Hong by Starlight June 30 (Eric)

I wanted to write about this experience as soon as it happened, but as mentioned in my update post, things kind of got in the way. This was one of those experiences that I will not be able to find the words to describe, and pictures will not do it justice. But I will do the best I can...

Hong by Starlight is an excursion run by a company called John Gray's Sea Canoes. The trip is designed to get you to experience the beauty and wonder of Phang Nga Bay. It had always been a dream of mine to see this part of Thailand, and the reality surpassed my expectations.

The staff themselves are very friendly and professional. It is another trip where the ratio of staff to customers is 1 to 2 at a minimum. I know this because each sea canoe (really a kayak) holds two passengers, and you have your own personal guide to paddle the canoe and point out the local flora and fauna and beauty that surrounded us at every paddle stroke. The sea canoe is the only way to really explore the limestone karstic islands of the region because it allows you to travel through the sea caves and literally end up in a hidden lagoon inside the island.

The trip through the cave was magical enough. Listening to bats and being immersed in near darkness in the middle of the day while drifting along on a kayak is indescribable. But once you emerge from the darkness of the cave into a lagoon that time has forgotten the serenity and peace of the moment truly overcomes you. A hushed awe surrounds every member of the trip, and you can't help but get caught up in the moment. In our first lagoon, we saw long-tailed macaques and mudskippers and enough beauty to inspire a hundred artists. Simply amazing.

We paddled to another hidden lagoon and listened to the sounds of bird song echoing off the karstic walls. It was surreal. This would have been plenty, but our boat picked up the canoes and took us to another lagoon to explore. Each lagoon is beautifully unique and special.

After dinner, was one of the experiences that I will have the most trouble describing adequately. It is after the sun sets that the tour gets its name because you get to experience the dimming lights over this bay followed by creating your own personal flower arrangement called a "Kratong" (which is a Thai tradition to mark the end of the rainy season). We took these Kratong back inside a sea cave to set afloat in the darkness and solitude. It was a transcendental experience. Anyway, I am trying to wrap this up, so as usual, I will close with woefully inadequate pictures...

Getting to the Heart of my Blogger's Block (Jenny)

Every time I've wanted to blog about our travel experiences, I read about something horrific happening in the world, and my thoughts dry up. How can I write about something that seems so unimportant after reading about the massacre at Pulse in Miami or the bombing in Turkey? How do I share my insights, although important to me because they are a part of me, when they are so insignificant compared with matters of life and death? Today I was finally ready to sit down and blog about Borneo when I read about the stabbing/shooting of a man headed to his mosque in Houston. As if that isn't bad enough, the article said that this is the THIRD incident in Houston. Really???!!!! Come on, People, we are better than this!

The strongest impression I have while traveling is that we are all human beings going through life's journey. Yes, there are differences between us, but the bottom line is that we are all human. Why isn't this enough to make us have respect for one another, to be OK with disagreeing with each other's ideas, without having to resort to hatred and violence? 

At the beginning of my teaching career, I worked with fifth graders. I remember creating a unit about sharks to teach the idea that people fear, and even hate, what they don't understand. I tied this unit into the need to educate oneself about matters that one does not understand. It was my hope that my students would grow up to ask questions and find answers and learn and be more accepting and understanding as a result.

Right now, we are in Malaysian Borneo. Malaysia is predominantly Muslim, and the celebration of Ramadan is happening as I type this. We've seen hundreds and hundreds of people traveling to be with their families to celebrate. They all seem very excited, and the atmosphere at the airport was one of festivity and eagerness. This reminded me so much of when Eric and I fly home to be with our families at Christmas. There was that same level of energy. As I looked at all the happy activity around me, it frustrated me that so many people out there lump all Muslims in with ISIS....or that any group gets lumped together with any kind of negativity.

We have seen very few Americans on our travels this time. Never once have I felt worried that I was out of place or in any kind of danger for being different. We have found most people to be extremely friendly, genuine, and helpful. Even when Eric threw up violently going through airport security in Kuala Lumpur, the agents were kind and sympathetic. Both of us thought for sure that they were going to quarantine Eric, but they just waved us through. When I made a feeble attempt to try to clean things up, they told me not to worry about it. I'm 100% sure that they were not happy about the situation, but I could see an understanding, an "another foreigner with traveler's stomach" look on their faces.

We also experienced some difficulty clearing immigration in Shanghai, China, but we were always treated very respectfully. I had only brought an electronic copy of our itinerary to show that we would be leaving Shanghai within the 144-hour limit. I did not realize that they required a paper copy. The problem was that the itinerary was on my gmail account, and gmail is banned in China, so I could not pull it up to print it out. Instead of detaining or deporting us, or even getting flustered with us, the agents worked from their end to try to help us. Thankfully, a college student heard our problem and shared her phone with us. It had a vpn on it which enabled us access to the itinerary.

The highlight of Shanghai for me was a morning spent in Fuxing Park, watching hundreds of people enjoying life through tai chi, or ballroom dancing, or water calligraphy, or kite flying, or sword dancing, or playing badminton....Hundreds of people were gathered in the park doing what they loved. It was simple. They did not get in each other's way, which you would think would happen with so many people. It was an area filled with joy. And this is a daily occurrence in Shanghai.

Today we spent an hour talking with the docent at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center. At times I was disgusted with humanity for the way we treat the natural world, destroying it for profit or products that we really don't need. But even stronger was the sense of hope I felt. There are good people out there trying to make a difference. In fact, when I think about it, there are mostly good people out there. In our travels this is what we see, mostly the good.

In spite of theses times when too many lives have been hurt by violence, by political uncertainty, by corruption, I hope to hold onto the goodness I see and read about. And I hope when others encounter Eric and me, we leave a positive impression on them. Probably not those agents at the KL airport, but hopefully everyone else. Hopefully they see that we are not so different from them.

Update (Eric)

I know we haven't posted in a while. We've had a few travel days, and I had a rough day yesterday emptying the contents of my stomach. This is going to be a short post updating our adventures with a few pictures, and then I will try to make time to write in more detail later. Also worth mentioning is the fact that I am writing this from a lodge at the edge of the Bornean jungle. It is quite peaceful and surreal, but also quite hot and humid. Anyway, an update...

• Thursday June 30 (Hong by Starlight): I thought the trip to Phi Phi island was magical, but I can't recommend Hong by Starlight ran by the John Grey Sea Canoe Company enough. I will have difficulty expressing the experience in words, and pictures will not do it justice.
• Friday July 1 (Travel Day 1): We left Phuket at "oh my God it's early" to head to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We had a great time exploring the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park (thanks to George Sehn, my stepdad, for the recommendation). We had a wonderful dinner in an eight story mall (and I thought I had escaped hell) that turned out to not be so wonderful for me the next day. Further proving my point, that malls are evil. By the way, don't shy away from eating at restaurants in Asian malls just based on the experience above. You can actually find some amazing places to eat in these monstrous malls. The dish I ordered happened to have clams that did not agree with me. 
• Saturday July 2 (Travel Day 2):  Another day where we got up at "oh dark thirty" to travel to Sandakan, Malaysia. (NOTE: skip a bit if stomach issue stories bother you) This travel day was purely awful for me. Even before leaving the hotel, I began to have stomach issues including an emergency stop at the bathroom while waiting for the taxi to take us to the airport. Once at the airport, my issues worsened, including emptying the contents of my stomach, not once, but twice as we passed through security. I was worried security might try to quarantine me, but instead, they were very nice and understanding. I think they took one look at me and realized, "oh, another foreigner who is having trouble adjusting to an Asian diet." But I think the explanation was just good old fashioned food poisoning (the questionable clams I mentioned earlier). (NOTE: you may start reading again if you skipped a bit). Anyway, we arrived safely to our lodge, the Sepilok Nature Resort, but because of my condition, we ended up taking it easy. I'm happy to report that the relaxation seemed to help. I'm up and about and we really enjoying our next day, which leads me to the next bullet...
• Sunday July 3 (Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center): This was just the thing to cure me of my travel illness blues. As I mentioned, we are staying at the edge of a jungle. Also at the edge of this jungle is a nature preserve that specializes in raising orphaned orangutans until they are capable of surviving in the wild. After seeing several of these adorable animals, including a close encounter with two particularly mischievous youngsters, it could not help but make me feel better. The aforementioned youngsters will apparently steal cameras, hats, and sunglasses if you do not keep a close eye on them. 
• And now pictures...

Magical Phi Phi Island (Eric)

We did not get a chance to blog yesterday because we went on one of the most amazing excursions we have ever been on. It was an all-day trip to an island called Phi Phi off the coast of Phuket. If you have seen the movie The Beach then you have seen some of the beauty of this island (and technically it's a group of small islands).

I highly recommend the Blue World Safari Tour of the island. They have an incredible staff, and we only had ten people on our trip accompanied by a total of six crew. They saw to our every need. The company also includes transportation to and from your hotel to the harbor which is a fun way to see parts of Phuket if you don't want to rent a car while you're here. On the return trip, Jenny saw elephants from the road, so even the trip to the boat can be eventful.

The boats itself is a high speed catamaran that is clearly well-cared for. It had room for four times the number of passengers, so there was plenty of room for us to spread out. The boat ride itself was an amazing experience, and the food provided was quite delicious.

Anyway, on to the trip, we left the harbor around 10:00 a.m. with a stop at a lagoon off the coast of Honeymoon Island to spot dolphins. We were blessed with sighting a small pod (15-20) of bottle nose dolphins. We watched these majestic animals play around the boat, including hearing them vocalize at several points, for twenty minutes or so. This was a wonderful start to the trip considering our guide said there was no guarantee they would be there.

Next, we went on to Phi Phi Island's Monkey Beach. This is exactly what it sounds like and after a snorkel trip through waters filled with colorful fish, we arrived on a beach filled with playful monkeys surrounded by jungle, cliffs, and blue-green water. It was a magical, surreal experience. I would love to bottle up the feelings and take them back with me.

After this stop, we were off to the smaller Phi Phi Islands. We passed by Viking Cave where the locals harvest swallow bird's nests because they are a local delicacy that when eaten is supposed to keep you youthful. I'm an adventurous eater, but I'm not sure about trying that particular dish. After a brief pause to take pictures, the boat stopped near a particular small island where some of us went snorkeling again, and I was able to see several black tipped reef sharks. I was able to catch one on camera, but the experience itself was indescribable.

Our last stop was at the Maya Bay, the beach made famous by the movie mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, the currents were a little stronger than the crew was comfortable with, so they brought us to a lagoon on the opposite side of the bay, and we had to climb up a cargo net over some rocks to then walk through the jungle to get to the beach. I think the moment I was most excited about was the fact that my wife with her busted elbow and fear of heights braved this part of the trip. For her bravery, we were rewarded with a swim at one of the most picturesque beaches I have ever seen. It was no surprise why this particular beach has become a popular destination.

The return trip was relaxing, and we managed to see some flying fish on the way back. Overall, I cannot recommend this particular excursion enough. And now pictures...

I love Eric (Jenny)

I've had "blogger's block" for this entire trip. Im struggling to find words that adequately capture all that we're experiencing right now. Plus Eric is doing an excellent job of describing our days. However, I couldn't let Eric's last post go unanswered.

Eric, I love you too, with all my heart. I'm so glad we found each other. You are my love and my best friend, and I am so happy sharing life's journey with you. Whether it's something silly like jumping over waves in the ocean, or teaching or traveling, my days are more fulfilling with you by my side.

To our family and friends, thank you for all of your support over the years, especially when I made the very hard decision to move to Texas. There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss my California family and friends. To our Texas friends, thank you for helping me make the adjustment and for helping us create a happy life together.

Wishing everyone a lifetime of happiness, laughter, and love, with some travel and adventure sprinkled in.

11 Years of Bliss (Eric)

Thirteen years ago I walked into a restaurant in Japan, and I meant a beautiful woman with a gorgeous smile. Two years later we vowed to spend the rest of our lives together. Since that day my best friend, traveling companion, and wife has been all I could ask for and more. Today marks eleven years of a wonderful and fulfilling marriage. It was an absolute pleasure to spend the day in a place that reflects the beauty of our life together. Life truly has blessed me with amazing adventures and an even more amazing woman to share them with. I love you Jenny. ❤️

It's a Rough Life (Eric)

Not much to add today because we simply lounged around on the beach taking breaks to go into the water, and we also had an afternoon massage for the second day in a row. We have had dinner at the beach restaurant which has been amazing. It's a rough life, but someone has to live it.

Four Nights in Bangkok - June 20-23 (Eric)

One last entry about Bangkok and we will be fairly up-to-date. I know "Four Nights" doesn't quite have the same ring as the Murray Head song from Chess, but what can we say. Bangkok was much more interesting than I expected. Yes, it is "crowded, polluted, stinking" as the song suggests, but it is filled with both a "little history" (or a lot depending on your view point) and a remarkable culture that I personally find fascinating. Unlike the voice of the song, Jenny and I were both gripped by the "muddy old river" and the "Reclining Buddha." Again to save time, I will bullet point the highlights and then finish with pictures.

• Bangkok at night (even if you get your "kicks above the waistline") is an experience. It is vibrant and electric even avoiding the party districts. 
• The Thai people are amazingly friendly. The nickname "A Land of a Thousand Smiles" is well deserved, and no, they're not just looking for a tip. Tipping is not expected in Thailand, but it is definitely much appreciated by the locals. 
• Visiting the temples ("a god in every golden cloister") and sights around Bangkok is a must, but be prepared to battle the crowds, especially at the Grand Palace. 
• The Tuk Tuk drivers, suit makers, and other service providers will aggressively try to sell you their products. Scorpions on a stick were one of the more unusual food items for sale (no, I did not try one - sorry to disappoint).
• Ayutthaya, an old capital of Thailand, is a short trip from Bangkok and contains some amazing ruins (if you've seen Mortal Kombat then you've seen them). We had a fabulous tour guide who showed us "everything but Yul Brynner." Our trip included being blessed by a Buddhist monk, a river boat tour, a Buddha head in tree roots, a chicken street, many amazing centuries-old ruins, and a six foot monitor lizard. 
• We did not make it to any "bars" or "massage parlors", but we did have a poolside massage at our hotel, the Riva Surya, which was delightful, but I must warn you if you have never had a Thai massage, the Thai people are quite strong, so you might want to ask them to be gentle. We also had a pleasant experience at Susie Wong's Beer and Buns (not what it sounds like) where we shared a good sandwich and good music with some of the locals. 
• And now pictures...