Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
An Idyllic Melting Pot: Mauritius
Greetings from the Southern hemisphere!!
The past week has been a week of fun for Semester at Sea, with the exception of midterms in some of our classes!
March 20th was Neptune Day, or the day that the ship celebrates crossing the equator. We woke up to whistles blowing and drumming on pots and pans through the halls. The day was a way to commemorate crossing the equator and also designed to initiate the “pollywogs” of the ship: those who have never crossed the equator nautically! I put on a swimsuit and headed to the top deck to get initiated. This required a green gooey mixture of blended fish guts and other ingredients poured onto my head!! My friend Caitlin and I got initiated together. We then went into the pool to wash off, and then when we got out, we had to kiss a fish, kiss two rings, and were knighted!! Along with the fish initiation, many individuals on the ship (including professors and females) had their heads shaved! Many people donated their hair to Locks of Love, which was really fantastic. No need to worry-- I did not get my head shaved! Considering I’ll be applying for different opportunities next fall, I thought keeping my hair would be a good decision.
A few days after Neptune day, March 23rd, we arrived at Mauritius. Mauritius is a tiny country (about the size of Rhode Island) off the coast of Madagascar. It has only been independent for 42 years and was subject to colonization by the Arabs, Dutch, French, English, and Indians, though it was never completely left by the French. Most of Mauritians speak Mauritian Creole and French, though English is the official language. 40% of the individuals are Hindu, followed by 27% who are Catholic. Clearly, Mauritius is a nation of multiple ethnic and religious identities. Along with being culturally diverse, Mauritius is absolutely beautiful, to say the least! Mark Twain famously quoted: “Mauritius was made first, and then Heaven, and Heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
My friends and I were incredibly lucky to get an amazing deal on a resort. We stayed in Balaclava, which is known for its beaches. The first afternoon was spent snorkeling, enjoying the sun and white sand, and relaxing in the pool! Snorkeling was incredible-- we were able to see an incredible number of fish, in all different colors and sizes! What was amazing to me was how clear the ocean water is in Mauritius. Because it heavily relies on tourism to support its economy, it realizes that environmental depletion could be a serious threat in the future. There is actually an environmental police in Mauritius, which is something that I think wouldn’t be a bad idea in the United States! While we were at the resort, we realized we were the only Americans. Every other group there was French! It was interesting to be in the minority group in terms of tourism and have individuals automatically speak to me in French instead of English.
The second day, a group of my friends and I wanted to hike Le Pouce, the tallest mountain in Mauritius. We got to the base of the mountain and started climbing, but we realized that the trail was incredibly difficult. Because it had just rained the day before, the normally dry trail of rocks had become a steep, slippery, and muddy trail of rocks! We decided not to risk it, because the conditions were just too dangerous. But we did have a great time together despite getting quite muddy!
Mauritius is an anomaly within the nations of Africa. Its GDP per capita is roughly $12,000, which puts it way above other African nations. What will be interesting to me, however, is to see how the increase of tourism will affect the island. There is already a 50:50 ratio of tourists to native Mauritians, and it is predicted that the numbers will show more tourists than natives very soon. It will be important to Mauritius to increase eco-tourism and focus on sustaining the beauty of the island, rather than abusing and depleting it.
I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to go to an island that I must admit, I did not know existed before this trip! If any of you are interested in visiting, take caution: airfare from the United States is around $3,000!!
I hope all of you are doing well; I will write you after my stay in Cape Town, South Africa.
The past week has been a week of fun for Semester at Sea, with the exception of midterms in some of our classes!
March 20th was Neptune Day, or the day that the ship celebrates crossing the equator. We woke up to whistles blowing and drumming on pots and pans through the halls. The day was a way to commemorate crossing the equator and also designed to initiate the “pollywogs” of the ship: those who have never crossed the equator nautically! I put on a swimsuit and headed to the top deck to get initiated. This required a green gooey mixture of blended fish guts and other ingredients poured onto my head!! My friend Caitlin and I got initiated together. We then went into the pool to wash off, and then when we got out, we had to kiss a fish, kiss two rings, and were knighted!! Along with the fish initiation, many individuals on the ship (including professors and females) had their heads shaved! Many people donated their hair to Locks of Love, which was really fantastic. No need to worry-- I did not get my head shaved! Considering I’ll be applying for different opportunities next fall, I thought keeping my hair would be a good decision.
A few days after Neptune day, March 23rd, we arrived at Mauritius. Mauritius is a tiny country (about the size of Rhode Island) off the coast of Madagascar. It has only been independent for 42 years and was subject to colonization by the Arabs, Dutch, French, English, and Indians, though it was never completely left by the French. Most of Mauritians speak Mauritian Creole and French, though English is the official language. 40% of the individuals are Hindu, followed by 27% who are Catholic. Clearly, Mauritius is a nation of multiple ethnic and religious identities. Along with being culturally diverse, Mauritius is absolutely beautiful, to say the least! Mark Twain famously quoted: “Mauritius was made first, and then Heaven, and Heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
My friends and I were incredibly lucky to get an amazing deal on a resort. We stayed in Balaclava, which is known for its beaches. The first afternoon was spent snorkeling, enjoying the sun and white sand, and relaxing in the pool! Snorkeling was incredible-- we were able to see an incredible number of fish, in all different colors and sizes! What was amazing to me was how clear the ocean water is in Mauritius. Because it heavily relies on tourism to support its economy, it realizes that environmental depletion could be a serious threat in the future. There is actually an environmental police in Mauritius, which is something that I think wouldn’t be a bad idea in the United States! While we were at the resort, we realized we were the only Americans. Every other group there was French! It was interesting to be in the minority group in terms of tourism and have individuals automatically speak to me in French instead of English.
The second day, a group of my friends and I wanted to hike Le Pouce, the tallest mountain in Mauritius. We got to the base of the mountain and started climbing, but we realized that the trail was incredibly difficult. Because it had just rained the day before, the normally dry trail of rocks had become a steep, slippery, and muddy trail of rocks! We decided not to risk it, because the conditions were just too dangerous. But we did have a great time together despite getting quite muddy!
Mauritius is an anomaly within the nations of Africa. Its GDP per capita is roughly $12,000, which puts it way above other African nations. What will be interesting to me, however, is to see how the increase of tourism will affect the island. There is already a 50:50 ratio of tourists to native Mauritians, and it is predicted that the numbers will show more tourists than natives very soon. It will be important to Mauritius to increase eco-tourism and focus on sustaining the beauty of the island, rather than abusing and depleting it.
I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to go to an island that I must admit, I did not know existed before this trip! If any of you are interested in visiting, take caution: airfare from the United States is around $3,000!!
I hope all of you are doing well; I will write you after my stay in Cape Town, South Africa.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Insights from India
It’s kind of weird when you realize that traveling on a ship becomes the norm. When adjusting to new languages, trying different foods, viewing poverty and wealth disparities, breathing in pollution, and drinking only from bottled water becomes habitual. But it’s happened to me. My current home is in continuous motion, and I’m picking up sights, sounds, and experiences, and leaving footprints behind. It’s bizarre to no longer experience the expected, but rather, to experience new and un-thought of challenges, such as knowing what to say to a child laborer, or crossing a street filled with motorbikes, or expressing extreme gratitude without knowing more than “thank you.”
I feel like my experience in India was bizarrely atypical of other individual’s experiences. Everyone I’ve known who’s been to India has warned me about the food, and many classes I’ve taken, books I’ve read, and individuals I’ve spoken with have somewhat talked about India as the “scary monster” of traveling. I’ve heard stories of individuals being swarmed by beggars, or seeing filthy, filthy areas and a level of sanitation that makes them cringe, or even having a spiritual awakening that changes all beliefs. I guess I had my own reawakening, in that India is not the scary monster that I thought it to be, but rather, a place filled with amazingly kind individuals, delicious foods, gorgeous textiles, and an aura that made me feel like home. Perhaps this could be due to the fact that I stayed in South India, which is incredibly different from North India, where Delhi, Mumbai, and Agra are located. Instead of staying in Chennai, I attended an overnight village stay. Also, Cochin, where I stayed the past two days, is in the state of Kerala, which has prohibited begging, has the largest population of religions other than Hindu, and has one of the highest literacy rates in India. Nonetheless, my time in India has been spectacular and inspiring.
The first day I arrived in Chennai, which is in the south eastern state of Tamil Nadu. I had signed up for an overnight village stay that focuses on child labor in rural India. We left the ship around 1 pm, and headed for roughly 2.5 hrs to the village. On the way there, we passed through very poor areas of town which was near the beach and where many fishermen lived. We passed makeshift homes constructed with palm leaves and sticks. As we passed by and stared in our luxurious, air conditioned bus, they stared back in the heat and in their dirty clothing. I couldn’t help but catch a few tears running down my face, as I, a child of privilege, heard my peers discuss the India that they saw: filthy, smelly, disgusting. I couldn’t help but look into the eyes of the women and men looking up at us and think, “please don’t hate me.” I wondered what it would be like to live on the other side of the glass windows. We arrived in the village and were greeted by the co-founder of RIDE, the organization we went through. RIDE (Rural Institute for Development Education) is a non-governmental organization that aims to end child labor and empower women. We were taken to the four story guest house, which had dormitory style rooms, and given delicious hot chai tea and cookies upon arrival. After our snack, we headed to a village about 45 minutes away. We reached the village and were greeted with children handing flowers to us. The children were primary students at a RIDE school, and the classroom we entered had been donated by Semester at Sea. These children were some of the sweetest I had ever seen. They were inquisitive, enjoyed our cameras, and full of laughter. They all spoke a decent amount of English, which made it easy to get names and ages. We then went to another classroom, where we met with bridge school students. One group played with the bridge school students outside, while another group listened to presentations given by the primary students inside. The children ranged from ages 4 or 5 to 12. We played with all of the children for about an hour and a half, and I think all of us now have silly photos on our cameras that the children took! It was so hard to leave them at the end of the day.
RIDE’s primary mission, as mentioned before, is to end child labor. They rescue children from working in the stone quarry nearby, and have them attend a bridge school for a year or two years. The bridge school program incorporates night “school” into the children’s jobs. Basically, they create an inviting and enthusiastic environment which will encourage the children to return. After the bridge year or two, students become full primary students. It was hard to imagine that the energetic, beautiful, and loving children we met had been working in the stone quarry earlier that day. Many of the girls danced for us, and we taught them a few American songs, such as the Hokey Pokey! RIDE’s other mission is to help empower women through creating economic ingenuity and independence. Through multiple classes and micro-lending, mothers of the children will be able to depend on their work and business, instead of their children’s labor.
During dinner, we were able to discuss RIDE with the founder. Apparently, in 1994, RIDE began to rescue Dalit (the untouchables) children and women from the stone quarry. When the company found out, they stoned the founder, and he suffered from severe injuries. Both he and his wife have put their lives at risk to help women and children. The following day, we were taken to another village. Upon arrival, we were greeted with men drumming, and adorned with paint and flowers. Most of the morning was spent walking around the village and being shown around by the locals. At one point during the morning, an elderly woman found me and took me by the hand from the rest of the group. She took me to her home, which consisted of two rooms. The first room had a TV on a stand, a fan, and two lawn chairs piled high with laundry. There were no lights. She turned on the fan, took the laundry from the chairs, and sat me in front of the TV to get me out of the heat. From an American point of view, it looked as though this woman had no possessions. But to her, she had the world, and she had her pride in her home. She also showed me the back of her home and her cows. Afterwards, I took a picture with her and showed it to her, and she beamed. She took me by the hand again and brought me to my group. The individuals I met during those two days had the hospitality and generosity of the Japanese, but a warmth and physical affection that made me feel like part of their families. After volunteering to attempt to make mud bricks (it was difficult!), we headed back to RIDE headquarters and stopped at a Hindu temple that was built in the 7th century!
I feel like my experience in India was bizarrely atypical of other individual’s experiences. Everyone I’ve known who’s been to India has warned me about the food, and many classes I’ve taken, books I’ve read, and individuals I’ve spoken with have somewhat talked about India as the “scary monster” of traveling. I’ve heard stories of individuals being swarmed by beggars, or seeing filthy, filthy areas and a level of sanitation that makes them cringe, or even having a spiritual awakening that changes all beliefs. I guess I had my own reawakening, in that India is not the scary monster that I thought it to be, but rather, a place filled with amazingly kind individuals, delicious foods, gorgeous textiles, and an aura that made me feel like home. Perhaps this could be due to the fact that I stayed in South India, which is incredibly different from North India, where Delhi, Mumbai, and Agra are located. Instead of staying in Chennai, I attended an overnight village stay. Also, Cochin, where I stayed the past two days, is in the state of Kerala, which has prohibited begging, has the largest population of religions other than Hindu, and has one of the highest literacy rates in India. Nonetheless, my time in India has been spectacular and inspiring.
The first day I arrived in Chennai, which is in the south eastern state of Tamil Nadu. I had signed up for an overnight village stay that focuses on child labor in rural India. We left the ship around 1 pm, and headed for roughly 2.5 hrs to the village. On the way there, we passed through very poor areas of town which was near the beach and where many fishermen lived. We passed makeshift homes constructed with palm leaves and sticks. As we passed by and stared in our luxurious, air conditioned bus, they stared back in the heat and in their dirty clothing. I couldn’t help but catch a few tears running down my face, as I, a child of privilege, heard my peers discuss the India that they saw: filthy, smelly, disgusting. I couldn’t help but look into the eyes of the women and men looking up at us and think, “please don’t hate me.” I wondered what it would be like to live on the other side of the glass windows. We arrived in the village and were greeted by the co-founder of RIDE, the organization we went through. RIDE (Rural Institute for Development Education) is a non-governmental organization that aims to end child labor and empower women. We were taken to the four story guest house, which had dormitory style rooms, and given delicious hot chai tea and cookies upon arrival. After our snack, we headed to a village about 45 minutes away. We reached the village and were greeted with children handing flowers to us. The children were primary students at a RIDE school, and the classroom we entered had been donated by Semester at Sea. These children were some of the sweetest I had ever seen. They were inquisitive, enjoyed our cameras, and full of laughter. They all spoke a decent amount of English, which made it easy to get names and ages. We then went to another classroom, where we met with bridge school students. One group played with the bridge school students outside, while another group listened to presentations given by the primary students inside. The children ranged from ages 4 or 5 to 12. We played with all of the children for about an hour and a half, and I think all of us now have silly photos on our cameras that the children took! It was so hard to leave them at the end of the day.
RIDE’s primary mission, as mentioned before, is to end child labor. They rescue children from working in the stone quarry nearby, and have them attend a bridge school for a year or two years. The bridge school program incorporates night “school” into the children’s jobs. Basically, they create an inviting and enthusiastic environment which will encourage the children to return. After the bridge year or two, students become full primary students. It was hard to imagine that the energetic, beautiful, and loving children we met had been working in the stone quarry earlier that day. Many of the girls danced for us, and we taught them a few American songs, such as the Hokey Pokey! RIDE’s other mission is to help empower women through creating economic ingenuity and independence. Through multiple classes and micro-lending, mothers of the children will be able to depend on their work and business, instead of their children’s labor.
During dinner, we were able to discuss RIDE with the founder. Apparently, in 1994, RIDE began to rescue Dalit (the untouchables) children and women from the stone quarry. When the company found out, they stoned the founder, and he suffered from severe injuries. Both he and his wife have put their lives at risk to help women and children. The following day, we were taken to another village. Upon arrival, we were greeted with men drumming, and adorned with paint and flowers. Most of the morning was spent walking around the village and being shown around by the locals. At one point during the morning, an elderly woman found me and took me by the hand from the rest of the group. She took me to her home, which consisted of two rooms. The first room had a TV on a stand, a fan, and two lawn chairs piled high with laundry. There were no lights. She turned on the fan, took the laundry from the chairs, and sat me in front of the TV to get me out of the heat. From an American point of view, it looked as though this woman had no possessions. But to her, she had the world, and she had her pride in her home. She also showed me the back of her home and her cows. Afterwards, I took a picture with her and showed it to her, and she beamed. She took me by the hand again and brought me to my group. The individuals I met during those two days had the hospitality and generosity of the Japanese, but a warmth and physical affection that made me feel like part of their families. After volunteering to attempt to make mud bricks (it was difficult!), we headed back to RIDE headquarters and stopped at a Hindu temple that was built in the 7th century!
After my stay at RIDE, and talking with women, children, and founders, I have made a decision that I would like to start a fundraiser at Kenyon next fall. One of my fears was going on this voyage, and not responding to the privilege we have; the very fact that we leave these countries is a sign of power and privilege, and I know that in order to feel good about this experience, I will need to give back. RIDE is a fantastic and well-run organization, and many of you will hear about the fundraiser in the fall.
I arrived in Cochin (or Kochi) in on March 15th. The first day I went to Allepey Backwaters, which is an area of freshwater lakes and canals. We enjoyed a boat ride along the backwaters and viewed the gorgeous surroundings, as well as the numerous house boats that tourists rent! The second day I had in Cochin was free. My friend Caitlin and I found an auto rickshaw around 10:15, and went for an interesting adventure! A few times I thought I was going to die….traffic was pretty chaotic! We swerved through a sea of other rickshaws, trucks, cars, and bicycles. Our rickshaw driver took us to Jewtown, the area of town where a synagogue is and is where the large proportion of Jewish in Kerala have been recorded. Currently, there are 13 self-identified Jewish individuals in Cochin. In the midst of perusing the street shops, we ran into our friend Tom, who joined us for the rest of the day. We found a quaint restaurant on the edge of the water and enjoyed some lunch and fresh fruit sodas that we made ourselves! On the way back to the ship, we learned about a custom in India where individuals have duties to one another to help business, called baksheesh. Our rickshaw driver took us to four different shops, where we were told to spend five minutes looking around. If we spent five minutes in the shops, our driver would receive a white slip; once he had 10 slips, he could receive t-shirts for his children or free gas for his rickshaw. It felt a bit odd at first, but then at every shop we saw Semester at Sea students; clearly, this was something that was typical in Indian society! Baksheesh is necessary to the economy in India. Our day was spent with many smiles, laughs, and enjoyable sights and sounds. Overall, Cochin is a wonderful, vibrant city, and one that I would like to go back to another time in the future.
India is a country that will stick with me for years to come. The individuals that I met, the kids who I played with, and the sights that I saw were interesting, inspiring, and beautiful. I know that I would like to not just leave the country and go back to my comfortable life, but rather, I would like to find a way to help RIDE complete their goal, two of which I am very passionate about: educating children and empowering women. We are currently in transit from India to Mauritius, and today in Global Studies, our professor announced we are officially on our way home. Home for this semester has been incredibly fluid, so returning to a home that is constant and stable will bring on new challenges. Fusing my experiences, my evolving world-view, and my battles with how to respond will be challenging, but hopefully I will know to do the right thing.
I arrived in Cochin (or Kochi) in on March 15th. The first day I went to Allepey Backwaters, which is an area of freshwater lakes and canals. We enjoyed a boat ride along the backwaters and viewed the gorgeous surroundings, as well as the numerous house boats that tourists rent! The second day I had in Cochin was free. My friend Caitlin and I found an auto rickshaw around 10:15, and went for an interesting adventure! A few times I thought I was going to die….traffic was pretty chaotic! We swerved through a sea of other rickshaws, trucks, cars, and bicycles. Our rickshaw driver took us to Jewtown, the area of town where a synagogue is and is where the large proportion of Jewish in Kerala have been recorded. Currently, there are 13 self-identified Jewish individuals in Cochin. In the midst of perusing the street shops, we ran into our friend Tom, who joined us for the rest of the day. We found a quaint restaurant on the edge of the water and enjoyed some lunch and fresh fruit sodas that we made ourselves! On the way back to the ship, we learned about a custom in India where individuals have duties to one another to help business, called baksheesh. Our rickshaw driver took us to four different shops, where we were told to spend five minutes looking around. If we spent five minutes in the shops, our driver would receive a white slip; once he had 10 slips, he could receive t-shirts for his children or free gas for his rickshaw. It felt a bit odd at first, but then at every shop we saw Semester at Sea students; clearly, this was something that was typical in Indian society! Baksheesh is necessary to the economy in India. Our day was spent with many smiles, laughs, and enjoyable sights and sounds. Overall, Cochin is a wonderful, vibrant city, and one that I would like to go back to another time in the future.
India is a country that will stick with me for years to come. The individuals that I met, the kids who I played with, and the sights that I saw were interesting, inspiring, and beautiful. I know that I would like to not just leave the country and go back to my comfortable life, but rather, I would like to find a way to help RIDE complete their goal, two of which I am very passionate about: educating children and empowering women. We are currently in transit from India to Mauritius, and today in Global Studies, our professor announced we are officially on our way home. Home for this semester has been incredibly fluid, so returning to a home that is constant and stable will bring on new challenges. Fusing my experiences, my evolving world-view, and my battles with how to respond will be challenging, but hopefully I will know to do the right thing.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
5 Days in Diverse Vietnam
I have just spent five fabulous and diverse days in Vietnam, a country which is undergoing rapid modernization, one which is completely different from 10 years ago, and one which will probably look completely different in 5 years. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam, on February 26th. While we had gotten used to the chilly air of Japan and China, Vietnam brought on some serious heat and humidity!
My first two days in Vietnam were spent with friends exploring the city. Namely, we learned very quickly how to cross roads in Vietnam. Unlike the Vietnam of previous generations, roads were not filled with bicycles, but rather a massive sea of motorbikes! It should be noted that traffic laws are not really followed in Vietnam, and pedestrians don’t have the right of way, nor are there many traffic lights. Thus, we learned that crossing a street requires timing, a confident walk (or run), and prayer!!! Luckily, neither my friends nor I were injured while crossing the street. Street life in Ho Chi Minh City is chaotic, to say the least. Sidewalks are filled with vendors selling sunglasses to postcards to jade bracelets to coconut milk. Streets are packed with motorbikes and large trucks making deliveries.
Ho Chi Minh City is nowhere near as dense as Shanghai, but we could not help but notice the large amount of individuals swarming us to buy their various products. We spent the morning walking through the French area of town (France was a major colonial power), and then we went to Ben Thanh Markets. Ben Thanh Markets is a marketplace that is filled with hundreds of stalls. Individuals could get suits or dresses made, buy wooden chopsticks and figurines, eat some Pho or other Vietnamese cuisine, or even buy underwear! The markets are as equally overwhelming as they are colorful and exciting. Many vendors would grab my arms and shoulders to see their products, which is opposite to behavior that you would see in Japan, where individuals are more reserved. Much of the day was spent exploring the city and observing individuals. We found that Vietnamese tended to be a mixture between Japanese and Chinese. They were as patient and kind as Japanese, but they were a bit more pushy like the Chinese. We experienced many individuals saying “Hello” to us and smiling, and even more, men smiling at us as we passed! Although it is clear that Ho Chi Minh City is a tourist destination for many (namely Europeans), there are areas of town that are still under strict communist watch. We were forewarned not to blog while we were in Vietnam, and we were also told Facebook was prohibited. I went to a café with free wifi to Skype, but found myself being watched by a security guard and not being allowed to go onto any website. This list includes Google, Yahoo, Kenyon College, or The New York Times. I had to go outside to use the free public wifi while I skyped; I literally sat on the edge of a window!
Vietnam is a country, once again, of dichotomies. It was odd to me that in a country that is filled with motorbikes rather than cars, and has unsafe drinking water, that almost all ATMs would accept American credit cards, stores would accept American dollars, and my cell phone had reception, which is opposite to Japan. While I enjoyed my stay in the city, I had an amazing time on the following three days to a trip to Cat Tien National Park.
Cat Tien National Park is a Unesco World Heritage site about 4 hours north of HCM City. It has just recently opened to visitors, so the accommodations were basic (think shower over toilet!). It was an amazing experience to get away from the commotion of the city and to only hear the sounds of birds, insects, geckos, and leaves crunching beneath our feet. I went with 18 other individuals, and had a fantastic time getting to know other students who also love the outdoors and are passionate about environmental conservation. The first day we had a light lunch and had a couple of hours of free time, so a group of us enjoyed hiking through the jungle and then finding our way to the river, literally rock hopping down the river in the scorching sun. We went on a guided hike at 2 pm, which lasted a couple of hours. The night was spent with a truck ride in the moonlight, a family style dinner, and scrabble.
The second day we started hiking at 7:45 am! We hiked 5 kms to Crocodile lake, where we had some free time to explore (including seeing a momma croc heading towards us with her 9 babies), and having a homestyle lunch. I then went canoeing with a few students through the lake. Our day ended with another 7 km hike to a bat cave, which was luckily empty for us! We climbed way down into the cave and explored with flash lights. Another evening was spent relaxing over dinner and scrabble.
Afterwards, a friend I made, Zach, and I met a woman from Scotland named Sylvia who had been volunteering in the park for 18 months. She worked in a salmon factory for 30 years and quit and moved to Vietnam. Currently, she is working in the bear reserve, where she helps rescue Asiatic bears and Sun bears. These bears are currently hunted for their bile (it has medicinal purposes) and their paws (for soup broth). Sylvia has a heart of gold and says she is living the dream! She invited us and a couple of others to join her the next day to visit the bears. While we were walking back to our guest houses, we met a couple from Australia who works for the World Wildlife Fund. They currently are working on getting a count of Rhinos in the park; if there are all males or all females, they may let them be, but if they are mixed sex, then they will try to keep them in a reserve. They are currently using dogs to help find Rhino poo, which they are sending back for DNA testing in Canada! Their project will last 6 months before they return to their desk jobs at WWF. It was amazing to meet such dedicated individuals who are committed to making the world a better place for these species, and who are so dedicated to their passions.
The final day began with a visit to the bear reserve. It was so nice to “meet” the bears, as well as other animals! We then headed on a speed boat to a local ethnic minority village. In the village, we were able to see the rice fields, and I even got to give rice harvesting a go! It is so much harder than it looks, especially in the blazing heat. We then hopped and carefully walked through bits of dry mud to the village, where we met a couple of 104 and 103 years old! They had lived in the same village their entire lives and had just received an award from the Vietnam government. We also saw lots of children playing in the street. They all were laughing and smiling when we approached them, and they said “Hello!” and waved to us. I am immediately drawn to children in every country I visit, so I decided that I would play with them some. I ended up playing chase with them, which was definitely the highlight of my trip. Despite not knowing Vietnamese, smiles and laughter are universal languages which I’ve noticed to which children send and respond. What was heart-breaking to me was the fact that primary education is not compulsory and requires tuition. While I heard children at recess at a school literally a block away, these children did not have the money to go to school, and spent their days in the streets. Although Vietnam is a communist country, something as essential and basic as primary education is not even provided. My backdrop on my laptop is currently a picture of these children, who I wish to pray for and think of daily.
We took a bumpy truck ride back to Cat Tien shortly thereafter. I sat in the back of the truck on some raised seats with 6 other people, and we had the time of our lives! We had to duck for different branches and hang on for dear life. It was a bit scary, but it was nice to feel the breeze after being in the scorching heat! Vietnam offered some incredible experiences for me, both in the city and in rural areas. It also offered me the worst sunburn of my life! Let’s just say SPF 30 cannot stand up to the power of the sun, and my back is in a lot of pain right now! I feel so blessed to have seen this country, and hope that the individuals I met will stay with me for years to come. I hope you all are doing well and gearing up for various spring breaks! I am on the ship for another 7(ish) days until India, which I know will be full of more powerful and inspiring experiences.
My first two days in Vietnam were spent with friends exploring the city. Namely, we learned very quickly how to cross roads in Vietnam. Unlike the Vietnam of previous generations, roads were not filled with bicycles, but rather a massive sea of motorbikes! It should be noted that traffic laws are not really followed in Vietnam, and pedestrians don’t have the right of way, nor are there many traffic lights. Thus, we learned that crossing a street requires timing, a confident walk (or run), and prayer!!! Luckily, neither my friends nor I were injured while crossing the street. Street life in Ho Chi Minh City is chaotic, to say the least. Sidewalks are filled with vendors selling sunglasses to postcards to jade bracelets to coconut milk. Streets are packed with motorbikes and large trucks making deliveries.
Ho Chi Minh City is nowhere near as dense as Shanghai, but we could not help but notice the large amount of individuals swarming us to buy their various products. We spent the morning walking through the French area of town (France was a major colonial power), and then we went to Ben Thanh Markets. Ben Thanh Markets is a marketplace that is filled with hundreds of stalls. Individuals could get suits or dresses made, buy wooden chopsticks and figurines, eat some Pho or other Vietnamese cuisine, or even buy underwear! The markets are as equally overwhelming as they are colorful and exciting. Many vendors would grab my arms and shoulders to see their products, which is opposite to behavior that you would see in Japan, where individuals are more reserved. Much of the day was spent exploring the city and observing individuals. We found that Vietnamese tended to be a mixture between Japanese and Chinese. They were as patient and kind as Japanese, but they were a bit more pushy like the Chinese. We experienced many individuals saying “Hello” to us and smiling, and even more, men smiling at us as we passed! Although it is clear that Ho Chi Minh City is a tourist destination for many (namely Europeans), there are areas of town that are still under strict communist watch. We were forewarned not to blog while we were in Vietnam, and we were also told Facebook was prohibited. I went to a café with free wifi to Skype, but found myself being watched by a security guard and not being allowed to go onto any website. This list includes Google, Yahoo, Kenyon College, or The New York Times. I had to go outside to use the free public wifi while I skyped; I literally sat on the edge of a window!
Vietnam is a country, once again, of dichotomies. It was odd to me that in a country that is filled with motorbikes rather than cars, and has unsafe drinking water, that almost all ATMs would accept American credit cards, stores would accept American dollars, and my cell phone had reception, which is opposite to Japan. While I enjoyed my stay in the city, I had an amazing time on the following three days to a trip to Cat Tien National Park.
Cat Tien National Park is a Unesco World Heritage site about 4 hours north of HCM City. It has just recently opened to visitors, so the accommodations were basic (think shower over toilet!). It was an amazing experience to get away from the commotion of the city and to only hear the sounds of birds, insects, geckos, and leaves crunching beneath our feet. I went with 18 other individuals, and had a fantastic time getting to know other students who also love the outdoors and are passionate about environmental conservation. The first day we had a light lunch and had a couple of hours of free time, so a group of us enjoyed hiking through the jungle and then finding our way to the river, literally rock hopping down the river in the scorching sun. We went on a guided hike at 2 pm, which lasted a couple of hours. The night was spent with a truck ride in the moonlight, a family style dinner, and scrabble.
The second day we started hiking at 7:45 am! We hiked 5 kms to Crocodile lake, where we had some free time to explore (including seeing a momma croc heading towards us with her 9 babies), and having a homestyle lunch. I then went canoeing with a few students through the lake. Our day ended with another 7 km hike to a bat cave, which was luckily empty for us! We climbed way down into the cave and explored with flash lights. Another evening was spent relaxing over dinner and scrabble.
Afterwards, a friend I made, Zach, and I met a woman from Scotland named Sylvia who had been volunteering in the park for 18 months. She worked in a salmon factory for 30 years and quit and moved to Vietnam. Currently, she is working in the bear reserve, where she helps rescue Asiatic bears and Sun bears. These bears are currently hunted for their bile (it has medicinal purposes) and their paws (for soup broth). Sylvia has a heart of gold and says she is living the dream! She invited us and a couple of others to join her the next day to visit the bears. While we were walking back to our guest houses, we met a couple from Australia who works for the World Wildlife Fund. They currently are working on getting a count of Rhinos in the park; if there are all males or all females, they may let them be, but if they are mixed sex, then they will try to keep them in a reserve. They are currently using dogs to help find Rhino poo, which they are sending back for DNA testing in Canada! Their project will last 6 months before they return to their desk jobs at WWF. It was amazing to meet such dedicated individuals who are committed to making the world a better place for these species, and who are so dedicated to their passions.
The final day began with a visit to the bear reserve. It was so nice to “meet” the bears, as well as other animals! We then headed on a speed boat to a local ethnic minority village. In the village, we were able to see the rice fields, and I even got to give rice harvesting a go! It is so much harder than it looks, especially in the blazing heat. We then hopped and carefully walked through bits of dry mud to the village, where we met a couple of 104 and 103 years old! They had lived in the same village their entire lives and had just received an award from the Vietnam government. We also saw lots of children playing in the street. They all were laughing and smiling when we approached them, and they said “Hello!” and waved to us. I am immediately drawn to children in every country I visit, so I decided that I would play with them some. I ended up playing chase with them, which was definitely the highlight of my trip. Despite not knowing Vietnamese, smiles and laughter are universal languages which I’ve noticed to which children send and respond. What was heart-breaking to me was the fact that primary education is not compulsory and requires tuition. While I heard children at recess at a school literally a block away, these children did not have the money to go to school, and spent their days in the streets. Although Vietnam is a communist country, something as essential and basic as primary education is not even provided. My backdrop on my laptop is currently a picture of these children, who I wish to pray for and think of daily.
We took a bumpy truck ride back to Cat Tien shortly thereafter. I sat in the back of the truck on some raised seats with 6 other people, and we had the time of our lives! We had to duck for different branches and hang on for dear life. It was a bit scary, but it was nice to feel the breeze after being in the scorching heat! Vietnam offered some incredible experiences for me, both in the city and in rural areas. It also offered me the worst sunburn of my life! Let’s just say SPF 30 cannot stand up to the power of the sun, and my back is in a lot of pain right now! I feel so blessed to have seen this country, and hope that the individuals I met will stay with me for years to come. I hope you all are doing well and gearing up for various spring breaks! I am on the ship for another 7(ish) days until India, which I know will be full of more powerful and inspiring experiences.
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