Au début

This is my favorite time of any trip: the beginning. Not only do you still have a whole suitcase of fresh clothes or some semblance of sanity, but you also have the promise of adventures ahead. The possibilities are still full of potential. It is still seemingly unreal to be sitting in Switzerland right now. This trip has been unique in that I haven't had much time to mentally prepare. The last five weeks have been simply survival, and I wasn't even doing a very good job at that! I had no time to psych myself up for the trip, so it's already off to an interesting start.
Switzerland is so pristine and beautiful. I love it so much. I have missed the tranquility. There is such a respect for the quality of life here. The US is so busy all the time, it's easy to get lost in the hustle. Although I'll still have responsibilities, I expect the Swiss air to calm my soul. Just being here for a few hours has been soothing.
Plus I've gotten to know some people in my group better already. I love how traveling together bonds people. We have a great group, with some really great people!

Well, it's currently 10:28 pm local time, and I've been traveling since yesterday morning, so I'm going to bed. Here's to the start of something new!

World Expo

While we were in Shanghai, we had the awesome opportunity to visit the World Expo, also known as the World's Fair. Basically a chance for countries to show off to each other, the World Expo is a gathering of pavilions (or semi-permanent structures) from almost every country in the World. Basically you could get a taste of the world in one city. It was so much fun. We spent almost two whole days there!

In front of the Nepal Pavilion



My friend Brooke and me with the China Pavilion in the background. (And yes, there was a group of Japanese tourists standing behind the person who took this picture, so we ended up on a bunch of Japanese cameras as well... Creepers.)



The Morocco Pavilion



And finally, a shot of the cityscape of Shanghai. It was so beautiful!

So I Climbed the Great Wall...

I know it's been a while since I blogged; I didn't realize that Blogger would be blocked by the "Great Firewall." Tragic, I know. But I thought I'd still post some of my favorite memories from the trip.

One of the stand-out days was when I fulfilled a life's dream of going to the Great Wall of China. It was pretty sweet. We visited just a part of it when we were in the Beijing area, but it seemed to be a popular place to go. It was totally crowded, but still way fun to see.



I think one of the things that surprised me the most was how steep it was. The wall literally just followed the mountains and was quite the hike to make in my flip flops...

Something I love about historical places is the way they make you think about those that came before you. So many people lived and died for this wall. Hardly any of the workers ever got to see the work completed. I wonder if these men could have known that in hundreds of years a girl from a country that didn't even exist back then would come and snap a few pictures, walk around, and leave. They couldn't have. They just did their job because that's what they had to do.



And when we came down off the wall, there was a camel. Kinda random, but of course we had to take pictures!

Puppets and Perusing

First off, I'd like to make a confession. I have a slight addiction. Not to opium or anything, but to dragonfruit. I knew I like the stuff before, but my consumption has rapidly increased since getting here. Today I had some form of dragonfruit for three consecutive meals: fresh cut for breakfast, juice drink at lunch, and a smoothie drink at breakfast. I just can't get enough! (Props to anyone who started to sing the song, I know I did.)

After a day of shopping and walking around the city, a large group of us went to a water puppet show. We didn't really know what we were getting into, but it was actually really entertaining. I could never guess how they controlled them. But the music was traditional (I would guess) and the show was very well done.


P.S. I found this in one of the knockoff art stores and thought it was probably what all the poor Vietnamese people are thinking when I walk down the street.

Culture Clash

Today is our first full day in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. We've gotten a chance to see a little bit of the city and visit some businesses and the common theme I've seen is one of seeming culture clashes, and I'm not just talking about my towering white American frame. These apparent clashes are all over the city: between old culture and new ideas, leftover French architecture and classic Asian influence, open economic markets and communist rule, shacks and high rises. Even its name is a split issue, technically called Ho Chi Minh, but still referred to as Saigon by most. Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh particularly, is a country in transition and trying to find its identity. I hope that they can find a balance between all of these differences, as it makes for a unique experience for all who visit.


P.S. I was a Vietnamese millionaire for about an hour today. A whole 1.000.000 Vietnamese dong rested in my lady pocket from the time I took it out of the ATM till we got to the restaurant. Don't worry, it was only about $50, but it was still a nice feeling.

Leaving on a jet plane...

As I sit among my piles of clothes and semi-packed suitcase, I still can't believe that this is all happening. In a matter of hours, I will get in car, which will take me to a bus, which will take me to a plane, which will take me to another plane, which will take me to Vietnam. This has always seemed like a distant future plan, but it is officially here! Now I just have to pack. Hopefully I don't forget anything!

It's the final countdown!

Time is ticking down, and there is still so much to do! I can't even believe these past three weeks have gone by so quickly. Now it's just time to get everything ready to go. At least I know I won't have to pack much; I'm going to buy so much there! Yahoo for shopping!
But while I was looking up somethings about my trip, I found out that we will be in China over a holiday called the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. Here's a link to a tourism page explaining it. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/dragon-boat.htm I'm so excited that I will be able to witness it!