Sunny with a high of 14 C. Windows down and west-bound on Hwy. 1. Look out and see the rocky snow-capped twin peaks of Golden Ears; look up and take in the golden hawks and bald eagles cruising the airspace; look around and be mesmerized at big cedars and mighty firs. Stop and take a breath of crisp, fresh mountain air. Resist the temptation to follow the sign reading "Exit 8B- White Rock". Clear your throat and turn up the radio. You gotta love the Hip; Kokonut, I hardly knew you. Aaah yes, folks- Beautiful BC lives up to its name. Compared to PP, we're now Ahead by a Century- you feelin' me?
The family is great. Since coming home we've seen a lot of each other and it's been real. We've reconnected with 3 sets of grandparents and drank a lot of coffee. Life at the Wegenast Funny Farm has been loud, hectic, and on a whole, a lot of fun. Took the John Deere for a test drive yesterday and hit up 7-11 for some blue bubblegum slurpees.
Also visited with my (James) good old friend from high school Steve Klassen. He spent the last 4 months living and working all over South Africa so it was good to swap stories with a former expat. It was a great to hang out again: took a trip to Catan [Julie conquered (again)], ate some KD, and shared a pack of Popeye ciggies for old time's sake. In the evening Julie and the girls went to a bridal shower, while my brother and I went to my favorite place in town, the Vedder River, for a fire and some Rickards Honey Browns. So long, Angkor Beer.
On the way home from the river, we picked up Julie and head to Tim's for a midnight hot chocolate and a game of chess. While at Tim's we met a fella named Les who was "fresh out of the clink". Les was clad in head-to-toe denim and carrying half a cigarette. He had a red face and a loud crazy man's laugh. We shot the breeze for a while, and once he was checkmated, Les took off and we shortly followed. I guess no matter where you go, you never know who you'll run into. Good times.
So that was BC Day 1.
cheers, eh.
O CANADA!
This blog will be a quick one.
After 4 days spent conquering Cambodia, braving Bangkok, and salvaging Seoul (thanks Gomes!), we arrived at Vancouver International Airport yesterday safe and sound. Due to the time change, we techinically did the whole trip, including a 12-hour layover in Korea, in one calendar day. Unfortunately, that day was 39 hours long.
It really is great to be back, and culture shock is setting in (more on this to come in a later entry). As soon as we got off the plane we were struck by how clean the air is and also how clean and spacious it is here. It's beautiful.
Furthermore, it is great to be back home with family and friends.
Oh well, until next time, Au Revoir!
.james and julia
After 4 days spent conquering Cambodia, braving Bangkok, and salvaging Seoul (thanks Gomes!), we arrived at Vancouver International Airport yesterday safe and sound. Due to the time change, we techinically did the whole trip, including a 12-hour layover in Korea, in one calendar day. Unfortunately, that day was 39 hours long.
It really is great to be back, and culture shock is setting in (more on this to come in a later entry). As soon as we got off the plane we were struck by how clean the air is and also how clean and spacious it is here. It's beautiful.
Furthermore, it is great to be back home with family and friends.
Oh well, until next time, Au Revoir!
.james and julia
T MINUS ONE WEEK
From the eddy of motos in Vietnam to the empty streets of Phnom Penh, we're here in our final week abroad, and our last stint in Cambodia.
It's Khmer New Year, one of the biggest celebrations in the country. Unlike November’s Water Festival—the other major holiday—where people flock to the city, Khmer New Year is when people head "home" to the provinces. This leaves Phnom Penh feeling like a ghost town for a few days. A ghost town where you can sleep ‘til 9am without honking horns, barking dogs or howling street vendors waking you. A ghost town where you can cross the street at any time of day without a step-by-step pause to let cars, bikes and motos zip past. A ghost town without constant power outages in the name of “conservation”, because no one is here to use any.
In the week or so before arriving in BC, we will have been in 6 major cities: Hanoi, Saigon, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Soeul, then Vancouver.
The idea of chilling out in this silent city for a couple of days before life resumes and we continue our trek home might be just what the doctor ordered. We have a couple of books on the go. A stocked fridge. Some new DVDs. And some land in Catan that needs settling. I’d say our New Year is going to be rung in with style.
Happy New Year all!
It's Khmer New Year, one of the biggest celebrations in the country. Unlike November’s Water Festival—the other major holiday—where people flock to the city, Khmer New Year is when people head "home" to the provinces. This leaves Phnom Penh feeling like a ghost town for a few days. A ghost town where you can sleep ‘til 9am without honking horns, barking dogs or howling street vendors waking you. A ghost town where you can cross the street at any time of day without a step-by-step pause to let cars, bikes and motos zip past. A ghost town without constant power outages in the name of “conservation”, because no one is here to use any.
In the week or so before arriving in BC, we will have been in 6 major cities: Hanoi, Saigon, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Soeul, then Vancouver.
The idea of chilling out in this silent city for a couple of days before life resumes and we continue our trek home might be just what the doctor ordered. We have a couple of books on the go. A stocked fridge. Some new DVDs. And some land in Catan that needs settling. I’d say our New Year is going to be rung in with style.
Happy New Year all!
BACK IN THE DAYS OF NAM...
Our short visit to Vietnam couldn't have gone better. We saw a little of the whirlwind of Ho Chi Minh City. Experienced the typical touristy jaunt to the Mekong Delta. Cruised around Ha Long Bay for a few days. Felt the chilly, dreary weather of Hanoi. Then made our way back to the south and back over to Cambodia. It's was neat to see the similarities and differences (mostly the latter) between the two countries, but we'll save that for another time...just to say that our initial feelings of infatuation with the country were outweighed by the end of the visit with hankerings for home (Cambodia). But it was good.
For now, here's a couple photos of the sights we saw:
(Below: Proof that they truely did run the Saigon Marathon in bare feet;
really, there's no need for that.)
(Below: The zoo. If you're an animal lover, it's a great place to avoid;
if you're an animal, be thankful...we've seen worse.)
The Mekong Delta. Despite the kitsch, it's a must-see for any visitor to the area. For $9, you get a day-long tour including transportation in a bus, a motor boat, a paddle boat, and a donkey-drawn wagon. You get to try seafood (at your own risk), noodle plates, and fresh fruit. You walk among banana and palm trees to see the process at a local cavity-causing coconut candy outfit. And you get to rock with a few locals as they perform their traditional music (I'd say they have Cambodia beat on this one). To top it all off, you have a chance to wrap a ridiculously large python around your neck. Any takers? 
(Note: The order that these two shots appear is true to the sequence of events as they occured in real time...just for the record)
In HCMC we found a cheap flight and caught a plane up to Hanoi, where we spent a damp, disoriented evening finding a place to hang our hat for the night. The next day, bright and early, we began a three-day tour around Ha Long Bay. There's reason why it's a World Heritage Site, though it could do without the hundreds of tour boats; ah well, it's hard to find one without the other, I suppose. Bottom line: it's beautiful! Our tour included sleeping aboard a Chinese junk boat (it took me the longest time to realize people weren't just being boorish when referring to them), trekking through massive caves, doing a short trek up a mountain, and kayaking about lagoons.
(Above: Vendors would paddle up to our boat offering us fruits, cookies, cigarettes, etc.)
(Below: To our dads: you would have hated this part. Atop the mountain we climbed there was a huge rust-ridden metal look-out tower. The sign at the bottom of the tower, "Maximum 5 people" didn't give much reassurance, but if you made it to the top, it held a fabulous view)
From there it was back to HCMC for another few days, and then a 6-hour bus ride home. Again, if you get a chance, go.
To Minnesota: we missed you, Charlie!
BLUE SKY HANOI
So here we are at the lovely Blue Sky Hotel in Hanoi. Unfortunately, in this part of the world right now the Blue Sky exisits only as a name on a neon sign. Despite the 28 degree temp. it's grey and raining outside.
As it is raining, today we did what any North American might do on long slow rainy Saturdays: we hit up KFC for lunch and then taxied over to the cheap theater to watch a show. Uncultural? sure, but why not. Hanoi isn't much of a tourist place anyway, just a lot of shops catering to locals along a hodge podge of narrow heavily-trafficked streets.
I never thought I'd say this, but we're both really looking forward to the laid back atmosphere of Phnom Penh. So we'll fly back to Saigon tomorrow and then catch a bus home on Mon. Vietnam is alright, and all in all it was a good trip. Check in later for some pictures.
Have a good week, all.
As it is raining, today we did what any North American might do on long slow rainy Saturdays: we hit up KFC for lunch and then taxied over to the cheap theater to watch a show. Uncultural? sure, but why not. Hanoi isn't much of a tourist place anyway, just a lot of shops catering to locals along a hodge podge of narrow heavily-trafficked streets.
I never thought I'd say this, but we're both really looking forward to the laid back atmosphere of Phnom Penh. So we'll fly back to Saigon tomorrow and then catch a bus home on Mon. Vietnam is alright, and all in all it was a good trip. Check in later for some pictures.
Have a good week, all.
DAY 3
Day 3 of vacation... I love it.
I have to say, one of the best parts of being on holidays is going out for breakfast-- and a little joint called Sozo has already become a favourite of ours. Scrambled eggs, thick toasted homemade bread, and good hot coffee. Is there a better way to start the morning? Furthermore, the joint's raison d'etre is to help underprivileged Vietnamese back on their feet. Yep, it's a beauty.
Today we experienced Saigon in rush hour. It was madness. With thousands of motos within view at any given time, the organized chaos was reminiscent of runners at the Vancouver Sun Run, worker bees making honey, or kids running to children's church. It was cool to be a part of, but alas, tomorrow we're off to the capital. Apparently Hanoi is an ideal midpoint for 2 of the north's more beautiful areas: the coast and caves in Halong Bay and the mountains and rivers in Sapa, both of which we hope to visit before we head home. Looking forward to it...
Go(lf) Canucks Go(lf) [and Leafs too].
I have to say, one of the best parts of being on holidays is going out for breakfast-- and a little joint called Sozo has already become a favourite of ours. Scrambled eggs, thick toasted homemade bread, and good hot coffee. Is there a better way to start the morning? Furthermore, the joint's raison d'etre is to help underprivileged Vietnamese back on their feet. Yep, it's a beauty.
Today we experienced Saigon in rush hour. It was madness. With thousands of motos within view at any given time, the organized chaos was reminiscent of runners at the Vancouver Sun Run, worker bees making honey, or kids running to children's church. It was cool to be a part of, but alas, tomorrow we're off to the capital. Apparently Hanoi is an ideal midpoint for 2 of the north's more beautiful areas: the coast and caves in Halong Bay and the mountains and rivers in Sapa, both of which we hope to visit before we head home. Looking forward to it...
Go(lf) Canucks Go(lf) [and Leafs too].
OFF TO NAM
Time is quickly tickin' away 'til we return to the true north strong and free. With about 3 weeks left, we decided to hop on bus headed to Ho Chi Minh City and spend a week or two touring around Vietnam.
Our initial thoughts upon arrival?
What have we been doing in Campuchea?
Oh yes: Rescue. The kids.
Solely on a tourist/sightseeing level, I'd say Vietnam trumps Cambodia. Perhaps that statement is biased because it feels so great to be “on the road again”, or maybe we’re just smitten by all these cafes, restaurants, trees, and funky shops (one of us being more smitten by that last one than the other). Either way, it’s a blast.
It’s also interesting to see another angle of Asia. New country. New language. New food (ie. seeing dogs enroute to market). New customs. We’re regular old guinea pigs here, though both in our happy places: James with his maps and learning Vietnamese words from patient locals, and me with an empty memory card in the camera, and …many shops on hand waiting to be explored.
Two other highlights of the trip thus far: stumbling upon the HCMC International Marathon. A perfect example of ignorance being bliss, as I’m sure we would have coerced each other into signing up for the half…you’d understand the bliss more if you saw how 80% of the runners were running in their bare feet. Wow. The second highlight? The HCMC Zoo. If you can stand the .75 cent admissions charge, it’s a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.
As for the rest of the trip, we’re planning on spending another day or two here in the south, then we’re flying up to Hanoi to see the north. Should be good.
Our initial thoughts upon arrival?
What have we been doing in Campuchea?
Oh yes: Rescue. The kids.
Solely on a tourist/sightseeing level, I'd say Vietnam trumps Cambodia. Perhaps that statement is biased because it feels so great to be “on the road again”, or maybe we’re just smitten by all these cafes, restaurants, trees, and funky shops (one of us being more smitten by that last one than the other). Either way, it’s a blast.
It’s also interesting to see another angle of Asia. New country. New language. New food (ie. seeing dogs enroute to market). New customs. We’re regular old guinea pigs here, though both in our happy places: James with his maps and learning Vietnamese words from patient locals, and me with an empty memory card in the camera, and …many shops on hand waiting to be explored.
Two other highlights of the trip thus far: stumbling upon the HCMC International Marathon. A perfect example of ignorance being bliss, as I’m sure we would have coerced each other into signing up for the half…you’d understand the bliss more if you saw how 80% of the runners were running in their bare feet. Wow. The second highlight? The HCMC Zoo. If you can stand the .75 cent admissions charge, it’s a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.
As for the rest of the trip, we’re planning on spending another day or two here in the south, then we’re flying up to Hanoi to see the north. Should be good.
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