the Li river with the best view. Apparently, you cant say you’ve been to Yangshuo without visiting there. When it comes to looking at the abstract shapes of nature, the Chinese can be really creative. We passed a hill that looked like an old man and one with an image of a horse carved on it and also took a picture of the view that is currenlty printed on the 20 Yuan note.

Next day, Maureen and I booked ourselves a 9 hr cycling tour of Yangshuo while Alex went Rock climbing. Cycling is the best way to explore the countryside. Picture being on the bike, riding at your own pace, cool wind in your face, all you hear is rustling grass and birds chirping, being surrounded by padi fields and mountains……perfect! From time to time, we’d pass a breathtaking sight and stop to take pictures. As we passed the Pomelo plantation, I asked if we could stop and have some fruit. Our guide stopped and spoke to a farmer and he invited us to their rest area to have pomelo. There we sat with the other farmers, their wives and their grandchildren and just chilled and had a fruit party. I enjoyed just chilling and joking with them.



Im really starting to appreciate how people from such different backgrounds can come together and chill and communicate and have a good time. The connection we have, there and then, is beyond seller or buyer, age, nationality, race, income, status,. We’re just people connecting. 30 mins later, the group breaks and everyone have to resume our roles. Us—tourists and customer, them—farmers, tourguide—service provider. But it doesn’t matter. The moment we had was special and I seek out and treasure those moments.

Just as we were ready to go, Maureen realized that her bike was gone and in its place was a ratty old bike. The farmer immediately recognized whose bike it was, and rode it to its owner to exchange for Maureen’s bike. Minutes later, he returned with Maureen’s bike and all was good. Small town spirit, I like.

Later that day, we arrived at Moon’s Hill, where we made a Level 2/3 hike up the hill. As we were walking up, there were these local old ladies carrying small cooler bags with canned and bottled drinks, selling them. They approached us at the bottom of the hill, but since we still had our waters, we declined and said maybe later. To our surprise, she said “ok later?”, then proceeded to follow us up the hill! And mind you, it was not an easy climb. 10 mins into it, Maureen and I were exhausted and had to take a break. Those ladies, who are probably twice our age, saw other tourists ahead and they just kept going! Amazing! By the time we got to the top, we were B-E-A-T. And I was amazed to see 10 other old ladies at the top of the hill. I asked one of them how many times they climb the hill a day and she said max twice. When I told them I admired their fitness, one more outspoken lady said “You think we like to climb hills? We’re like beggers following tourists around..if we weren’t poor, we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t have to.” And then I see tourists shooing them away, and I felt bad. See, you cant blame these tourists because they are conditioned to say no, and many people from hotels and tourguides probably warned them about these touts and tell them not to buy from them. But you cant blame these touts too because they are poor and they have no choice but to sell things and make money otherwise the other option would be to beg. And the poorer they are, the more aggressive sellers they become, which makes tourists shun them even more and its just a vicious cycle where nobody benefits. So I bought a bottle of water from one of them while the other watched in envy. In contrast, it made her day and she said it was the first sale she made all day. Since it was already 5pm, it’ll probably be the only sale made for the day. So on the way down, I was brainstorming for other items they could sell besides drinks that tourists would want to buy. All the options I came up with, they said they have tried and it had failed. Some problems just have no answers.
moons hill..........

And on the way back, we stopped by the bamboo rafts and took a very peaceful and serene bamboo raft ride down the river leading back to the town. That was probably my most favourite river ride thus far – no noise pollution from the engines of motor boats, no smell of exhaust, just me and my environment, being one.

Following that, we made our way back in time for ice cream before dinner. We took some time and tried out several flavours. As Maureen turned around to get her wallet, she was startled to realize that her bag pocket was open and her wallet was gone! She said, but no one was here and the only people the could have stolen it was the 2 Chinese local men beside her. When I looked up, one guy has one arm holding out a note to the ice cream seller and he didn’t look like he was paying attention to what he was saying at all. He kept looking over at us. I stared at him, trying to make out if he was acting and if he was the thief. And everything was happening so fast that I couldn’t think straight. He turned over and faced us, and asked in mandarin, “what happened? Did you get picked pocketed?” I didn’t bother replying him and I kept staring at his expressions, his eyes, trying to make out if he showed any sign of fear or guilt. And the whole time Maureen kept pointing at his pocket, which was bulging. Sensing that Maureen was accusing him, he patted his pockets several times and looked like he was really innocent and then he said “did someone steal your wallet and go that way?” And in that split second, I believed he was innocent, and I nodded and pointed that direction, and immediately, he and his friend took off! Seconds later, the ice cream woman said she recognized the guy talking to us and he was indeed the thief. And in that second, I felt sooo dumb. We ran over and by then, they were nowhere to be found! Maureen, visibly shaken, was still able to think straight. She said she felt soo stupid but immediately accepted the fact that her wallet was gone and ran through the items in the wallet in her head, and kept saying that she has to go back and call to cancel her card. She only had less than 20 US dollars left in the wallet. The most valuable items were her atm card and her train ticket from Guilin to Shenzhen. So she was lucky she didn’t lose much but it was a hassle trying to get her card cancelled and a new card sent over to her. Its amazing that she had been everywhere around the world alone, (including south Africa) and that was the first time she had been pick pocketed – in China! Needless to say, she wasn’t impressed by the country at all. It only takes one bad experience to spoil the impression of an entire country. I on the other hand, had all my valuables in one wallet. If it had been me, I would have been screwed. There, I learned invaluable lessons at someone else’s expense.. to take care of my belongings better, to split up my money, not to be too trusting..

That night after dinner, Alex and I bid goodbye to Maureen and took a 10 hr bus to Shenzhen and made our way to HK to meet the ship we call our Home! We finally arrived the HK port after a bus and multiple train rides. The first sight of home brought a rush of emotions - happy would be an understatement. We had been through so much and not to mention survived the most disgusting toilets in the world and survived! At that point, the thought of my cabin and my toilet and a clean hot shower would bring tears to my eyes. All that mattered was that we made it back! Adventure would be an understatement. Next stop – Vietnam.