Christmas is Coming...The Holiday Sequel

Well, you are witnessing a true Christmas miracle: two Sondermann travel blog updates posted within 3.5 weeks of each other. Here is the sequel to the November 26th update: South East Asia: The Good, The Rad and The Ugly.  

In the last update we covered Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia. This SE Asia snapshot will cover Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

Vietnam

The Good: Củ Chi Tunnels (near Ho Chi Min City). During the Vietnam War, Viet Cong troops created a brilliant network of tunnels and booby traps that caused their enemies, mostly Americans, an enormous amount of grief (to put it lightly). It was fascinating and chilling to crawl through these tunnels, while gaining perspective on just how miserable it must have been for both sides to fight in the war. 

*Anyone that fought in the 2002 Huber Christmas snowball fight should know that Shane took many notes for the next epic winter battle.

The Rad: Hội An. The tailoring capital of South East Asia. You pick the style and the fabric and a tailor will whip you up just about

anything that you set your heart on: shirts, suits, dresses and coats. All for the price of a pair of shoelaces.

My super-fabulous sister-in-law Jenn Huber gave me the heads up about this magical wonderland. I started my preparations several months prior to our visit which included collecting clothing pics from magazines and fashion websites. I also built a comprehensive budget to manage the expectations of the most patient man that I 

know. How patient you ask? Over 80 lbs of clothing are on a boat headed for Vancouver right now.

The Ugly: The War Remnants Museum in Hanoi. Another reminder of how efficient and cruel humans can be at eliminating each other. If the pictures of combat casualties don’t turn your stomach, certainly the jars of disfigured, deceased infants will (displayed to show the horrendous affects of Agent Orange).


Thailand

The Good: Having lived out of each others’ back pockets for the past year, we decided to dapple in some solo traveling for two weeks. Shane filled his time trekking near the North Vietnamese town of Sapa with our Estonian friends Kadi and Kristjan.

From Vietnam he headed to Chiang Mai, in Northern Thailand, where he spent a week trekking, white water rafting, elephant riding, watching Muay Thai boxing, and learning to cook like a Thai chef.

My itinerary was a little less involved than Shane's.  I registered for a 10-day meditation retreat at the International Dhamma Hermitage of Wat Suan Mokkh, a famous Buddhist monastery in Southern Thailand. This retreat follows a strict routine that includes a 4 AM wake-up call (a giant bell), eating two vegetarian meals a day with no dinner, and meditating for at least six hours.

Oh...did I mention that this was a silent retreat? No talking to anyone (including yourself) for 10 days. While many of the retreat participants floundered under these rules, I surprised myself by keeping it zipped for the duration of the retreat. I know, it’s just sooooo hard to believe.

The Ugly: When Shane and I met up again in Koh Samui we had similar stories about our solo sleeping conditions. Shane spent several, near-frigid nights in Northern Thailand clinging to a thin wool blanket on an equally thin mat on the floor. 

My bed at the retreat was situated in a tiny cinder block ‘cell’ with a 6-inch slab of concrete and an 1/8 inch straw mat for extra comfort. The bedding was a thin wool blanket and wooden (yes wooden) pillow. 

The only thing that I cared about though was my mosquito net. And it wasn’t to protect me from the mosquitoes...

I'd love to read a realtor's sales description for this room

The really ugly: Arachnophobia vs. Suan Mokkh. The grounds of the retreat centre were swallowed up overnight as record rainfalls flooded most of Thailand. The frogs thought it was terrific but the Huntsmen spiders decided it was time for dry ground.  That dry ground happened to be in our cold, concrete rooms.  For ten days arachnids, the size of lapdogs, moved from room to room terrorizing the women of Dorm Building 1. 

To make matters worse, Buddhists don’t believe in killing anything and this includes spiders. Their only solution was to “send the spiders loving kindness”.  I would have preferred to send the spiders my wooden pillow. 


The Rad: Oh we love our friends Etienne and Sylvie. Firstly, because they are just wonderful/kind/superb human beings and secondly because they gave us a pass to stay at a five-star hotel in Koh Samui for one week at a rate of $12/night. It’s a bit of a long story but the short of it is that we went from staying in rooms fit for convicts to lounging in luxury, enjoying beautiful views of the island, a huge flat screen tv and a massive jacuzzi tub.



Not a bad view for twelve bucks a night



The Philippines:
The Final Leg of our SE Asia Travels

The Good: This is an easy one - Shane's relatives.  Wonderful hosts, wonderful people.  We spent our time getting to know the family, learning about the Philippines...and explaining why we had not yet 'populated' the family tree.

Sure your mother told you that you were special -
but did she ever make you a welcome banner?

The Rad: Lulu's Jungle House.  Now before you start thinking of a Swiss Family Robinson-style house, think again.  This is Shane's mom's dream home with 2 dining rooms, 3 living rooms and 7 bedrooms (with plans for additional 5 more).  

Bonding with Shane's Mom (and her chicken)

More of 'the rad': Our visit to the spectacular beaches of Boracay.  The beaches and sunsets were the best that we've seen on our entire world tour.

We swam until the stars replaced the sun

The Ugly:  Well, just when I thought that I'd have nothing to write about for 'the ugly' I contracted pink eye.  We spent time with Lulu's neighbors that were visiting from France.  I followed proper French protocol with a cheek to cheek reception and got more than I'd bargained for.  No, I didn't take a photo of my condition.  Just picture a really white girl with a really red eye.


One Other Ugly:  Having nearly recovered from my traumatic encounter with the Huntsmen spiders in Thailand I thought it was prudent to ask Lulu if she had any spiders in her home.  Her reply was "no". Look what we found in our room... 

I'm not an Arachnologist but this looks like a spider to me.

Well, that's it for this travel update.  With South East Asia behind us we are carrying on with our adventures in Australia. Our plans include visiting our good friends in Melbourne and completing an overland trip through the Southern part of Australia.

As always we hope this blog update finds you happy, healthy and enjoying life.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Shane & Colleen

Christmas is Coming...

Greetings,

Recently Shane asked me about our blog update for South East Asia.  My two-word response was “it’s coming” and his 6-word response was “that's nice, but so is Christmas”.  Alas, after checking the calendar, I had to relent that he had a point.  Where the heck did the time go?!   

It’s been three months since we hightailed it out of Nairobi and headed for the sun, sand, seas and sanity of backpacking in South East Asia.  In that time we’ve travelled through Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.   

I’ve created a mighty challenge for myself with this blog update.  A lot has happened over the past few months, making it difficult to sum it all up (and lets face it, my track record for “summing it up” hasn’t been so stellar).  In an effort to keep your interest, I've divided this update into two, separate posts using a format titled: “the good, the rad, and the ugly” (evidently, there aren’t many relevant words that rhyme with “bad”).

So for our 2-day visit to Singapore “the good” was clocking double-digit kms while we hoofed it around the city, taking in the fantastic architecture and checking out the mega-luxury shopping malls (we splurged on a snow cone).

The “rad” was basking in nostalgia as we returned to the sites that we had visited on our first backpacking trip together six years ago.

And “the ugly” was getting into a verbal brawl with a 7-11 store manager in Little India after he accused us of shoplifting from him two days prior.  Ok, we may be unemployed but we’re not desperate!!  It got really interesting when we showed him our passports, proving that we weren’t in the country at the time of the incident.

So that’s it for Singapore which, given the fact that we were only there for two days, makes “the good, the rad, and the ugly” a breeze.

Malaysia
 

The Good: A visit to the iconic Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.   With a 40-story view of the city, we had no problem spotting Malaysia’s not-so-subtle national flag.

The Rad: The Perhentian Islands.  Gorgeous beaches, water the temperature of a warm bath, and fantastic snorkeling.

Evidently Shane will be teaching our kids to cartwheel.

The Ugly: The Perhentian Islands.  Not the islands specifically but our accommodations.  After price checking every hostel on the beach we predictably settled on the cheapest place we could find for $10/night.  Yes, you’re right, $10 a night is expensive but what really stunk, so to speak, was that the rickety floorboards of this shack sat a mere 2 feet above the sandy surface that the resident felines liked to call their litter box.

Initially we didn't think the room was that bad...but then, neither did the cockroaches.

Indonesia

The Good: (1) Visiting our friends Alecia, Dave and their son Tyus in Jakarta.  (2) One week of sun, snorkeling, seafood & satays in the picturesque Gili Islands.   

The Rad: Waterbom Water Slide park in Bali.  One of our biggest splurges in South East Asia - $25 each to spend an entire day flying (sometimes literally) down the slides, rediscovering our love for slippery surfaces.

Would you believe it if Shane told you that he really missed being at the office?

The Ugly: (1) Garbage everywhere.  From city streets to ocean beaches the disturbing accumulation of garbage, mostly plastic, is a glaring reality in this hugely populated country.  We saw rivers clogged with garbage (and cats).  On the ferry we watched children deliberately dumping their trash overboard while their parents watched.  Sooner or later the garbage problem is going to catch up with Indonesians...and all of us for that matter.

(2) Oh, I won’t bore you with the details but at a DVD shop in the Gili Islands the shop owner pulled a knife on me...

Cambodia

The Good: Angkor Wat.  Well, this is a given.  To confess, we’re still recovering from overdosing on temples when we were in India.  Nonetheless, Angkor Wat is a sight to behold. 

The Rad: The Bamboo Train in Battambang!!  At 5 bucks a person this was definitely a cheap thrill.  Laughing nervously as you zip along the original one-way train tracks laid down by the French in the 1930’s on a train made from bamboo planking, a four-stroke engine and reused military tank wheels and axles.  Safe? Sure.

The Ugly: (1)The Killing Fields. There aren’t too many words that adequately describe how depressing it is to wander over soil that was carved into hundreds of mass graves (often by the victims that lie in them) during the horrific, 4-year reign of the Khmer Rouge.  As you walk along the paths that guide you between the graves, it’s hard not to tread over clothing, bone fragments and teeth that wash up with heavy rains each year.  

(2) S-21.  A high school converted into an interrogation and torture compound by the Khmer Rouge.  Classrooms display torture beds and thousands of photographs of men, women and children who were part of the 1.5 million Cambodians that were systematically murdered during the regime.

With our travels in Cambodia complete we set our sights on Vietnam, Thailand and finally the Philippines.  In the next couple of weeks I will post the second half of 'the good, the rad and the ugly'. 'Christmas Is Coming' - to be continued...

Wherever this update finds you in the world, we hope you are happy, healthy and enjoying life.

Shane & Colleen

The Square Peg vs. The Round Hole: Our First Visit to Africa

Well, this isn’t exactly the blog update I was hoping to provide for Africa but here it goes... 

Once upon a time, in the far away land of Kenya, the Sondermanns prepared for the biggest road trip of their lives.  They bought camping supplies, travel maps, tools, road safety gear, extra tires and oh yes of course...their overland safari vehicle - a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

 

The good news is that every item on their shopping list, albeit one, was a good buy.  The bad news is that the one item that wasn’t a good buy just so happened to be the Toyota Prado.

Cutting to the Chase

Despite the mechanical inspection and all assurances that the Prado would make it to South Africa and back, after two weeks on the road in Kenya our engine blew up. 

While almost every Kenyan that we encountered was friendly, honest and genuinely kind, we managed to get stitched up with a very successful mechanic/businessman that had the moral and ethical fiber of a Pop Tart.  It was strange that he decided to fleece us, given that most of his business comes from the United Nations and our friends that personally introduced us to him both work for the UN. And yes, word of mouth carries the same weight in Africa as it does at home.

So the engine blew up and after a somber tow-truck ride back to Nairobi, our friends issued some nasty threats. A lengthly wait ensued and finally some of the money for the vehicle was returned to us.  Sadly we had spent far too much time and depleted far too much money from our budget to start over.

We could have used the remaining funds in our budget to fly to a few places in Africa but we knew that overlanding was the only way we wanted to see such an incredible continent.   And so we weighed out our options and consulted the lyrics of a legendary, plastic surgery-addicted country singer:

“You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, 

know when to walk away and know when to run".

In this case we heeded Kenny’s advice, and ‘ran’ for South East Asia.

Our time in Kenya was full of highs and lows.  While the vehicle gave us mind-numbing headaches, sleepless nights, and heart murmurs, we also had really wonderful/incredible/inspiring experiences including self-safaris through three of Kenya’s National Parks. We also met and befriended some exceptional people and saw iconic landscapes.  So all was certainly not lost.  

To give you a snapshot of our trip, I've captured the highs and lows in a segment I've titled Highs and Lows. Admittedly the lows are pretty funny in a "man, that really sucks for you guys" kind of way.  So, enjoy. 

Oh but wait, before we get to that segment, I'm certain you'll want to take a moment to test your African animal identification skills.  Because most of you saw The Lion King, you probably consider yourselves semi-experts in this area. That's nice. So to challenge you, we've thrown in a bit of a twist to this photo trivia that we've fondly titled: "Behind the Beast".

Note: If you click on any of the pictures 
in the blog they should enlarge

Admittedly, it was pretty entertaining taking these pics because we were genuinely excited when an animal dismissed us by offering its backside. Yes, this photo trivia may seem a tad odd, it might make you uneasy, and may suggest it's time that Shane and I return to civilization, but just 'roll with it' and find the photo answer key at the end of this update.  

And now for those Highs & Lows... 

Highs 

Spotting our first giraffe after landing at Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi at 1:30 AM.

Getting to know Megan & Patrick and their son Jacques, who generously offered for us to stay at their place while we prepared for the trip. Thank you to our magnificent friend Erin for putting us in touch with her relatives.

Finding two vehicles that appeared to be good options for our overland trip - both being sold by expats that worked for the United Nations.

More Highs

Tom Smith, the seemingly straight-shooter of a mechanic that Patrick and Megan introduced us to, reports that for various reasons (poor engine, evidence of roll-over, major mechanical issues), both vehicles were not viable options for the trip.  Though our spirits are deflated, they’re quickly restored when Tom recommends a ‘solid, reliable Toyota Prado’ with a ‘solid, reliable engine’. We have the vehicle inspected, get all assurances that it’s a good fit for our needs and take the plunge with our biggest purchase of our world tour. 

Lows 

After investigating a slow leak in the back tire we discover that the rubber has been ripped by not one, not two...but five nails.  We have to replace both back tires (about $250 each). Our first red flag.

Highs 

After a very big shopping trip for all of our overland gear and groceries, we load up the vehicle and get ready for an early morning departure.

Lows 

The seal on our jerry can breaks and as we pull out of the bumpy driveway the container spills diesel everywhere.  Coincidence, yes...but it just felt strangely like another red flag.

Highs

After giving the vehicle a bath we're on our way to Mount Kenya.  Shane has learned to drive on the left side of the road, sitting on the right side of the vehicle while shifting gears on the left side. 

Many people in Kenya drive like maniacs.  The American Consular website refers to road safety as one of "Kenya’s greatest threats to travelers”.  
   

For the record, Shane did an exceptional job of navigating around: crater-sized pot holes, donkey-towed carts, wandering sheep, matatus (uber-dangerous minibuses) and bicycles balancing dangerously high stacks of supplies.

Lows 

Two hours outside of Nairobi we hit a very long, steep hill - our speed drops to 38 kms with Shane’s foot pressing the pedal to the metal.  Red flag, red flag, red flag!!!!!

Highs 

Our first night camping near Mount Kenya under a massive sea of stars.

 Ahhh...a peaceful moment: Shane, Colleen & their lemon

We arrive at Lake Bogoria National Park to find it nearly deserted of tourists.  We have an incredible opportunity to observe, in solitude, hundreds of thousands of pink flamingos.  

Flamingos are skittish and often take flight at sudden movements or noises so while Shane was recording this clip I was waving my hands behind him which set off thousands of these birds into full flight.

 
Highs/Lows 

Waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of a hippopotamus huffing outside of our tent.  When agitated, these plus-sized animals won't hesitate to run over anything that weighs less than a tractor trailer.  After an enlightened discussion about what to do when a hippopotamus is hanging outside your tent, we raced for the truck.

 Really??

Lows 

While heading back into Nairobi we experience low engine power, overheating, a faulty 4-wheel drive system and an intense squealing noise when the speed drifted above 40 km.  At this point we can barely see outside of the windshield there are so many red flags blocking our view.

Big Low 

We confront Tom (the mechanic) about the issues with the vehicle.  He took a swift step off the deep end - swearing, shouting, punching our vehicle, and suggesting that if he were to assault Shane, the police wouldn't do anything about it.  His very kind accountant had to step in to cool him off.  Yep, red flag.

High(ish) 

After a very brief moment of regret for his Bill O'Reilly-style outburst, Tom agrees to address the issues with the vehicle at cost, which resulted in several days of work.  He guarantees the vehicle will make it to South Africa and back, shakes Shane's hand and tells us to "have a great trip".  

Lows 

Heading into the Rift Valley, we sense that the vehicle still isn't 'right'.  I try to rally our spirits by playing "Africa" by Toto on the stereo.  Yes, so pathetic it brings a smile to your face.

The roads into the Masai Mara have a reputation for being fresh hell to drive over.  They were but, as we quickly discovered, our shocks were Pinto-quality and this made the experience even more enthralling.  What the heck, throw in another red flag here.

Highs (Big Highs!!) 

The Masai Mara: Kenya's world-famous game reserve, covering 1,510 square kms of iconic landscapes.  Being one of the few vehicles in the park that wasn't operated by a tour agency, we enjoyed the independence and privacy of our third self-safari.  

We saw fantastic wildlife including a leopard that casually walked 6 feet in front of our vehicle (very unusual to see) as well as the massive wildebeest migration where over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras and gazelles make their annual 1,800-mile march into the park for rain-ripened grass.  You can pretty much add everything else to the mix including: lions, buffalos, zebras, elephants, crocodiles, warthogs and hippos. Awesome!!  


At the risk of including far too many photos in this blog update, I've only included 150 pics below for your enjoyment.  I'm kidding - here are 9 of our favourites:

Lows  

While driving in the Masai Mara we find ourselves stuck in the mud, attempt to engage the newly repaired 4-wheel drive...you know where this is going don't you? Red flag.

Having successfully freed ourselves of the mud with a two-wheel drive system, we continue on our way for several more hours until steam emerges from the hood of our truck.  The pressure from the overheated engine has caused the radiator to burst.  Red flag.

Having successfully repaired our radiator with the services of two bush mechanics, and with dusk setting in, we head out of the park.  We arrive at our campsite, park the vehicle, get washed up and return to discover all of the engine's oil on the ground. Red flag.

Having spent an entire day with another bush mechanic, who fixes the leak with a welding job, we prepare to leave the next morning.  Destination: Tom's shop in Nairobi.

Lows 

Two hours away from Nairobi our engine starts reving/squealing and despite removing the keys from the ignition, it continues to rev until the exhaust pipe creates a 12 inch hole in the gravel as the engine blows. I think we're beyond the red flags by now.  

I can honestly say that as we stood 10 feet away from the vehicle with local Kenyans, that had gathered to watch, I actually considered how much the insurance was worth and secretly prayed that our lemon would simply explode.

The Final Low

Need I say more...

The Square Peg vs. The Round Hole

We tried.  We did everything we could to make the trip but in the end, with a lemon of a vehicle, we just couldn't get the square peg to fit the round hole.

We had tremendously bad luck but we also know it could have been worse - much worse.  A few weeks after the final incident I had a dream that I was pushing Shane in a wheelchair and our Toyota Prado was resting headfirst in the ditch of the driveway to my house where I grew up.  Probably nothing right?  But it was good reminder that we were fortunate not to have experienced the dire consequences of driving a lemon in Africa.

Highs 

Once we had put the ugly incident behind us we booked our flights and started making plans for an early arrival to South East Asia.  At the same time we met a fantastic couple from Canada.  Paul and Lynn Kohls are are missionaries in Nairobi and they spent plenty of time with us, taking us to sites including the giraffe sanctuary in Nairobi where we had very close encounters with the residents.

For my 31st birthday Paul arranged for a community activist to give us a tour of the Kibera Slum in Nairobi.  Kibera is the second largest urban slum in all of Africa where upwards of 1.5 million Africans reside.  We were grateful for the unique experience and it put our circumstances into perspective, seeing tremendous poverty, where rivers of sewage run between shacks as far as the eye can see.

Movin' On

As we taxied down the runway - our destination Bangkok - we had very mixed emotions. Disappointment, resentment, relief, but mostly excitement and anticipation for our next adventures.  

We landed in Bangkok and stayed briefly to make plans for a month and a half in Malaysia and Indonesia (we're in Malaysia now) before returning to Thailand.  From there we'll set off for a six-week trip through Cambodia and Vietnam.   


At the end of November we'll fly to the Philippines where Shane will meet his extended family for the first time. In case you didn't know or you always wondered - Shane is half Filipino and half German. Shane's mom is originally from a family of 17 children so we'll have a few names and faces to memorize.

Before we sign off, we would be remiss if we forgot the answer key to "Behind the Beasts" photo trivia.

From top right to left:  Ostrich, Rhino, Baboon, Impala

Zebra, Topi, Warthog, Giraffe

African Buffalo, Hippo, Elephant, Wildebeest

As always we hope this (epically long) blog update finds you well and enjoying life.  

Shane & Colleen