One Final Trip

Okay, it’s been a really really long time since I posted… I don’t have an excuse except that it has been a bit of a whirlwind.  I’m back in the USA! It’s been honestly really weird adjusting back to being in the states and living with my family again.  People keep asking what it’s like being back and it’s kinda hard to say, I miss parts of being in HK but I also know that isn’t where I wanted to be long term.  Mostly it’s the little things that will throw me off at random.  Seeing changes in the town and at my house.  It’s a little startling to realize you forgot where things are kept in the house that you’ve spent our whole life.  Plus, as a little talked about side effect of the life I live I really don’t have close friends in my home town or state. I went to college out of state and travel as much as I can so I have friends all around the country and the world but not where I grew up.  Luckily as it happens a number of my friends live in the same state so I’ve spent a fair amount of my time back in the states road tripping through NY to catch up with them.

But on to the more exciting part of this post.  Before I left HK I spent 10 days traveling in mainland China with my mom and my oldest brother. We started the trip by meeting up in Beijing.  They flew from the US and I flew from HK so my first reunion in a year with my family members was in the Beijing airport.

We were only in Beijing for a couple days so we tried to cram in as much sightseeing as possible.  Our first stop was the Summer Palace. It is a large complex of gardens, lakes, palaces, and temple that was first constructed in the 12^th century but underwent numerous remodels and expansions over the years and from different dynasties.

Our next stop was Tiananmen Square, where unfortunately Mao’s Mausoleum was closed for reasons that were not made clear.  There was also so much security at Tiananmen (and really all over Beijing and mainland in general).  Even with the Mausoleum being closed it was still kind awe-inspiring/eerie to be walking in a place that is surrounded by so much emotion and ultimately tragedy.

From there we crossed the street to visit the Forbidden City and the Imperial Garden. Basically living out my Mulan fantasies.  The Forbidden City was the Imperial Palace from 1420 to 1912.  It is made up of 980 buildings and covers 180 acres in the middle of Beijing.  Really just the sheer size of the compound and the buildings when you think about how they were constructed is mind boggling.

Our final stop was The Temple of Heaven. This temple was constructed by the same emperor who built the Forbidden City.  The complex was visited by the emperors to pray to Heaven for a good harvest.  The complex is a beautiful park area with gardens and buildings filling the area.

After our very busy day in the city we got up early the next day to head to the Great Wall (the Mutianyu section- Michelle Obama went to this section too).  It was honestly amazing.  We were lucky because it was slightly overcast when we went so there was almost no one else there, but it didn’t start raining until we were on our way down.  We hiked all the way up thousands of steps to the peak of the Great Wall and were able to experience the renovated and wild parts of the wall. It’s really something to stand on it and just see the wall twisting off into the distance.

The next part of our journey took us the Lhasa, Tibet.  The Tibetan Plateau is the highest in the world with Lhasa itself sitting at 3,490 meters (11,450 ft).  Flying in over the mountains was breathtaking and stepping off the plane into the crisp clean air (especially after living in HK for a year) was such a great experience.  There’s a lot of political tension surrounding Tibet and China’s treatment of it and the people there so we traveled with a guide and made sure we had all the appropriate permits (and were cart some of the religious sites and seeing the trucks of armed Chinese soldiers patrolling the streets certainly gave the air of an occupied territory.  We also suffered from some mild altitude sickness which made the first night/day a bit rough.  But it was worth it and I loved being there.  Definitely adding it to my return trip list!

Our first stop was Norbulingka. It was built in 1755 and served as the summer residence for the Dalai Lama until the exile of the 14^th Dalai Lama in 1959.  It consists of beautiful gardens and buildings and temples.  We were able to see where the Dalai Lama had been living  and the different prayer rooms and meeting rooms.

The next place we visited was the Sera Monastery.  It is considered one of the great three university monasteries of Tibet.  After the Dalai Lama fled to India many of the monks from the Sera Monastery followed him and set up a mirror Sera Monastery in India. Both Sera Monasteries are known for their live debates which we were able to watch in Tibet.

We also visited the Jokhang Temple. This is generally considered the most sacred and important temple by Tibetans. The Jokhang was founded during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo. According to tradition, the temple was built for the king’s two brides: Princess Wencheng of the Chinese Tang dynasty and Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. The original part of the temple was built in 652 and it underwent numerous expansions from then until the final one in 1610.  It is viewed as the “spiritual heart of the city” and sits at the center of a network of Buddhist temples.  At all times of day you will see people circling the temple on their pilgrimages as well as prostrating themselves outside of it.

One of our final visits was to the Potala Palace. It is named after Mount Potalaka, the mythical home of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.  Its construction began in 1645 by the 5^th Dalai Lama and it functioned as the Dalai Lama’s residence and the seat of the government until the 14^th Dalai Lama had to flee in 1959.  Visitation is strictly monitored with multiple ID checks and limits on the number of visitors and how long you can stay for, as well as having numerous areas off limits.  It contains the Funeral Stupas of the previous Dalai Lamas as well as many other important artifacts.

We finished our time in Lhasa with a visit to a local family where we learned how to make momo (Tibetan dumplings) and printed our own prayer flags.  It was nice to get out of the city a bit and see how people live.  Just standing in the shadows of the mountains and breathing the fresh air was really awe-inspiring.  And experiencing the life of a people who are having their culture and religion taken from them was humbling and troubling.  Throughout Tibet you won’t find a photo of the 14^th Dalai Lama and no one knows what will happen and if he will ever get to have a funeral stupa in the Potala Palace.

The final city we visited was Xi’an.  The city is the starting point of the Silk Road and is surrounded by a restored city wall which offers great views of the city.  Xi’an is also home to the Terracotta Army that we’ve all learned about in school.  Its surprisingly well preserved and really cool to see.  It was honestly kind of hard to grasp, seeing all these soldiers it seems like there’s no way they are actually real and just dug up out of the ground.  This was my mom’s favorite thing on the trip.

We then spent an evening watching the fountain and light show in front of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and it was so fun.  We actually got soaking wet because of how close to the front we were (the whole crowd in that area did) but it just added to the fun of it.

On our last day in the city we visited the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Both were built in the 14^th century and contained a large bell and drum respectively.  The bell was rung at dawn to mark the time while the drum was beat at dusk.  From there we headed to the Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque.  In my travels I have visited a few mosques, but this one was really fascinating.  While it was not the grandest I have seen, the mix of traditional Islamic designs paired with Chinese architecture created a unique aesthetic.

We left Xi’an and headed back to Hong Kong for less than 24 hours before leaving to head back to America.  Walking around the city I’ve lived in for the past year and knowing I was seeing it for the last time in a while was bittersweet.  I’m glad to be back in the US and see my friends and family, but I had some amazing times in HK and met some great people.  I don’t know where my next adventure will take me, but I’m truly thankful for everything I’ve experienced this past year.

Bagan: That’s a lot of pagodas

Last weekend two friends and I went to Bagan, Myanmar.  Let me start by saying that spending essentially one day there is probably not ideal, but sometimes you take the chance you’re given regardless.

We flew into Yangon sometime around midnight on Friday (had to leave after work) and were thankfully picked up by my college friend (who I stayed with last time).  It was a very good thing he picked us up because when we arrived at our super sketchy, nothing like the picture, cheap hostel in the bad part of town, he immediately told us to get back in the car and took us to his family’s hotel and put us up for the night.  Bless good friends. By that time it was around 1am and we went to sleep knowing our bus to Yangon would leave at 8am.

So the next morning (Saturday) we got to the bus station with little trouble thanks to the super helpful hotel staff and taxi driver, and settled in for our 9 hour bus ride across the country… I don’t have much to say about the bus ride, I slept pretty much the whole way (no surprise to anyone who has traveled with me before). So we got to Bagan and our hotel around 530pm and decided we would just eat in the hotel restaurant and plan out or next day (it also had started to storm at this point… it’s the wet season). We had great curry for dinner! Myanmar might be home to my favorite curry.

We got up pretty early Sunday and rented e-bikes from our hotel.  They’re like the learner’s permit version of a moto and totally electric and eco friendly. After a quick into lesson in the parking lot we were off! We honestly didn’t have much of a plan and so armed with a really unhelpful map we kind of just followed the main road until we saw some pagodas/stupa/temples. Most of these involve turning off onto dirt paths which really added to the explorer experience of my first time on a moto.

We did hit some of the bigger ones of course, my favorite of which was Dhamma-yan-gyi Pagoda because it’s the only one I had known the story behind.  Basically it’s the biggest because the king who built it was really cruel and he killed his father and brother (to get the throne) and then also his wife.  So he built the temple to atone for the sins, but he also commonly would chop the architects’ hands off if he wasn’t pleased with the progress. In the end he was assassinated before it was completed.  For unknown reasons parts of it are bricked closed, and the local belief is that it was done to trap the bad karma inside.

At the end of the day we found a spot to watch the sunset but by that point another storm was rolling in so there wasn’t much of a sunset.  So we grabbed dinner and headed to our hotel.  In the morning we caught another early bus back to Yangon (another 9 hours) and met up with a friend from HK to visit Shwedagon Pagoda since my other two friends hadn’t seen it (if you want my experience on that check out my previous posts about visiting Yangon).

We ended the trip with a 1am flight back to HK arriving at 6am Tuesday morning.  It was a rapid trip but it was a lot of fun.

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2 Weeks Away: Halong Bay

The last stop on our two week trip was an overnight on Halong Bay.  We went out on a very nice small cruise ship and I loved it.  Halong Bay is one of the most peaceful and mystic places I’ve been.  The limestone isles jutting out of the still water and the mist in the distance really just makes you imagine all the movies that could be filmed there.  And it made me imagine what the first people to discover it must have felt like in the shadow of the isles.  It also has the cleanest air I’ve had in a while.

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On the first day we had an excursion to see a small village of fishers floating on the bay and a pearl farm.  Even without common amenities I could definitely feel a draw to the peacefulness of that floating community.

Back on board our main ship we watched the sunset from the top deck before dinner. And after dinner we went squid fishing! (I was not successful)

In the morning we did Tai Chi on the deck before going to see a cave on one of the limestone isles.   Then headed back to shore and to Hanoi for the night before flying back to HK the next day.  I’d definitely recommend Halong Bay for anyone going to Vietnam.  It’s something otherworldly.

2 Weeks Away: The Floating Village

We spent the morning just relaxing near the pool and getting some of our only downtime on this fast paced trip.  In the afternoon we headed to Kamplong Phluk, a floating village on the edge of the Tonle Sap.  It was the end of dry season so the village wasn’t actually floating at the moment, but I think that made it even more interesting.  With the skeletons of the stilt houses exposed you could really see the drastic difference in the water levels.  We walked down the main street which would normally be under meters of water.  I think when you see the village during wet season it can be hard to imagine what it looks like without the water, but seeing it without the water you can see the physical markers of how high the water rises.  Don’t get me wrong I’d love to go back and see it floating for sure!

We were able to stop for a little while and talk to some young children in their English class where we answered numerous questions about our favorite things and became the arm wrestle champion of all the young boys (although it was a pretty close call).  It was really fun to chat with them and they were all excited to practice their language skills with us.

From there we headed out onto the actual lake and had dinner at a floating restaurant where we were able to watch the sunset.

2 Weeks Away: Siem Reap- Sunrise and The Big 3

While all the temples at Angkor are fairly well known and definitely amazing to see, everyone can agree there are three that everyone wants to see: Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and Bayon.

We started our day off at about 4am when we left our hotel and headed to the temple complex to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. And it was totally worth it.  I love a good sunset as much (or more) than the next person, but I feel like there’s something more tranquil and magical about seeing sunrise (of course if you go somewhere super cool to see the sunset on purpose that evens it out a bit).  I think because you have to go out of your way to be there for it (no one is asleep for sunset) and it’s not like you’re doing something else and happen to see it, like you are there only to watch.  Even with a whole bunch of tourists at the temple everyone was just silent and watched as the sun came up.  I’m not an early riser, so this was one of very few sunrises I have seen in my life and it was amazing.

After the sunrise we set out touring the massive grounds of Angkor Wat (it is the largest religious monument in the world).  It was originally constructed by Khmer King Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple of Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, gradually transforming into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century.  It is the only Angkor temple to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation.

Aesthetically speaking the construction and symmetry of the temple is astounding and so beautiful.  It really is just amazing to see what people were building centuries ago with none of the equipment we have now.

Our second stop was Ta Prohm, affectionately known as the Tomb Raider temple since many scenes were filmed here.  It was built in the 12^th/13^th century by King Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist monastery and university.  It was left mostly unrestored with the tree covered ruins surrounded by the jungle providing an eerie atmosphere that draws crowds… and Hollywood.  Seeing this temple pretty much made me want to be Lara Croft and head out into the jungle.

Our final stop of the day was Bayon. It was built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the King Jayavarman VII.  Originally it was a Mahayana Buddhist temple, but following Jayavarman’s death, it was modified by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.  The most distinctive feature (and what makes it so well-known) is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.

All of the temples that we saw both days were amazing and awe inspiring.  Those feelings combined with the fact that it had been over 100F and humid that two days we were touring the site made us decide to take a brief siesta at our hotel after finishing our tour.  In the evening we went to the night market and found a really cool bar in an old stilt house.

2 Weeks Away: Siem Reap- The Grand Circuit

On our first full day in Siem Reap we took a tour of the Grand Circuit temples at Angkor. We had a really great guide who gave us the history and key features of each of the six temples we stopped at.  There’s no possible I will be able to relay all of that knowledge to you so really you should just visit for yourself.

The first we saw was Pre Rup. This is a Hindu temple that was the state temple of King Rajendravarman built around 961. Its name means “turn the body” which reflects the belief that it was used for funeral practices and cremation.

The second temple was East Mebon.  This was built by the same king and was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and honors the king’s parents.  We learned that during that time each king was expected to construct three temples during his reign.  One as his state temple where he worshipped (which would later become his tomb), one to honor his family, and one for the common people to use.  The location of this temple shows off the Khmer people’s concern with the orientation and cardinal directions as it is built on a north-south axis with Pre Rup and an east-west axis with the King’s palace temple. ( I was most excited about the elephant statues..)

Our third stop was Ta Som (so named for the farmer that most recently used it as his home…).  It’s a smaller temple built at the end of the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII who dedicated it to his father. It was largely left unrestored and has really amazing regrowth.

Fourth on our tour was Neak Poan (or Pean) which is an artificial island with a Buddhist temple. Historians believe it represents the mythical lake in the Himalayas, Anavatapta, whose waters are said to cure all illness.  Neak Pean was originally designed for medical purposes (it was believed that going into these pools would cure a disease) and it is one of the many hospitals that King Jayavarman VII built.  It is based on the ancient Hindu belief of balance. Four connected pools represent Water, Earth, Fire and Wind.  Each is connected to the central water source, the main tank, by a stone statue of one of the “Four Great Animals” namely Elephant, Bull, Horse, and Lion, corresponding to the north, east, south, and west. Originally, four sculptures stood on the floor of the lake. The only remaining statue is that of the horse Balaha, a form of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, saving sailors from the ogresses of Tamradvipa.

Our fifth stop was Preah Khan, another temple constructed by King Jayavarman VII. Supposedly upwards of 100,000 officials and servants resided here.  There is an entry “bridge” that is lined on opposing sides with the gods and demons.

The last stop for the day was Banteay Srei, a 10th-century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It is built largely of red sandstone, which gives it a mildly pink coloring, and has elaborate and extremely detailed carvings.   It is known as the “citadel of women” for the intricate work and many devatas (female deities that are depicted dancing).

2 Weeks Away: Mekong Delta

On our second full day of our trip we took a group tour to the Mekong River and Delta. We got picked up from our hotel and took a bus to the river where we got on a large river boat with our group.  This boat took us over to an island where we were able to try honey tea and see the bee farm.  Afterwards we were put in horse drawn carts and brought to a place to hear some local Vietnamese music and try some of the fruit (pineapple, dragon fruit, mango, and papaya).  From there we got into small row boats and traveled down a narrow river pathway.  It was really cool and with less people around would have been very peaceful.  Our next stop was at a candy making shop where we learned how they make what I would describe as coconut taffy with various flavors and got to try some.  I bought some too!  Our final stop was for lunch at another island where we ate traditionally prepared elephant ear fish (named because that’s what it looks like).  After that it was back onto our larger river boat and back to HCMC.  I will say this tour was definitely very touristy, lots of stops for you to buy things… but it was still a nice experience.

Our guide during the river tour had told us about a traditional and well known Vietnamese sandwich called the Banh Mi so we decided to search it out for dinner.  Now for anyone that doesn’t know, I don’t eat meat… but I’ve also made a promise to myself not to let that decision make me miss out on experiences while I am traveling. So when I realized that a Banh Mi is literally a sandwich filled with every type of meat you could imagine (in a form you won’t recognize to be honest), I sucked it up and ate one.  Half of one. It was probably more meat in one meal than I’ve had in a year and I didn’t even finish the sandwich. It was good, but maybe not great if you’ve been living a veg life up until that point.

Japan Day 3: Kyoto and return to HK

On my last day in Japan I went early in the morning to Fushimi Inari-taisha.  This amazing shrine is at the base of Mt. Inari and includes a hiking trail to the summit with other shrines along the way. The shrine is made up of and surrounded by numerous torji (wooden gate arch things).  Inari is considered the patron of business, and merchants and manufacturers have traditionally worshipped Inari. Each of the torji at Fushimi Inari Taisha is donated by a Japanese business. However, even more importantly, Inari is the god of rice. Foxes, regarded as the messengers, are often found in Inari shrines with a key (for the rice granary) in their mouths. This is a place that I feel like I absolutely have to go back to when I have the time (and the right clothing) to hike to the summit.

My last stop before the airport was Kiyomizu-dera Temple. This temple was founded in 778 and the current buildings were constructed in 1633 without the use of a single nail! (honestly glad I didn’t know this until after I was leaving some of the more precariously located buildings) There is a saying connected to this temple “to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu” (essentially to take the plunge) which comes from the Edo period tradition that if you were to survive a jump from the veranda of the temple (13 meters) your wish would be granted… this practice is no longer allowed though. Here in the basement og the Zuigu Hall here is also a tour through the womb of the Zuigu-bosatsu (bodhisattva).  This is a pitch-black path you follow to the Zuigu Stone where your sincere wish will be granted, before you enter back into the light from the “womb” symbolizing rebirth and purity. Let me just say… pitch-black is not strong enough for how dark it actually was.  I’ve never been in such complete darkness and silence.

 

After that I headed off to the airport and back to HK.  I have to say this was one of my favorite trips.  People often spoke no (or limited) English, but they were friendly and I really connected to the nature-embracing calmness. (keep in mind I didn’t go to Tokyo which may have a very different atmosphere)

 

Ps. here are some extra random pics I took… mostly of food and earthquake evacuation signs that caught me off guard every time I saw them

Japan Day 2: Kyoto

This was my last full day in Japan so I woke up early and headed to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Walking the path through the center of the grove gives a sense of otherness, even with the other visitors surrounding you.  For me at least, it was so different than anything I had seen and experienced.  Although I do recommend going in the early morning or evening to avoid most of the crowds.

My next stop was the Ryoan-ji Temple and the rock garden there.  This temple is a Zen Buddhist temple. The Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui (a specific type of Japanese Zen gardening) There are 15 stones in the garden placed very specifically and surrounded by pebbles that are raked every day by the monks.

The garden is meant to be viewed from a seated position on the veranda of the hōjō, the residence of the abbot of the monastery and the stones are placed so that the entire composition cannot be seen at once from the veranda. They are also arranged so that when looking at the garden from any angle (other than from above) only fourteen of the boulders are visible at one time. It is traditionally said that only through attaining enlightenment would one be able to view the fifteenth boulder.

Here is where I should probably interject, I have never been a very Zen person.  While I strive for that kind of inner peace I’m instead more of the anxious never still mind kind of person.  And I always figured that I could never reach that kind of calm solitude.  But honestly, Japan gave me a different outlook.  I went to this temple with its famous rock garden and I really didn’t expect much. I mean a rock garden is essentially an open space with a few stones and the sand is all raked in a certain direction and you just sit there are contemplate things… But actually once I got there I kinda got it.  Like no I definitely did not suddenly become Zen, but I understood the draw of sitting and just existing for a while. And this is a feeling that I experienced many times during my travel in Kyoto.

After the rock garden I traveled to Kinkaku-ji Temple also known as the Golden Pavilion. This is another Zen Buddhism temple.  It was originally built as a retirement villa for a shogun and then turned into a temple after his death. The Pavilion is coated in gold leaf and houses Buddha’s Ashes. It has also gone through many rebuildings after being burned down multiple times over the years.  The Pavilion is surrounded by beautiful gardens and a pond.  As with all the temples I realized, every aspect is purposeful and done following various Zen guidelines.

My next stop was the Kyoto Imperial Palace. This was the ruling palace for the Emperor of Japan until the Meiji Restoration when the capital was moved to Tokyo. Although important ceremonies, like the enthronement of new emperors still took place at this palace. As someone who has traveled Europe I have seen a fair number of palaces, but this one was so different than others I have seen.  Instead of the large sprawling building and courtyards I had come to expect it is a large walled area filled with multiple separate buildings surrounded by paths and gardens.  If I was an emperor this is exactly the type of palace I would like, and it fit perfectly with the Zen design I’ve now connected with Japan. Although I have to say it’s a good thing the Emperor had a chair to be carried around in because moving between the spaced out buildings all day could get rather tiring.

My final stop for the day was Ginkaku-ji Temple also known as the Silver Pavilion. This temple was modeled after the Kinkaku-ji (built by the commissioner’s grandfather) and was also planned as a retirement villa for the shogun.  It gets is nickname due to the original plan to cover the pavilion in silver leaf which was not carried out because of the Onin War and then the shogun died before it could be done.  This temple features an amazing garden created out of the wooded/mountain back drop and the Zen sand structures (one famously known to represent Mt. Fuji).

Blue Crush 3?

This past Tuesday was a public holiday here in HK so my friend and I decided to go to Big Wave Bay and try to learn how to surf.  We decided that we didn’t want to pay for lessons (they’re very expensive) and so we asked around with friends and strangers for advice and figured we would be fine.  To be clear here basically all of my knowledge about surfing comes from the early 2000s movie Blue Crush and its less good and totally unrelated sequel Blue Crush 2.  But there was a surf lesson scene so I felt like I knew the important stuff.

So basically we went to BWB, rented wetsuits (honestly one of my favorite parts is the outfit) and surf boards, got a quick theoretical lesson and headed into the water… Unfortunately I do not have a natural aptitude for surfing. Definitely not a prodigy.  Basically paddling was really hard so I just like swam with the board instead and then pulled myself up on it when I got out far enough.  Also since paddling wasn’t happening instead of correctly catching the waves I kinda just laid on the board until a wave caught me instead.  Also I really never figured out how to stand up. Not the balance part, but the actual getting up part.  Everyone just says “and then pop up” like it’s actually gonna be that easy but let me tell you it most definitely is not.  I regret always skipping the burpees in my workouts…

Even though I didn’t actually surf I was able to kneel and ride a few times (def could not pop up enough to get my feet under me) and other wise I just enjoyed laying down to ride the waves. Overall it was a ton of fun and I think I will be doing it again… maybe with a bit more research and instruction next time!