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Plans Going Forward (Part 1): Highs, Lows and Slideshows

Now begins the process of recollection and reflection. Recollection, done through photos and superlatives; reflection, materialized through the writing of a book. Reflection and the book writing will be addressed at a later time. Recollection is the focus of this post.

Over the next 2-3 weeks I will be carefully looking through the thousands of pictures I took over the past year. I will be comparing and adding to my journal notes at the same time. One goal of this process is to compile a list of "trip superlatives." Funniest or scariest moment, for example.

The other goal of this process is to create a collection of slideshow videos, one highlighting the trip overall and the others highlighting either a region or a specific country.

Home Sweet Home

I am now back home, safe and sound, in Ashburn, Virginia. Though I arrived back in the U.S. over a week ago, a few domestic stops and short trips were made before permanently reaching home. It feels great to be back!  More to come soon on feelings of being back and plans going forward.

Lost in the Jungle

After the fall of the Khmer empire in the 15th century, the temples of Angkor were abandoned and neglected for centuries. As time past, the surrounding forest moved in. When efforts to conserve and restore the temples finally began in the early 20th century, many of the temples were in a full jungle stranglehold. For most of these temples, the overgrowth has now been removed.  One temple, however, was left largely as it had been found, with trees growing out of the temple's roofs and their roots and vines wrapped around doorways and columns. Check out the pictures of Ta Prohm to see a temple that is truly, lost in the jungle!

Temples Top it Off

The last week of my trip will be spent visiting Angkor Archaeological Park. Stretching over 400 square kilometers, including forested areas, the Park contains the remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire of the 9th to 13th centuries, including the legendary Temple of Angkor Wat. Get ready for a lot of pictures and, hopefully, some interesting blog posts too!

Watch Your Step

My usual trekking, exploring and camping routine had to be slightly altered in Cambodia. Three decades of war and civil conflict have left Cambodia one of the most heavily mined areas in the world. Estimates range from 4 to 6 million, with the location of the majority completely unknown. Two days of carefully camping around and independently exploring some of the pre-Angkorian temples in central Cambodia is as far as I pushed my luck, and I am now strictly back on the tourist circuit, going on guided tours and staying in guesthouses.

Cambodian Procession

Today after bicycling to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek 15km outside of Phnom Penh, I decided to continue on biking and explore some of the neighboring villages. The choice lead to one of the most fun and rewarding experiences of the whole trip. As I rode through the villages, not only did people give me a friendly wave and smile, but the children began to join me in my journey. Little girls and boys ran beside my bike as older teenagers jumped on their own cycles and formed a train. We laughed our way around homes and chanted our way through rice fields. It was an afternoon that I, and surely those kids too, will cherish for a long time. Pictures from today and the final pictures from Vietnam (Saigon, Cu Chi Tunnels) are now up.

You ate WHAT?!

Below is a list of all the exotic foods I have tried throughout this trip. Has anyone else tried any of these? Or maybe something different? -Spiders: Village in Amazon Jungle -Cayman: Self-prepared in Amazon Jungle -Piranha: Self-prepared in Amazon Jungle -Guinea Pig: Street stall in Banos, Ecuador -Warthog: Village in Zimbabwe, Africa -Crocodile: Border town of Zimbabwe/Zambia -Pig Brain, Snout, Cheek, Eye and Tongue: Village in Malawi, Africa -Cow Bone Marrow: Restaurant in Paris, France -Snake: Street stall in Beijing, China -Roaches: Street stall in Beijing, China -Scorpion: Street stall in Bangkok, Thailand -Crickets and Grasshoppers: Street stall in Bangkok, Thailand -Hornets and Bees: Market in Chiang Mai, Thailand -Maggots: Market in Chiang Mai, Thailand -Chicken Feet: Village near Udomxai, Laos -Rat: Market in Muang Khua, Laos -Locust Larvae: Market in Hoi An, Vietnam

Guest Blogger: Brian Snyder

It has been my privilege and sincere pleasure to be traveling with my nephew, J Bradley Snyder, over the past 10 days as together we have toured the country of Vietnam. This is a trip I've wanted to take for several years now, but one I probably have "needed" to take for several decades.  I was at least 10 years old, in 1968, before I realized there might not always be a war going on in Vietnam, and that I might not have to serve in that war. But the war didn't finally end until I was just two years shy of the age when I would otherwise have signed up. It felt literally like "dodging a bullet" at that time, but then I knew I would need to come here sometime to see where so many people had died for a reason that gets even less clear as time goes by. As we learned just a couple days ago, people (mostly children) are still dying here at the rate of 5 or 6 per MONTH as a result of previously unexploded land mines or other types of bombs. And then there's the long-term effects of exposure to Agent Orange wreaking havoc as well.  Beyond thoughts about the war, however, we witnessed this week other troubling trends that can be traced to the influence of Western culture, namely a rapidly growing tourist economy and the sometimes associated negligence with respect to the natural environment. One wonders if the war isn't still going on, in far more subtle ways... Vietnam is a stunningly beautiful country, with a remarkably diverse cultural heritage firmly rooted in a wide array of native communities (known here as "minorities"). I think all Americans should come here at least once, if for no other reason to understand what's really at stake for the Vietnamese people, and ultimately for ourselves. A country like this, facing very stark challenges related to its ongoing development, should serve as a reminder of our own responsibility in the world to show leadership in making the sacrifices that will be necessary for all peoples to live happy, healthy and sustainable lives for the long-term future. Brian

Phenomenal Pho

If you are ever in Hanoi, Vietnam and looking for some good pho (rice noodle soup), head to the northwest corner of Bat Su and Bat Dan.

Sapa Story

The past 3 days have been spent in and around a town called Sapa in northwest Vietnam. The area is best known for its terraced rice fields and colorful hilltribe people. If you can ignore the hoards of other tourists there with you and frequent selling bombardments by village women, a trip to this area is well worthwhile. New pictures.

A Head-scratcher at the Hanoi Hilton

Today we visited the Hoa Lo Prison, or the "Hanoi Hilton" as the captured American pilots of the Vietnam War called it. You may have heard of the prison before, it is where Senator John McCain was detained after his plane was shot down in 1967.

The visit was an interesting one and left me really scratching my head. This place had pictures of the captured American soldiers living it up while in the prison! They were playing sports, attending church, drawing and coloring pictures together and even cheerfully decorating a christmas tree.

Now whether or not these pictures accurately portray the prisoners' daily life I do not know. I am not familiar enough with the subject. Nevertheless, it certainly made me rethink the stereotypical war-movie conditions that I imagine for a POW. It turns out, the situation is not always that simple; it sometimes, as in the case of the Vietnam War, involves a complex mix of strategic, public persuasion and world perception.

Vietnam with a Vision

I am now in Hanoi, Vietnam, where tomorrow I will be meeting up with my uncle, Brian Snyder.  Back home in the States, Brian works with the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, or PASA for short.  Through a variety of different programs and projects, he and PASA work to promote profitable farms that produce healthy food while respecting the natural environment. Brian and I will explore Vietnam together over the next couple of weeks.  Agriculture has historically been the backbone of Vietnam's development strategy and remains so today.  For Brian, the country could not be a more rich environment for learning, and for me, Brian could not be a better travel companion for this country. Also, if you have time, give PASA's site a browse:  http://www.pasafarming.org/

Laos Hitchhiking

I spent the past week hitchhiking and camping my way through northern Laos (hence the sudden barrage of posts).  It was an attempt to spice things up after following the typical tourist trail in Thailand.  The experience was a good one and proved to be a great way to meet locals and learn about their country. Many stories to tell on this subject when I get home, but for now you can check out a few of the pictures I managed to take of the action.

Now a Thai Chef

I was talked into taking a Thai cooking class...  but ended up really enjoying it and now highly recommend it to anyone who travels to Thailand!  I recommend the organic farm cooking school in Chiang Mai in particular.  Anyone at home brave enough to let me show you my new Thai cooking skills?

Thailand: Tourists, Tourists, Tourists

If you are looking for fellow travelers head to Thailand.  In no other country have I seen so many other tourists, backpackers more specifically.  But this is for good reason, Thailand has almost everything a traveler would want: unique culture and history,  low jungles and high hills, adventure activities,  crystal clear water and white beaches, 24/7 partying,  finger-licking good food, and cheap prices.  The scene is not for everyone, but nevertheless it is there and can be comforting and fun after a long time on the road alone.

China Times

Pictures and videos are now uploaded.  (Terracotta Army, Forbidden City, Great Wall, etc.)

Communication While in China

I apologize for the slow down in communication since I have been in China.  Many websites and web services are blocked by the government here.  For example, I had no access to Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, YouTube, etc.  (When you type in the address of these sites the browser simply returns with an error message).  Yes, there are ways of getting around the government blocks but I did not put any effort towards it considering the brevity of my visit. I arrive in Bangkok, Thailand this afternoon and look forward to resuming posting and sharing my pictures.

Narrow Escapes

It looks as if I have just barely escaped another major world event and again have lady luck alone to thank.  The 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan struck exactly 6 days after my departure from the country.  This beats out last month's 2 1/2-week miss of the civil unrest in Egypt and the Middle East.  Let us pray for all those negatively affected by these events and for my continued good fortune in staying ahead of them.

Give a Hand for Japan

List of things originating in Japan or distinctly Japanese: sushi, fortune cookies, sashimi, ramen noodles, wasabi, edamame, ninjas, samurai, kimono robes, crystal meth, airsoft guns, Pokemon, leaf blowers, rock-paper-scissors, geisha, katana swords, competitive car-drifting, origami, haiku poetry, karaoke, sake, judo, karate, sumo wrestling, Nikkei stock index Well-known Japanese Brands: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Bridgestone, Sony, Nintendo, Bandai, Sega, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Epson, Kenwood, Pioneer