Take me to ZANZIBAR

As Julie and I hopped onto the bus to Jinja, Uganda, we turned out the window to say goodbye to our mom as we continued on our journey.  There we were, back on our own, roughing it with no set agenda and just a deadline to return to Nairobi for our flights! By nightfall, we arrived in Jinja and had no clue where to go. The only option was a motorcyle, and despite my skepticism, I was shocked it could fit me and my beastly backpack.  It was mildly terrifying, but we made it to the hostel without any broken bones!  The next day, we wandered aimlessly, ended up at the source of the Nile River, and got a firsthand look at the Class 5 rapids that we would be up against the following day.

From Jinja,  we made our way down to Rwanda to spend four days in the country before making our cross country journey through Tanzania.  Being in Rwanda was intense, as all I could think about was the horrendous genocide that occurred during my lifetime.  But, I truly was inspired by the resilience of the people and couldn't believe how warm Rwandans were and how developed the country has become.  We were in Rwanda for Easter and made our way through the countryside, to a small lake town, Kibuye, to relax and hear the voices of the choir at a local church.  Upon returning back to Rwanda's capital, Kigali, we visited the Genocide Memorial Museum for the anniversary of the genocide.  It was chilling to hear the wailing cries of local people in the background who were reminiscing about the atrocities that occurred not too long ago.

As we caught the bus to the Tanzanian border, there was the realization that we had a huge task at hand: getting to paradise, aka, ZANZIBAR! After thinking of every possible route, we made a plan. Essentially, the quickest way to get to the opposite coast of Tanzania was to go back through Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, but we refused to have to deal with the hassle of border crossings!  So instead, it became an epic cross-country journey, taking an "8 hour bus ride" to Mwanza, Tanzania.  As the bus approached early morning, there were already 30 people standing in the aisle as they piled the rest of us on.  The bus ride was unbelievably exhausting, lasting 12 hours, but quite entertaining.  When a lady with a baby came on board, they would just pass the baby to a random person while the mom stood up.  Africans truly have a community mentality wherever they go!


Although Mwanza is the second largest city in Tanzania, there wasn't really much to do there! Our only goal was to get to Zanzibar ASAP.  The decision was made to suck it up and splurge on a ticket to Zanzibar!  Realistically, it saved us days of packed in buses, breakdowns, and just some crazy adventures that I don't know if I was ready to handle.


Immediately, I felt instant serenity seeing Zanzibar in the distance.  After settling in, we explored the cultural heart of Zanzibar, Stone Town. Full of winding alleys, bazaars, and charming buildings characterized by carved wooden doors, it was easy to get lost in time as I wandered through this maze-like town.  I truly loved everything about Stone Town.  The people were warm, the markets were bustling, and the local scene was very unique.  I particularly loved the night market, where all of the seafood caught during the day was showcased by the fisherman.  Not only was the food fresh and delicious, but it was cheap!

Zanzibar is known for its spices, so we figured we would go on a spice tour to see what they were growing in the rural areas of the island.  The tour was enjoyable and a bunch of locals followed us around, making us souvenirs out of the leaves while we smelled the many different spices and sampled fruits grown in the area.  Afterward, we explored an old slave site, and then had some down time at a quiet isolated beach.  Overall, it was a great budget day trip.

Zanzibar and the rest of my East African adventures are to be continued...

The Beauty and Intensity of Cambodia

To try to sum up Cambodia in words is quite difficult. It is one of those places where you feel at loss for words due to the constant mix of emotions. On one end, I was so captivated by the beauty and infinite landscapes of the Angkor Wat area, feeling wonderfully lost in the intricate details of each ancient site. Then I felt this deep sadness, reminded of poverty due to the shocking history of the nation by the ongoing begging of children. Although I only had 10 days in Cambodia, it was enough time for the country to easily capture my heart. The resilience and kindness of the people, along with the incredible sites and experiences made this country unbelievable.

Our Cambodian journey began in Siem Riep, close to one of the worlds largest attractions, Angkor Wat. We bought a 3 day pass to visit this massive ancient site, but knew we would only have energy to explore it for 2 days. For $4 each a day, we had a driver take us to all of the most famous sites, each presenting itself with its own character. I was so fascinated by every ancient temple, each with its own unique design. This is a place that is hard to describe in words so here are some photos from different famous sites:

After 2 full days of temples, temples, and more temples, I was exhausted and looking forward to a relaxing night. We ended getting a fish massage that was advertised everywhere and it was such a weird feeling.  And no, it was not because my feet are so beautiful that all the fish flocked to me...I think it was because my feet were so dirty!

Before arriving in the nations capital, Phnom Penh, I hadn't heard many things about it so therewere no expectations. I absolutely loved everything about the city. With its nice, wide streets, active parks, beautiful riverside, and endless shopping and street foods, it was definitely the place for me! But as I said in the beginning, there was still a huge mix of emotions. After a day of strolling through this lovely city (including getting my groove on in a public asian aerobics class), I found myself in pure shock and sadness the following day. On our trip to the Genocide Museum, which was an ex prison site during the Khmer Rouge in the 70s, I was shocked by the facts and figures of this terrible time. It was so eery being on the grounds where over 20,000 people died. There were just endless portraits taken of each prison, each having this hopeless look in their eyes. It was also really creepy because with the reflection on each portrait, you could capture a photo that made it look as if they were ghosts still in the prison.

After the intensity of the museum, we heading to the killing fields nearby, where all of the bodies from the prison were dumped. We were all silent as we passed through the area, and I just couldn't believe that two months ago I had no clue that two million people were executed in this country 30 years ago.



After the intensity of what I just saw, it was so weird to once again have conflicting emotions, as I witnessed a stunning sunset over Phnom Penh and then a water show at the central park area.

     

Our last two days in Phnom Penh were spent at an incredible orphanage called SCAO (http://www.savechildreninasia.org/index.htm). 

We came with their request of basic items, such as rice and water, but couldn't help bringing some fun toys for the kids the following day. I had the most amazing time with these children, as they had so much hope for their future despite so many hardships. They were all so loving, and immediately captured my heart. Our first day there was spent just playing with them, as it was their day off from school.

They took us around their small rural town just outside of the city and were very talkative! The next day, we went to help teach at the school run by the orphanage for those that cannot afford an education at the proper school in the area. The kids were all so eager to learn, but possibly more eager to play around with us and take photos on my camera!

                                  

As they said "see you tomorrow", I wish we could have stayed for longer but the journey must go on!

Next stop: Battambong, the 2nd largest city in Cambodia. For the city itself, there was not much going on! While there were several temples to visit, I could not bear the thought of seeing another temple! But, there were some very interesting activities outside the city. On one of our days, we went out to the rural area, first to the killing caves, another important site during the genocide. We had this adorable 13 year old boy that wanted to be our tour guide, so he came along, and was great entertainment and surprisingly shared a lot of solid information with us. The killing caves were intense, but there was a beautiful shrine inside the cave to honor all of those killed there. Further up from the caves was a beautiful view from a temple at the top of the mountain.

      

Later on, we were excited to go to the bamboo trains, which are a very old fashioned way of transportation, but so fun! We took the bamboo train with a badass driver for sunrise and got to see more of Cambodia's beautiful countryside!

       

Our final day in Cambodia was spent taking a cooking class, so be prepared, by the time I come home I shall be a master of southeast Asian cuisine! As my 10 days in Cambodia came to an end, I was sad to leave, but I know I will be back there again!