Vietnam

The last leg on my journey. My sister came all the way from Germany to travel through Vietnam for 11 days with me. A perfect way not only to end my trip, but a great way to begin to get accustomed to the idea of heading back, by having someone from home with me for the first time really. The country was beautiful and we really managed to see a lot, traveling at a fierce pace. Despite not really enjoying the constant in your face attitude of the Vietnamese when it comes to selling...well anything basically, we did see some amazing things.

Vietnam the moped nation

Banh Xeo - it's filled, you wrap it in lettuce with some fresh herbs and dip it in a sauce...ooooh weee

sand dunes in Vietnam...who would've thought

travelers. level expert

if riding an ostrich was ever on your bucket list...

delusional sister at an amazing waterfall

amazing waterfall

got some teeth

huge, awesome Paradise Cave in Phong Nha NP, a major highlight

There's a lot more to our trip. Overall we went to Saigon, Mui Ne, Da Lat, Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang and Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. Too many pictures and too much excitement...to get to this next part! Every once in a while someone is hit with a stroke of genius. Sometimes, granted not often, that someone is me. Innovation drives the world and this is innovation at its finest! I present to you...

Sandwich Sightseeing!! Take a second to process...who doesn't love sightseeing? Traveling and seeing new places. It's wonderful, exciting, and we all love it. But it's missing something...something tasty...a delicious sandwich! Not only will you be taking in beauties left behind by ancient empires or mother nature's finest, but you'll be spoiling your taste buds as you do it! Here I went with a classic breakfast sub...fried egg and bacon on a French baguette...but there's a sandwich for every type of sight, adaptable to the sight itself and/or your preferences. The idea is simple...but the results astronomically delicious and exhilarating!! Try it out sometime . You're welcome...

My sister endorses this message

Cambodia

The second last leg on this little journey of mine...turned out to be quite the stunner. I only had 5 days in Cambodia and it's definitely no where near enough. With little time I focused on Siem Reap (obviously for Angkor Wat) and Phnom Phen. Just like always I planned very little, but this time I was recommended a guide for Siem Reap. So in advance I made sure that he had enough time to show me around for my 3 days there...for the incredible price of 15 USD/day. 

I couldn't have asked for a better guide. Sok is a man in his late twenties who has already been a guide for 5 years and spent 9 years living as a Buddhist monk. This obviously meant that he was very knowledgeable about local history and the religion and its elements engraved and displayed all over Angkor Wat and the other temples. He spent a lot of time explaining various elements and stories to me. For instance, in this particular temple, where there were paintings all over displaying an array of Buddha's stories. 

I rarely like to talk about religion, but this was very enjoyable. Having him as a guide was also a great way to dig into Cambodian culture. For example, by hanging out with him and his roommates at a typcial Cambodian beer garden and discussing for hours over pitchers of Angkor (local beer). Or of course eating...

pork, bean sprouts, rice noodles, and fresh herbs all rolled up in a piece of lettuce and then dipped in a sauce

I can highly recommend Sok for anyone heading to Siem Reap, so please make sure to ask me for his contact details if you're heading that way.

My first stop in Siem Reap wasn't Angkor Wat, but rather Tonle Sap. It's Cambodia's largest lake and famous in the tourist realm for its raised houses, i.e. floating villages. It was quite cool to see how these people lived, even after paying a ridiculously high entrance/boat fee. I decided to get my money's worth and stuck around on the mainland for a game of volleyball with the local kids. 

My last night in KL was spent eating, naturally, and not sleeping before my early morning flight. So after getting some much needed rest it was time for the main event. Sunrise at Angkor Wat. 

very mediocre shot :)

Sunrise at Angkor Wat is definitely worth it. I wouldn't say it quite lives up to the hype, but it definitely ensures an early start and gives you plenty of time for a long day of fun in the sun on those playgrounds they call temples.

Angkor Wat was absolutely stunning. It's only one of countless temples in the area, and definitely not my favorite, but still an absolute beauty. The details especially fascinated me, leaving me wishing I had more time to take it all in. The engraving above is of the Apsaras, who danced to distract anyone coming to harm Buddha. Seductive bodyguards basically. The detail of these ladies is just a very small example of the entire detail found throughout the temple. There's no point in posting picture after picture of Angkor Wat and the other temples, since you really have to just go and see them for yourself. This is without a doubt one of those must-see places on our planet and should be high up on everyone's list. Here are a few of my highlights:

One of my favorites: Bayon

everywhere towers with faces on all four sides. very very cool

always take time to chill at the top. enjoy the view

big German. bigger tree

that famous one

Buddha's 7 headed cobra protector. how's that for an entrance to a temple

these temples are for the most part ruins, i.e. one massive playground. start at the bottom. work your way up

so definitely make some time for exploring those areas where toursits are prohibited

nothing to do with temples, but still awesome

The majority of the Cambodia people live off of Angkor Wat and the temples. Tourism is the major industry and it's no coincidence that Angkor Wat is on their national flag. Overall it is a very poor country, given countless opportunities due to a national treasure left to them by their ancestors. Pretty much everyone who isn't involved with tourism, is involved with this...

90% of cultivated land consists of rice fields and 85% of the population are farmers. Mad statistics, which make perfect sense after you head to Phnom Phen and learn all about the Khmer Rouge. In Cambodia's capital you can visit a former school, turned into a prison famous for its tortures during the Khmer Rouge era,  and the Killing Fields, a massacre site covered in mass graves. Both places give you a very good idea of how horrible this piece of Cambodian history was and how influencial. During that period people were driven from the urban centers of the country and forced to live and work out on the land. Rice was now the national priority. Certainly a solid explanation for Cambodia's current state and their level of poverty.

I enjoyed this painting done by a child, displayed at the prison

5 days were most definitely too short, and I do hope to go back some day. However, I made the most of it and ended in typical fashion...with a feast!

Kuala Lumpur

Any place you stay in for a longer period of time is difficult to say goodbye to. Istanbul was my home for 3 months and saying adieu was definitely emotional, despite knowing that I would be back soon enough. Kuala Lumpur has been my home for the last 5 months now and it sure feels that way. 5 months is a long time and a lot has happened. I came to Kuala Lumpur with 80 dollars in my pocket, a lot of excitement and nearly zero plans. Quite daunting if you think about it...but after going with the flow and having amazing friends, old and new, to back me up I managed to set myself up with a nice little life in KL. It all started with this picture:

One class every morning. Enough for food for the week. I only got this class due to the laziness of my co-worker Kenny, who fiercly rejected having a morning class thus giving me an opening! Kenny became a great friend at work and has still remained lazy to this day :) . Over time more classes came. With that obviously more money. Now traveling was possible! The results of that you have been able to follow through this blog, so I won't spend time on where I've been. I started teaching just English, but that somehow developed into also teaching Math, Physics, Computers, Chemistry, Biology, and Geography. I started teaching just children, but that developed into additional morning adult classes. Sometimes you really just have to go with the flow. Life in KL was very good. Work was a blast, my co-workers were amazing, the food was out of this world and the weather was mostly sunny...and finally I was able to travel! Here are some pics from work:

teaching Korean twins

out with the Korean gang who was only here for the summer

chilling on couches at a Muji store

one of my favorite students

one adult class

another adult class of mine

goodybe evening with my adult students: pictionary!

Hangman...just couldn't figure it out :(

Korean kids' geography is horrendous, so this was my parting gift to the school

the gang

I think I'm going to make one entire post just about food in KL...it's the only way to do it justice. I'll get to that later though. If I had to sum up my favorite part about my life in KL, besides obviously the food, I'd have to say the opportunity to get to know two cultures simultaneously. Malaysian culture was around me everytime I stepped outside and Korean culture dominated my work and living environments. Both cultures impressed the hell out of me and I can't wait to continue learning about them when I get to Berlin (through restaurants perhaps). A few months into my life in KL I was almost ready to leave. I needed a place to stay if I was to continue staying in Malaysia. My boss, Sandy, presented me with an unforgettable opportunity. Stay with me and my family. What followed was two months of Korean food every night, a beautiful home which resembled a hotel resort, and the chance to spend more time in this incredible part of the world. 

my boss and her sons

my boss and her maid who was a phenomenal cook and a great woman

Leaving KL was hard, but knowing what was too come, it was also very exciting. As I write this I'm sitting in my hostel in Phnom Phen, Cambodia after spending 3 amazing days in Siem Reap and at Angkor Wat...post to come. I want to thank everyone who made this such a special experience for me, which means basically everyone who I taught, worked with, hung out with, or helped me out in one way or the other. Not only was I able to gain full time working experience, I was also able to gain a lot of life experience and perspectives which will really help me judge my own future. Phnom Phen and Vietnam for 11 days with my sis and then this trip is complete. Can't wait for it all...