Jordan (well, really, Petra)

Flying out of Sri Lanka and into Jordan (with a quick plane change in Oman - although per family rule we can't claim we have been there because while we DID go to the bathroom there, we didn't leave the airport), we were all excited to be leaving Asia and into the Middle East (yes, I know it is Asia - but you know what we mean).  I hadn't been to that region since I went to Israel in 1989 with my Confirmation Class , and the rest of my family hadn't been there yet.  But the REAL reason for the complete excitement - we were meeting my parents at the hotel in Amman, Jordan later that day in order to spend 12 days in Jordan and Israel with them. The kids were so excited that we spoke of little else for weeks (really months) leading up to it. And the reunion was a joyous one for all, despite my parents arriving after about 30 hours of travel.

For those who wonder how two 70-year olds can keep up with an active family of 5 - you clearly have not met my parents. They don't spend a lot of time sitting - as Brian remembers from the first vacation with my family, "there are a lot of forced marches." I asked my dad to take control of the 12 days we had together - I have been doing so much planning that I wanted a bit of time off - and my dad was clearly up to the task.  With the exception of the day where we drove across the border into Israel, we were busy all day, every day with tour guides, museums, sites, you name it. While we were exhausted, we learned an incredible amount about both history and culture during our time in Jordan and Israel.

While we saw so much of Jordan in 3 quick days- from Mt. Nebo (where Moses died) to the ancient city of Jerash (you can read about it in Jacob's post here: http://senakids.blogspot.com/2014/02/jerash-by-jacob.html) the town of Korak and more, the highlight, of course, was our visit to Petra.  Luke writes about his thoughts on Petra here: http://senakids.blogspot.com/2014/02/petra-by-luke.html.

We have seen a number of places on this trip that words and pictures can't do justice to, such as Halong Bay and Sapa in Vietnam and Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and Petra is right up there with those. It just has to be seen to really understand its sheer brilliance. Going with a guide was fabulous - we had a much deeper understanding of the site, the people, and the history. It would have still been an amazing day without Iyad, but since there was not a ton of signage, it was definitely made all the more incredible.

What makes Petra (and much of Jordan) amazing isn't just the sheer beauty of what we saw - it was the knowledge of the incredible amount of history that has happened on the very sites where we walked.  For a California girl who rarely sees things more than 100 years old (if that!), knowing that civilizations existed here thousands of years ago is mind-boggling, especially seeing all that they accomplished there.  The Rose City (as Petra is called because of the color of the rocks) was still home to Bedouins until recently when the Jordanian government moved them to a neighborhood nearby to facilitate tourist groups.

One of the things I love about places like Petra is that your jaw drops continuously. When we started down the path (you have to hike into Petra to see the good stuff), we were impressed immediately by the views, the rock faces, even the small caves we could see.

And it just kept getting better. First big stop: the Treasury. WOW.

In front of the Treasury

All seven of us! :) 

After the obligatory picture taking sessions (joy of going in January - not a lot of tourists - we could get pictures that weren't crowded with others), we kept heading down the path where we got to the "center" of Petra - full of shops, restaurants, camel rides, etc.

 Lots of Bedouins who earn their living selling the "authentic" Petra experience.

While most people turn around from there and head back, there was no way we were going to miss the greatest part of Petra - the Monastery. As with the Treasury, better than anticipated.

The Monastery from up high

Sri Lanka (the more optimistic post!)

In my other Sri Lanka post, I tried to explain why we often struggled during our two weeks there. As usual, in retrospect, it doesn't seem that bad, and the memories are almost all good ones.

Here are some highlights from our two weeks there:

1) Sigiriya. This was one of the best things we did there. Sigiriya is an ancient fortress built on a huge rock in the middle of the island. It was awe-inspiring. We climbed to the top of the 660 foot rock using the path and the stairs provided and couldn't get over the views along the way. I had never heard of Sigiriya before our trip to SL, and wouldn't have even gone if my dad hadn't convinced me that the kids  would love it.

2) Most of the Food. Spicy, but not too spicy. Lots of salads and condiments served with each meal. Food that appeals to picky kids and adults! We ate lots of roti, biryani (like Indian, but made differently apparently), and incredible curries.  Now, if only they could get it to the table a little faster….

3) The Wildlife. Our safari in Yala National Park in southern SL might not be on par with some of the African safaris where you see the Big 5, but was impressive nonetheless. Between the leopard, the elephants, crocodiles, peacocks and water buffalo, we were thrilled.  But the real treat was that we'd see animals everywhere we went.  On daily walks we'd see monkeys and elephants, bats in the trees, monitor lizards sunbathing near lakes.  Our hotel in Kandy was a bit overrun by monkeys, who would get a little too close in search of our breakfast.

4) The Beaches.  Sri Lanka has fabulous beaches and beach towns.  We spent 4 days in a town called Hikkaduwa where we were able to rent a fabulous villa for a great price.  Our villa was so big, in fact, that our British friends we met in our treehouse accommodation came and stayed for two nights with us!  The waves were varied on the beaches we spent our days at - one side had perfect snorkeling conditions, while a bit down the beach, we had ideal boogie-boarding and surfing conditions.  The snorkeling was amazing for 2 reasons - we could snorkel right off the beach (as in, there were fish 1 feet in) and the fish were so adjusted to humans that they let us swim with them. There was a huge school of at least 1000 fish that would let us just float with them - very surreal experience.  There were also huge sea turtles right off the beach (easily 100 lbs each) that clearly have become "tame" - they let us pet and feed them!

5) The Scenery.  We noticed right away that Sri Lanka is a gorgeous island country with incredible flora and fauna that overtakes all cities, towns, and villages. The possibilities for tourism here are endless - they have mountains, jungles, beaches, cities, national parks, etc. Our long drives were tedious but stunning.

Slooooow Lanka (the frustrated post)

Sri Lanka was the first country that we really struggled with. We didn't originally even have Sri Lanka on our itinerary, but when we decided to take India off the list (long story, but came down to the difficulty of getting Indian visas, plus the realization that on our budget, India might be too difficult), Sri Lanka was described to us as "India lite" - the perfect solution to our two week gap between Southeast Asia and Jordan/Israel.  Plus, Sri Lankan cities have fun names like Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna, and Kataragama, so that was a bonus, too.

Our first impressions - solid. Sri Lankan Air was the nicest airline we had been on for a while (granted, this is a fairly low bar), and after they undercharged us for our visas on arrival, the airport officials were too embarrassed to ask for more money.  Our hotel sent both a driver and hotel rep to pick us up, and when they realized there wasn't enough room in the car, the hotel rep squished himself in the back of the trunk for the quick drive.  Our sense was that hospitality was high on Sri Lankans' priority list.

When mapping out our route through Sri Lanka, we decided to take a faster pace than we usually do - 4 cities in 2 weeks so we could get a real feel for the country. This is where our frustration began: what we didn't account for (thanks for nothing, Google Maps!) is that the speed limit in Sri Lanka is about 50 km/hour.  Yes, kilometers not miles. That equates to about 33 miles/hour. And that is on the fast roads - most of the time, the drivers rarely hit more than 30 km/hour. Which meant that trips we expected to take 2-3 hours would stretch to about 5-6, meaning lots more days spent traveling than we hoped for.  The roads themselves would often be fairly windy (or curly as Maggie calls them), with lots of swerving, honking, and passing, so reading or doing homework wasn't happening- making for really long rides.

We tried to take the train between two cities, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, but were there during a public holiday, so couldn't get on the train. Literally. Bought tickets, waited at the station, had packs on and ready when the train pulled up, only to find a train bursting with people. Bench seats that would usually hold 4-6 people had at least 8-10, with others crammed in the aisles, and others physically hanging out the windows and doors. We couldn't even get within 2 feet of the door, and we certainly weren't going to get 5 people with 2 huge bags each on the train. The ticket guy laughed, and refunded my whopping $5. A Sri Lankan man standing there told us he would get us a van, so his friend pulled up, we all got in, and off we went on a "lovely" 5 hour drive to Nuwara Eliya.  Not exactly how I would get somewhere at home.

The real struggle, however, was the people. Many were warm and friendly. One driver brought us to his house to have us meet his wife and son, eat some cookies, and see his family photos. Our guide at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy loved teaching the kids riddles, and found us walking nearby on subsequent days to teach them more. The hotel manager in Kataragama shared with us the story about how his family missed being swept up in the tsunami of 2004 while his friends' family wasn't so lucky.  There were plenty of friendly people who were kind and open with us.  But there was also this nagging feeling through most of our time that we were just walking ATMs. Nothing had a price on it - and the prices we were often quoted were much higher than those quoted to the locals.  While this isn't totally unexpected, after 3+ months in Asia, it just felt dirtier.  Being sized up before being told a price just seemed uncomfortable, but often we were put in a position where "ok" was our only real option. Frustrating.

One example - our day-trip from Kandy to Sigiriya.  We hired a van to take us there, and asked to just be taken to Sigiriya and the Dambulla Caves.  The driver asks us if we'd like to stop for a tour of an herbal garden on the way - we refuse, since we've seen enough of these to know we are expected to buy things we don't want at the end, so the driver can make a commission. We stop anyways. We decide to be good sports at that point and went through the tour, managing to not buy any of the remedies.  No big deal. After Sigiriya, we ask the driver to stop at a cheap, local Sri Lankan restaurant. Instead, he stops at a tourist buffet stop - and the food there is horrible. We eat next to nothing. The bill comes with a total cost of $45 - not a huge deal in the US, but about 5 times the cost of a similar meal in any other Sri Lankan restaurant. After a bit of negotiating, they gave us a discount for the kids (although we still had to pay for Maggie's soda which came with a bug in it).  By now, I was less than pleased with the driver.  Next stop: another herbal garden. Um, I'm pretty sure that we said we didn't want to go to ONE, let alone TWO! The driver disappeared the minute we pulled in - so we had no real choice but to go on another tour. We ended up buying herbal after-bug ointment just so we wouldn't have to stop at another.

Lastly, standards just aren't the same in Sri Lanka as other places we visited, and that came as a surprise to us. Lets be clear - we are not staying in luxury hotels and dining at fine restaurants this year - our standards really aren't that high. Even Cambodia, which I would argue is not as developed as Sri Lanka, had a much higher bang for the buck than SL. We know the cost of living is always higher on island nations, but the quality didn't justify the costs.

Overall, I can see why many people love Sri Lanka. But I can also see why many people are not fans yet. On a better budget than we are using for this trip, hospitality is probably greatly improved and the quality is probably drastically better, but on our budget, Sri Lanka wasn't quite there.

For the good on Sri Lanka (and there was plenty!!), read my next post! :)

Thoughts on Cambodia

I've been struggling with writing about Cambodia, as I have such mixed feelings about the country. So much to love - but also so much sadness.  Brian and I decided that we think Cambodia is still a generation away from getting back on its feet in a meaningful way.  The people in Cambodia have been through so much so recently (Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were in power when we were children!), and pretty much everyone we talked to had family members brutally killed during this horrific period.  The poverty is stunning, and definitely deeper than any country we have visited thus far. Child labor is omnipresent, and barefoot children begging for money, selling trinkets, and just sitting with their parents while they try to eke out a living is many kids' reality.

However, the Cambodians are clearly a resilient people, determined to improve their lot in life, even while living under an admittedly corrupt government, and in a country where the average wage isn't much more than $1/day (less so in the bigger cities, but still…).   From the hotel employees to the tuk-tuk drivers to the guides at the sites, we consistently found ourselves impressed with both the integrity and the industriousness of the Cambodian people we met.  There is still a huge gap in "meaningful" employment - just because someone is willing to buy a tuk-tuk and work 12-15 hours a day, they are not guaranteed to make any money as it seems to be a very "everyone-for-himself" economy.

We were constantly balancing our desire to do our (very small) part for the economy with the fear of falling for scams that weren't actually as helpful as they appear.  A perfect example of this is the milk scam, which we read about prior to being approached.  Since tourists have become weary of just handing out money to children (who really shouldn't be out there begging!), the parents have become much more cunning. Rather than ask for money, a small child or parent with an infant will ask for milk instead, because it seems like a much more concrete, helpful way of providing for the children.  However, as soon as you buy the milk and leave, the parent then returns the money to the store for a portion of the proceeds, and the scam repeats itself.  This way, the store owner and the parent make money off the deal - but the kids aren't actually being given the milk.  Ugh.  I was approached by a little boy asking for milk as we walked home one night. When I refused politely, he kicked me in the shins.  I still felt sad for him, though.

We had a lot of discussions with the kids about why child labor was bad - but also with the caveat that their isn't an easy answer to the problem - these families don't have the same options that most families in America have.   Similar to most tourists, we usually wouldn't buy from children, with the hope that if they weren't making any money, their parents might send them to school instead of keeping them home to work. Maggie especially was fascinated with the idea that these children should be in school, not selling trinkets or begging for change, and was clearly concerned that I would be upset. Each time we saw a child working, she'd whisper to me, "maybe they just don't have school today, so they are just helping out."  The reality is, sadly, that many of these children will never be sent to school because the costs of actually getting to school (and paying corrupt teachers - a whole separate problem!) are prohibitive, and if a parent has to choose between feeding her family or sending a kid to school, she will choose the former.  Without significant governmental change and NGO assistance, I can't really foresee how the cycle of poverty will end soon here.

There were, however, NGOs everywhere we looked - most set up as businesses that are running to train the next generation of workers to make a reasonable wage. Our two favorite that we came across ran an amazing circus and art school for underprivileged kids, and one that ran a very well-backed restaurant in Battambang that could rival most restaurants in San Francisco.

Another eye-opening experience - the Land Mine Museum, started by an ex-child soldier who was forced into the Khmer Rouge and later escaped to the Vietnamese Army, named Akira.  An American ex-military man who moved to Siem Reap a few years ago to run the museum guided us along, explaining the movement to find and detonate the remaining land mines that were planted all over the countryside, while inspiring the kids repeatedly to "not just sit back, but use all the privileges you have to do something in this world."  Somber morning spent there, but incredibly informational. They had one section of the museum devoted to other examples of genocide (Holocaust, Rwanda) and highlighted those who stepped forward to help the victims.

We are looking forward to returning to Cambodia someday, and hope that we find a place with a little less sadness, and a little more infrastructure to help the Cambodian people.

Hanoi, Part 2: These Sidewalks Aren't Meant for Walking!

Brian and I came to Vietnam with my parents, siblings and their spouses in 1999.  It was Brian's first trip to Asia, and it got off to an inauspicious start - one of our first street crossings ended with Brian getting hit (yes, hit! hard!!) by a moped. It left a pretty impressive bruise, and an indelible memory that Hanoi drivers make Boston drivers look like wusses.  We learned then that traffic, streets, and sidewalks in Hanoi (and much of Vietnam) are nothing like the streets of San Mateo.  Traffic lights mean nothing. Nor do intersections. No one ever has the right of way - it is all about avoiding the others. Honking is more of a way to let someone know you are there - not just to say "get out of my way", except when it does mean that. We can't tell the difference between the two. There are no such things as one-way streets - even when it says it is, and all of the motorcycles are coming one way - ALWAYS look the other way because someone is going to fly down the street (Brian's big mistake).

We arrived into Hanoi at night, having prepped the kids extensively on the trick to crossing the street there - just go. Don't wait for the cars, bikes, mopeds, carts, cyclos, people, etc to stop and let you cross - it will never happen. Just form a line across, walk slowly, and expect that the bigger vehicle (everyone but us) will swerve around us. For the most part, this held true.

One issue that makes walking around Hanoi tough for the uninitiated is that you just can't walk on the sidewalks, so you have to navigate the crazy streets on the street.The sidewalks are wide enough for 3-4 people to walk shoulder to shoulder, but all of Hanoi life takes place there! Here are some of the things we saw that DO happen on Hanoi sidewalks:

• All meals. Tiny chairs and tables are in front of every storefront (most live above their stores), and families sit down in these all day to enjoy meals with family and friends
• Dishwashing. Everyone does their dishes on the sidewalk as they finish their meal. There is water everywhere.
• Inventory storage. Can't fit your stuff in your store? Leave it in boxes in front of your store.
• Scooter/Bike parking. 
• Food selling. Older women selling fruit or desserts will often just sit on the corners and call to you as you walk by. 
• Exercises. Ok, this happens mostly in the early morning hours, but there is lots of Tai Chi around the sidewalks near the lake early in the morning.
• Menu posting. Pretty much every restaurant posts their menu outside so you can determine if you want to eat there - very handy for us. Turns out, almost every restaurant offers pretty much the same food anyways.
• Garbage Dropping. Everyone puts their garbage in a pile in front of their store. Street cleaners (people with brooms and dustpans) 
• come occasionally and pick it up. Interesting idea, but also means lots of garbage everywhere.

Despite the craziness that is Hanoi, we really enjoyed living there off-and-on for almost 2 weeks.  There aren't a lot of great sites to see in Hanoi (see the kids' posts to learn about visiting Uncle Ho), but the city life and bustling nature of the city give it a great vibe. And Brian escaped unscathed this time, so that was just an added bonus!

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Hanoi, Part 1: Good for the Wallet, Bad for the Waistline

Vietnam in general, and Hanoi in particular, are incredibly easy on the wallet. After a month in China where prices certainly are manageable (ok, take Hong Kong off that list!), we have been thrilled to find the cost of living so low in Hanoi and the rest of Vietnam.  From the hotels to the food to the activities, everything is below reasonable. A nice dinner out for a family of 5, including beers for the adults, milkshakes for the kids, entrees for all and an appetizer or two comes to about $35. And the food is fantastic - healthy, fresh, full of flavor, spicy enough but not too spicy - even our pickiest eaters have had no problem finding food in Vietnam!

I expected that pho would be our saving grace - that the kids would refuse to eat food off the menu - but surprisingly I only had pho once or twice during our week-plus there.  Other favorites included (no idea how to spell these!): Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls, Beef Luc Luk, Chicken or Pork with Cashew Nuts, Banh Xieo (vietnamese pancakes), Beef wrapped in Coconut Leaves, and even Brian's frog legs! Last (but certainly not least!) the Bia Hoi (locally brewed beer) has been a highlight - and at about $1/bottle, it is the best deal in town!

Jacob eating his Banh Xieo

Spring Rolls - usually got them fresh, but fried wasn't bad either!

Maggie eating some Beef Luc Luk

Pho + Beer = perfect lunch

Stunning Halong Bay, Vietnam

Thanksgiving came 10 weeks into our trip, so to avoid homesickness in all of us for family, food, and football, we decided to splurge a little with a trip on a Vietnamese "junk" for 2 nights in Halong Bay.

There are some places that are so stunning, pictures can't do them justice.  I tried from every angle to take pictures that would capture the beauty of Halong Bay, but nothing came out the way it really appeared to me.  Halong Bay is known for its stunning limestone karst topography that seems to go on forever. There are almost 2000 islands, most of which are uninhabited. Unfortunately, we didn't get glorious sunshine, but even in the cloud (and occasional rain), the beauty of the place was visible from every angle of the boat.

Day 1 had us picked up from our hotel in Hanoi and put in a van with 2 other couples for a long, bumpy 4 hour drive to Hanoi.  Driving in Hanoi (or anywhere in Vietnam) is worthy of a whole other blog post - lets just say we are happy to be alive each time we emerge unscathed from a vehicle.

We had booked this trip somewhat last minute (like most of our trip) and without really knowing what we were getting - but we ended up completely overwhelmed by what we signed up for. Our "junk" (such a misnomer - it was lovely) was called the White Dolphin and had about 8-10 cabins.

The White Dolphin

The Dining Room - home to TOO MUCH food

The other two couples on the White Dolphin had the cabins on the top floor, so we had the bottom deck all to ourselves - which meant Maggie had her own room and her own bathroom - thrilling.  After a huge lunch (this became a theme), we went kayaking around a small water village where families live in tiny 1-room huts built on water, partially connected to the other houses and a tiny school that only goes up to 6th grade or so - when most of the kids stop going to school so they can help their parents.

Houses in the Fishing Village

                   
That night, we ate a huge dinner, drank some beers, and had a great time talking to the two other couples on the boat (one American-ish couple, one Brazilian couple) and our Vietnamese guide who taught us about Vietnamese life - including how difficult it is to buy property (no mortgages - pay in full only!) and how even public school costs money (making it unattainable for many families).

Our next day (Thanksgiving Day) was spent on the "Little White Dolphin" - a smaller version of our junk. We spent the morning on a beach playing soccer and hiking up a hill to take in the views, and the afternoon kayaking through the many caves in the Bay.  Kids both loved and hated (brrrr- cold water) jumping off the junk  into the Bay below.

While we didn't have the traditional Thanksgiving Feast, we certainly feasted on just as many dishes as if we were home, which made us feel a little less homesick for turkey, stuffing and pie!

The last morning was spent in "the most beautiful caves in Halong Bay." We have seen many caves on our adventures thus far, so while these in fact were quite stunning, they weren't our favorites - although it could have been the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds making their way through the caves with us.

Look! We aren't bickering!

All in all, a delightful 3 days spent in Halong Bay, and a Thankgsiving we aren't likely to forget anytime soon.