Cooks Islands Week 1 – Wedding Legalities and Preparation

We arrived to the Cooks Islands on Sunday, Dec 16 at 4:30PM…after having left New Zealand on Monday, Dec 17 at 11:30AM. It always throws one a bit back crossing the International Date Line, but there is something quite pleasing about getting to “re-live” the day you just finished. Our first night was a bit restless, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my mom, Joni, at 6AM the next morning. It has been over 6 months since we’ve seen our family, so we have been very excited for these few weeks over Christmas and New Year. My mom came a week early to spend some solo time and help with wedding preparations.

Getting Adopted By a Local Family

We were very pleased to find that the guest house we had chosen to stay at turned out to be a family affair. The house is formally owned by Mama Turi – a wonderful woman who became like a grandma to us. Mama usually lives on an outer island called Aitutaki, but was in Rarotonga for the holidays with her daughter, Edna, who lives and works as a nurse in Australia. Edna and my mom became great friends since they have so much in common with their work, children, etc.

The guest house is managed by Mama’s son Atua and his wife Mata, who stopped by every day to chat and bring bread from the family bakery. Mata helped us learn some of the local ways – such as harvesting, cleaning and cooking Tapioca root. She also graciously offered to make some of the leis for our wedding ceremony and found numerous other ways to spoil us and make us feel like part of the family. And because so many Cook Islanders were home for the holidays, family members were constantly dropping by to fill the house with activity and conversation. It’s was such a pleasure to be around a big family who welcomed us with open arms. We learned so much from our conversations with Edna, Mama, Atua and Mata about the island culture, ancestry ties and way of life. We couldn’t have planned it better!

Preparing For the Big Day

While we did have some down time for relaxing, hiking, swimming and sunbathing, we spent a good part of our first week on the island getting ready for the wedding ceremony on Jan 1. We had booked most everything online – so were hoping with fingers crossed that the arrangements would live up to our expectations. And we weren't disappointed! We stopped by the 5 beach houses we rented for the occasion and they are in a fabulous location on a lovely beach. There are BBQ areas, picnic tables, kayaks, snorkel gear and the houses are well equipped with kitchen stuff, TVs and DVDs, and even a small stereo. The best part are the wooden decks and dining tables that overlook the beach and the ocean. The setup is perfect for a memorable holiday and wedding!

We also met with the reception planner at Muri Beach Club Hotel where we would have our wedding dinner. The restaurant overlooks a lovely lagoon and a few small islands and has a nice beach. Our planner promised to set the ambiance with candles, a fine dining menu complete with cake and champagne, and tunes played by a local musician. This is also where Eric and I would spend our wedding night in a room looking out on the ocean!

And finally, mom was quite the trooper motor biking with me around the entire island and stopping at all the little shops and markets to look for some fun souvenirs to get for everyone – and a few goodies for ourselves too. We had only one little incident with the motorbike…when I ran us into a bush while turning (going at a very slow speed thank goodness) and we tipped over. I got a skinned knee and mom was a bit sore, but we recovered pretty well. After our little accident, we decided the first bike we had rented was too big and went and got me a smaller one that I could handle better. And I'm happy to say that with a bit more practice, I had no further run ins…though I did still make Eric (who’s a much better driver) take mom when the three of us would go for an outing.

Making It Legal

While we had hoped to have Eric’s dad, Jeff, do the legal and symbolic pieces of the wedding ceremony, we found out on our arrival that it would entail getting Jeff licensed in the Cook Islands...which is quite a complicated process. Therefore, we had to officially get married several days after our arrival (due to closing hours over the holidays and wanting the tax break from the US govt for 2007).

While filling out our marriage application at the Ministry of Justice, we had to basically beg the big boss woman to marry us since we had no idea how we were going to otherwise find someone ordained in our time frame. She was a grumpy old lady named Marie who gave us quite the hard time. But to our relief, she did agree to marry us and even cracked a brief smile and a joke – telling Eric he would need to clean up and shave before she’d marry us.

We needed two witnesses…we had my mom as one, and asked Edna at the guest house to be our second. And of course we also invited Mama Turi. They happily agreed to join in the ceremony and made the day very special for us. We had just planning to go in, say the legal vows, sign the papers and save the sentimental bit for the big wedding day. But Mama and Edna would not have it so.

Eric and I decided to buy me a simple white, linen dress for the occasion and we got Eric a proper island shirt complete with palm trees and beach scene. Mama made us flower leis – one for Eric and a head ei for me. And she made a chain of flowers for the car, which Edna decorated. The time was set for Thursday at 3PM. We spent the morning relaxing and contemplating the fact that we were about to legally “sign our lives away.” It was a stress free day…until about 15 mins before we needed to leave when we realized we had a few small alterations to my new dress. Mom saved the day with some needle and thread in record time and we were out the door and on the way.

When we arrived, we were escorted into a conference room with a long wooden table. Stoic Marie instructed us to sit across from her with one witness on each side…Mama Turi took a seat at the end of the table to observe from a distance. After the very formal introduction, we were asked to rise, clasp right hands and repeat a series of very serious and legal sounding vows (e.g., “I solemnly declare there is no legal reason to my knowledge that I should not marry you”). We were overcome with emotion at the importance of this moment, but also couldn't help cracking a smile at the contrast of the very legal sounding vows to the very personal ones we planned to say to each other on Jan 1. We laughed, we got a bit teary, we exchanged rings, we embraced, and of course Eric kissed his bride (even though Marie didn’t instruct to do so). Mama Turi was streaming tears at the end of the table, and of course so were my mom and Edna…and I think Marie was even pleased to see that we took our commitment seriously. We signed the paperwork, got the international stamps to make it legal worldwide and completed the “official” part of our marriage.

To celebrate, we went out for lunch at a nice restaurant on the beach with stunning views – and we took a dozen more photos. It was perfect. After a quick rest at home, we finished off the day with an “island night” at a local restaurant. We had an island feast and watched a show of island dancing – even got up to do some dancing myself with our guest house host Atua, who had stopped by with some family members. It was a wonderful and very special day.

And this day made us even more excited for our “real” wedding day when we will be surrounded by family and friends, saying our own personal vows, with my dad walking me down our beach aisle, Eric’s dad performing a more spiritual and meaningful ceremony, and of course getting to wear my more fancy wedding dress! Updates and dozens more photos to come so stay tuned!

New Zealand Round I (North of Auckland)

The countdown is on - we have less than three weeks to go until D-Day (i.e., our wedding). Mariah and I have been enjoying a little R&R in the north island of New Zealand - trying to stretch out after our stint in Micronesia and before we jump head first into the next 3 months in the South Pacific and married life. Since we've never had the opportunity to explore the beautiful beaches north of Auckland, we took our time to explore the scenic coast and large Kauri forests.

We've spent the last week touring around in our Toyota clown car exploring both the paved and gravel roads all over the "land's end" region north of Auckland. We started our adventure driving through the wine country and coastal regions up to Whangerei, a nice scenic beach community just south of the Bay of Islands. We were unlucky to find the region covered in black clouds and blowing rain, but made the best of a bad situating. In Whangerei, we found a nice hostel that was hosting their annual Christmas party and were able to take part in the festivities. We enjoyed meeting the locals that supported the YHA hostel and happily indulged in their gifts of food and drink.

After chilling out for 2 days - we were stalled due to locking our keys in the car and the bad weather - we headed out for Cape Reinga (the most northern point of NZ). The trip up the small spit of land extending 100km was partially paved and was windswept due to the convergence of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean. We had a great time taking turns driving and exploring the little towns and amazing scenery on our drive up. We even picked up a hitch hiker on the way back - an American lady from Hawaii who had been "WWOOFing" in NZ for the last three months (WWOOF - World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a group you can join and work 4hrs on the local farm in exchange for room and board). I think when we return, we may do this as well to meet some interesting people and save some cash - check out the link above

Due to the large amount of rain and rich soil on the North Island, it is a perfect environment for the rare Kauri trees to grow. Many of these enormous trees are thousands of years old and are surrounded by ancient Maori traditions and myths. Mariah and I had a nice time hiking on a few different forest trails while brainstorming and discussing how we might be able to turn some of our experiences and photos from our round-the-world trip into a book or more interactive travel website that could be a resource for others. We've actually spent a lot of time brainstorming different ideas and topics throughout our travels - it's a good way to keep our minds active and dreaming, and to get to know and challenge one another.

When we stayed overnight on the West Coast, we found a small, unique shop called the Labyrinth Woodworks at the entrance to a gorgeous (& muddy) hike up to a waterfall. We were greeted by the proprietors Louis and Sue - old hippies of sorts who enjoy working at their shop nestled in a little valley surrounded by beautiful forest, and their clan of chickens and peacocks. Louis spent most of the time stumping us with fun brainteasers and teaching us about the world of puzzles and games that exist around the world. Just take a look at the website (click above) to learn more. We even picked up a game to pass the time in the Cooks if rain keeps us indoors (which we hope it doesn't!).

We are now ready to finally meet up with family and friends in the Cook Islands and take the plunge. Our wedding vows are ready, and more importantly, we are ready to promise them to each other. Our adventures have been amazing so far - and the wedding marks our half-way point on the trip. Mariah and I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and will keep you all updated on our time in the Cooks, the wedding and our future trip plans after the first of the year. We should have pics up soon after the wedding (which is officially Jan 1, 2008). And don't forget to cheer on our USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl on Jan 1st - Go Trojans!

Eric and Mariah

Impressions of Micronesia

After 6 weeks in Micronesia, we were able to take away some interesting learnings about several aspects of the culture and world views. As we usually do when we leave a region, we wanted to share with you a few of our impressions and learnings...


Connection With the USA

• Yap and Palau before World War II were both occuppied by the Japanese (and before that, the Germans). From what we gathered, the Japanese occupation in Yap was much more brutal than in Palau and for this reason, many Yapese greatly dislike the Japanese. In Palau, it seems as if the Japanese respected the people a bit more and worked alongside them (instead of enslaving and killing them), so the people there feel more neutral towards the Japanese. In Palau, there are still many Japanese tourists and they have received a great deal of Japanese monetary gifts to build roads and other public works.


• After WWII, the Americans "liberated" (as the Yapese say) the islands from the Japanese. Palau is now its own free country and Yap is a state in the Federated States of Micronesia. Both are still heavily influenced by the US and continue to receive a good deal of US financial aid to support their economies. Palauans and Yapese both have special rights to visit, live and work in the US (basically, they can come/go as they like) and have the same access as Americans to US univerisities, job corps, the military, etc. As a result, many islanders do study, visit, work and live in the US at some point in their lives. Americans also have the same access to the islands and can stay (and even work) as long as we want without a visa. A good number of the expat community on the islands we met were Americans - either divers, Peace Corps, or American attorneys on foreign contracts.


• While we still did encounter the usual anti-Bush and anti-Iraq sentiment from a number of islanders that we have in other countries, most people are pretty pro-American due to the influence of US government, US financial-aid, American consumerism, movies/music/TV, etc.

The People, Culture and Traditions

• The local people we encountred in both Palau and Yap were very friendly and polite - always sure to wave and say hello as we passed by. They are quite relaxed and very laid back individuals - hanging out, chatting, and chewing betel nut to pass by the morning, afternoon, or evening is a favorite pasttime. While the people are very friendly, they are also quite shy and private - beyond basic conversations, they are not likely to expand on their personal lives or opinions.


• Local food in both countries is quite similar - a lot of fish, taro root, tapioca root, coconut, rice, bananas, pinapple, papaya, etc. In addition to what can be found locally, Westernization has brought plenty of canned and processed food with long shelf lives for island living...so Spam, hotdogs, Spagettios, pasta, etc. are easily come by and growing in popularity. In addition, Western living has meant more cars, office jobs and fewer islanders living a traditional lifestyle. One consequence of all this is an increase in obesity, which means diabetes, heart problems and other kinds of health issues are a major problem.


• We found local traditions in Yap to be more pronounced than in the more developed Palau, but both island groups still have a strong sense of their island cultures. People are very proud of their traditional dress, dances, rituals, arts (such as canoe building and carving) and will annually celebrate their heritage. For example, in March there is a 3-day "Yap Day" celebration that brings in hundreds of Yapese, outer islanders and even some foreigners. On the outer islands of Yap (and to some extent on the main island), people still go topless and wear the traditional "lava-lavas" for women and "thus" (i.e., loin cloths) for men. To read a bit more about Yap culture click here. To read a bit more about Palau culture click here.


• Education on the islands is improving, but not yet at the standard of many Western nations. Many teachers do not have degrees and the courses, from what we were told, are not extremely rigorous. In fact, we were quite surprised to find that on Palau, there was only 1 small bookstore at the community college that had a total of maybe 100 books. In Yap, they are seeking to raise the bar and get accreditted by the American board of education, but still have some work to do. Despite this, a number of Micronesian students do go on to community college in Micronesia and some attend university or go into job corps abroad - usually in Guam or the US.


• The last tidbit we wanted to share with you, mainly about Yap, is the continuing existence of a strong caste system and the power of the chiefs. In their government, The Council of Chiefs (the 4th branch of government alongside the President, the House, and the Senate) hold as much or more weight than the other powers. No law gets passed without approval from the island chiefs, who continue to be greatly respected and obeyed within their villages and on the islands overall. The caste system we were told originated many years ago from India. To this day, the caste you are born into will determine your place in the village traditions, how others in the village will treat you, etc. While those of low caste still have access to education and employment, if they truly want to get ahead, they must choose to get their degrees and work overseas. For example, someone of a higher caste will often refuse to work under someone of lower caste - even if the lower caste person is more educated and qualified. It was difficult to learn the true ins and outs of how this system continues to function, but we were certainly made aware it did exist.

Religous Beliefs

• The Spanish missionaries began making their mark many years ago on these islands followed by the Germans and a number of others. As a result, the bulk of Palauns and Yapese have converted to some form of Christianity. There continues to be a strong missionary presence from a number of religions including Catholic, Prostestant, Seventh Day Adventist, Jahovah Witness and Mormon - all vying for the Yapese souls. Our friend Dieter put it well - "Considering there are fewer than 11,000 people in all of Yap and outer islands, what is the price of a Yapese soul?" Some Yapese and Palauns are devout in their religion and beliefs. Others are swayed by the changing tides and the enticing offers of the missionaries (free food, education, special benefits, etc.). And from what we were told, regardless of the religion that many islanders claim, many still practice some of their traditional ways. Those traditions might include a trip to the shaman or witch doctor to get rid of evil spirits, to connect with ancestors, or even to heal a medical ailment. This is more common with the older generations, but certainly aspects of these traditions and beliefs will continue to be passed down and mixed and matched with more modern religions.


• Another side effect of the missionaries we feel we must mention is the way in which it has changed and altered the traditional way of life on the islands. One of our tour guides expressed his frustration at how many missionaries insisted that the islanders must not only convert, but must also live in exactly their way. He himself was a Christian, but said he did't think he had to change his entire way of life to believe and worship God. Sadly, the approach of many missionaries did not always respect traditional lifestyles - and God aside - instead of altering their lifestyle to fit the way of the islands, they insisted the islands alter their way of life to fit Western ways.

Marriage and Relationships

• Since we ourselves are preparing to embark on life-long commitment, we thought it would be interesting to ask the islanders how marriage works in their cultures. While there are differences between Palau and Yap, in general, we found that marriage (and especially a wedding) is not as big of a deal as it is in the US. Sometimes, but not as often now, arranged marriages occur. Marriage ceremonies are simple, if they happen at all. Pretty much, the fathers and/or uncles of the bride and groom must declare the marriage is official, a dowry is paid by the groom's family to the bride's, and the bride moves in with the groom.


• Dating in Yap is a very private affair, happening after hours where the couple can't be seen, on dark back roads, or by text messaging. It is not uncommon or looked down upon for Yapese women to have children before they are married, and the kids are often cared for by the family. As far as committment, we heard different things. Some said marriage was taken seriously. Others claimed that affairs are not at all uncommon.


• Again, it seemed the whole topic of male/female relationships and marriage was a bit complicated, so we can only provide the surface explanation of what we heard through the grape vine of local and expat conversations and rumors. In every country we've visitied, we certainly have learned that relationships and marriage are approached very differently all around the world.

The Future

A couple excerpts of what locals told us...

• "I want to go to community college in Yap and then to University in Kentucky. I like the sound of the same of that state, and I have family there. Then I want to come back to Yap and live here, maybe start my own business on the island."


• "I'm concerned about the growing Western influence and loss of traditional ways and culture in Yap. I feel like we are a spoiled child to the US. Instead of sending people to help us learn how to make our economy more self-sufficient, they just keep giving us more money. I think we need to be allowed to fail and make mistakes and learn to stand on our own two feet. My ideal future would be Yap returning to more traditional ways (work, food, building, etc.) and becoming self-sustaining with everything we have on the island - like we used to be many years ago. Our interaction with the outside world would be for the purpose of trade."


• "I fear the big developers of Asia coming to Peleliu (Palau) to make the island a resort island. Some chiefs and people are supportive of the idea - thinking it will bring in money and make them rich. I, and others, are against it because we think it will ruin the island's culture and relaxed atmosphere. I think the money will go more into the pockets of the developers than to the locals, and would prefer to see the island's tourism grow organically and locally."

Relaxing in Yap

Yap, ahh, Yap. This place was a little paradise for us - an oasis of comfort and enjoyment after 5 months of hardcore travel. After only 25 days here, we felt like we’d been here for years. For those who may not be familiar with Pacific Ocean geography, Yap is a small group of islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, south east of the Philippines. We read about this place in the book “1,000 Places to See Before you Die” and were intrigued by its preservation of traditional culture and giant manta rays.

We weren’t sure what to expect before we arrived – didn’t know if we’d be reduced to complete boredom with almost a month here, or find we'd never want to leave. Our experience was somewhere in between - perhaps we couldn’t stay here our whole lives, but we certainly had no problem enjoying a month here and probably could have been pretty content here for much longer.

Overall, our experience in Yap was a mix of local culture, expat culture and “recharging our travel batteries." We were very intentional in our first few days to get out and meet people so we could get integrated and involved in the local scene. Since we have experienced quite a lot in the past month, and don’t want to bore you with the day to day, we will share our highlights with you...

Island Lifestyle
Pretty early on, we had to adjust to what is widely known as “island” time. Island life moves significantly slower than the Western world, especially the USA. At first, you feel a bit of guilt for being so unproductive – sleeping in everyday, spending lots of time just hanging out, watching movies, reading a book, meandering around town, etc. But after awhile, you can feel yourself finally starting to relax – learning to go with the flow and actually enjoy the rest from a faster pace of life.

Now, the downside with island time is that nothing is ever really on time, and planning and scheduling is pretty much ad hoc. We had originally hoped to catch the local ship to the outer islands (why we planned so much time here), but the ship’s schedule wasn’t determined until just before our arrival and we missed the boat by 3 days. And of course, they didn’t have a schedule for the next trip yet. In Yap, you just kinda have to wait around and hope that things will fall into place. Unfortunately for us, it didn’t work out to go farther afield, but not to worry, we found plenty of nothing to fill our time and enjoy the main island. :)

The other thing you learn about island life is that the weather is a huge determining factor in what you can, and can’t do. When we found we couldn’t go to the outer islands by ship, we decided to try to go by the small missionary plane. But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be. On the day of our flight, a small tropical storm was forming and we couldn’t fly. Weather also played a role in our hiking, biking and kayaking plans...meaning we either couldn't go when planned, or we got wet and muddied. Don’t be mistaken, there was a lot of sun and it was HOT here, but torrential downpours did have a way of creeping up on you just when you planned to do something active.

And the last point to mention about island life...what you can and can not buy depends on what the ship brings in. And ships don't always come frequently. This means the island may go for 2 months without flour (as when we were there) or other food and retail goods. And at times, you have an abundance of random goods. You just have to learn to make do with what you have, improvise, and learn the tricks of the locals on using local food and products for all your needs.

Hanging With the Local Youth

On our second day in Yap, we volunteered to help out one of the high school classes to build a Koiang (a traditional hut for hanging out and relaxing). We learned to peel betel nut trees for the floor boards, construct the frame from large bamboo poles and weave palm leaves to make shingles for the roof. Most the students were about 17, so we chatted a lot about pop culture, school and a bit about Yap culture.

While the boys were a bit on the shyer side, we did have a good connection with a couple of the girls – Jerlyn and Zillah. They invited us to meet them in town later that week for lunch after school and we ended up meeting them every Friday for lunch. We also went to their village on two Saturdays to hang out. The first Saturday we had a picnic lunch at the sea shore before attending their Catholic church service. It was very interesting to attend a local church service in Yapese. While we didn’t understand too much of what they were saying, it was fun to observe the combination of Catholic traditions with local ones; for example, the altar boys wore traditional Yapese dress and the priest had a flower lei made for him.

The following Saturday, we invited some expat (foreign) friends and the girls invited some of their friends to meet again at the sea shore for a picnic with local food, swimming, football and hanging out. Since we didn’t have as much of an opportunity as we had hoped to mix with the traditional culture and go to the outer islands, it was nice to have a chance to get to know some of the local teens.

Yap Traditions and Customs
We learned many things about Yap's culture while staying here and would be happy to share more details with anyone interested. Here are just a few cool tidbits...

• The Island of Stone Money - All across the island, you will find huge, flat stone slabs with a hole in the center known as stone money. The money was brought to the island from Palau by Yapese ancestors and its value is determined not only by size, but by the story of its journey to the island (e.g., how difficult it was to get it to Yap, how many people died in transporting it). Since the US dollar is now the formal currency in Yap, one would think stone money would be something of the past, not just a decoration...not so. These stones still retain much value to the islanders and are still used to pay debts, exchanged between families or villages as payment, etc. This doesn't mean they pick up the stones and deliver them to each other. Usually, they just tell the other party where the money is and it's agreed that the ownership has changed hands. There is even stone money at the bottom of the ocean you can see while scuba diving. And yes, even this money is still owned and has value. Pretty cool.
  
• Betel Nut - These little green nuts (about the size of a large grape, but hard shell) are all the rage on the island. The locals chew them constantly - you split them in half, pick out the middle, pour in a bit of lime (crushed coral) powder and maybe a bit of tobacco soaked in vodka and wrap them in a small piece of pepper leaf and then chew them. The effect is a light buzz and very red spit. For most islanders, this is a life-long habit that eventually turns your teeth red and then black. But they LOVE it! I, however, was not such a fan!



• Men's Houses - Most major villages have a men's house - a large house made from island materials (see the many photos we have of these). The houses are used primarily for meetings or hanging out, and in the past adolescent boys went through a number of traditional coming of age rituals here. And of course, no girls aloud.
  

Scuba Diving
We were lucky to work out a good deal with a local dive shop - Beyond the Reef - because of our extended stay and did about 10 dives while in Yap. While the diving here is not as spectacular as Palau (due in part to Typhoon Sudal in 2004 - the corals are slowly growing back and should be more amazing within a few years), the island does have some really neat sea life. The most notable feature of Yap diving is the gigantic Manta Rays that frequent the natural cleaning stations. We saw a few of them while diving and they are quite majestic creatures. There are also a ton of reef sharks - on one dive we saw a school of 15 baby reef sharks. And there are also the extremely tiny, but colorful, mandarin fish who come out of the corals at dusk to mate. We did a special dive just to observe their little romantic dance and it was pretty amazing. We took our camera on most dives, so to see some of what we saw in the deep blue, check out our photos.




A Little Slice of Home
After so many months on the road, you begin to miss some of the little things that make home, home. While in Yap, we were able to have many of our little cravings satisfied and get fully re-charged for the next leg of our journey.

We rented our own little apartment for the month and had our own kitchen to cook (and bake - 3 cakes!). They even sold some American favorites at the store, so we had Mac&Cheese, tacos, pancakes, and spaghetti. Plus, our friend Dieter cooked us lasagna and chicken curry! We had a TV and dvd player and caught up on new releases and old favorites - we probably watched 30+ movies! We got into a regular workout routine (have to get in shape for our wedding!) and worked out almost everyday for an hour and went to the island's sport complex a number of times.

We had our own pack of dogs just outside the apartment - "Queen Bitch" as she's called was the ruler of the pack, her cute puppy "Meaty" was another favorite and the third wheel was "Tuna." They were there to greet us and love us up every time we came home...and of course we had to feed them our dinner scraps.

We even had an American family to hang out with to watch football (got to see the USC football game on Thanksgiving day!), have home cooked meals with on occasion, and were even invited to their Thanksgiving feast that included all the traditional trimmings - turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and pumpkin and pecan pie, YUM!

A Busy Social Life
Yap has a small, but close-knit, expat community (expat = foreigner who has left their own country to live either permanently or temporarily in a foreign country). The biggest town in Yap is Colonia with a population of around 1,100...just one main street with a few businesses and small hotels. Within the first week, we had met a good number of the foreigners living on the island and developed a great group of friends. This was one of our favorite aspects of our time on the island - actually staying somewhere long enough to get to know people. We attended and hosted a number of dinner parties, went out every Friday night dancing, had regular drinks at the Mnuw (the bar in an old ship at the Manta Ray Bay Hotel), and a variety of other social activities. We met many great friends on the island...

• Matt and Seema - an awesome couple from Indiana who we often shared meals with and who shared our love for the three dogs who lived at our apartments, especially the cute puppy they named "Meaty"
  
  
• The Hermes family - who became our surrogate family from Minnesota. There is Rick and Cindy and their three teenage boys Chris (age 14) and Chuck and Tony (identical twins age 17). We spent many afternoons watching football at their house and Cindy and I would chat for hours.



• Garrett - a former Peace Corps member who decided to stick around after his assignment (island life is a bit addictive). This guy is virtually a local and is the person to know to figure out anything you want to do/see on the main or outer islands.
  
  
• Brian and Bri - a couple raised on islands (Hawaii and Marshall Islands) who we actually bumped into in Palau. Thanks to their advice and contacts, we were able to get to know people quickly.


• Jan - from Belgium, but raised in Africa. Jan manages the Manta Ray Bay Hotel dive shop and while he is a work horse, he always finds time for a glass of red wine and a nice chat in the evenings. Not to mention his knack for demonstrating his own style of "African" dancing late on Friday nights ;)
  
  
• Arild - from Norway and our happy hour buddy at the Mnuw.
  
• Dieter and Minnie - Dieter is from Austria and formerly managed another local dive shop, but currently works as an architect on the island. He is an amazing cook and often the life of the party. Minnie, his girlfriend, is from the Philippines and is one of the sweetest people on the island.



• Claus, Richard and Evie - All friends visiting Dieter while we were there. Claus from Germany and Richard and Evie from Austria. We enjoyed their company at dinner parties, nights out on the island and diving.
  

We will truly miss the friends we made on Yap and sincerely hope we will cross paths with them again. If it hadn't been for them, our time there would not have been nearly as enjoyable or memorable! In fact, sitting here writing this blog in New Zealand, we already are missing our little Yap home.

The Isles of Palau

We have been in island paradise now for almost 2 weeks and thoroughly enjoying all it has to offer. We are getting ready to fly to another island group - Yap - tonight so thought we'd take a quick moment to share about our time in Palau.

Scuba Diving

Thanks to the recommendation by a family friend, who raved about the diving in Palau, we planned to do as much diving as possible! Here are some of our highlights, but be sure to check out our photos too.

• Reef Hooking: This was a new experience for the both of us. The technique was supposedly founded in Palau by a local who works at Fish and Fins dive shop. Due to the strong current in and around the many reefs and rock islands, Palauan diving is greatly influenced by the tides. Under the water along the reef there are valleys and canyons in which the current from outside the reef is either streaming in or out over the reef. Once near the edge, we pull out our reef hooks (large metal hook attached to a nylon cord that is hopefully attached to you!) and attach our hook to some hard coral or rocks (preferably nothing living) and inflate our BCDs. This makes you float weightlessly in the current and conserve energy as you're not fighting the flow of water. The current supplies a large quantity of food for sharks, schools of barracuda and a cornucopia of other tropical fish...which provides a colorful parade all within arms reach.
  

• Amazing Sea Life: Even when we were not reef hooking we saw many amazing corals, sharks, turtles and an array of other fish. Our photos don't do justice, even though we are getting better at under water photography. You'll just have to come to Palau and see it for yourselves!
  
  The Palauan marine diversity is second to none from what we've experienced so far in our diving careers. With our 11 dives we were able to experience many beautiful wall dives in and around Palau's famous Blue Corner and enjoyed many shallow snorkel trips between dives (Clam City). We even took an amazing video of a huge tiger shark while traveling between rock islands and over shallow reefs on the boat (will upload this video for you to view at later date). This place seems to have everything!
  
  Our other expeditions took us to Palau's famous Jellyfish Lake. The salt water lake is in a crater in the center of an island which isolates the jellyfish from many of the predators of the sea. Due the the unique circumstances, the jellyfish are able to live off photosynthesis. They are docile creatures and don't sting...as long as snorkelers treat them with respect and don't bat them around too much (check out the photos).
  

• Wreck Dive: We also experienced our first wreck dive in Palau (getting our advanced open water certification allows us to dive to 30M, which is necessary for almost all wreck dives - good timing!). Due to the many WWII battles fought in Palau (see below for more details) and its outer islands, there are tons of gun ships and naval transport ships used by the Japanese with large torpedo holes. They are in relatively good shape and excellent to explore while diving.
  
  We dove in and around the Japanese Techiu Maru ship and had our first experience swimming through a once operational ship, seeing up close what we've only read about or experienced in movies like Titanic. There is an eerie feeling swimming around these giant beasts frozen in time below the surface.

• Chandelier Cave (Fish 'n Fins Link Chandelier Cave): As we are not yet truly experienced divers, cave dives can be a little intimidating. This cave is composed of four caverns with large stalactites that touch and dip into the water, especially during high tide. The caves are full of beautiful mineral deposits that shine like chandeliers (hence, the name) when our dive lights ricochet off them. There are many Palaun myths tied to the caves - at one time they were filled with ancient carved figures. Definitely a must see if you are ever in Palau.
  
  
• Mariah "Narked": She will deny it, but anyone who has been out with Mariah drinking will know that she never gets drunk...just a little "tipsy". When entering a large cave where the entrance was 27 meters below the surface, we definitely crossed the 30m mark where the amount of nitrogen in your system begins to cause a drunken affect. I saw Mariah smiling and waving, pretending to be the Little Mermaid as she pirouetted around in circles more than 30m below the surface in a cave... she was having a great time, but I quickly got us up to a little shallower depths so she'd get back to normal :)
  

• Dive Masters in Fiji?: What does the future hold for us and our diving carer? Well, we have our advanced diver certification and are planning on completing our rescue diver certification over the next couple of months in hopes of doing the Dive Master training while in Fiji. Before we move forward at full speed, we still need to reassess our finances because diving while exciting, it is still an expensive sport. We hope to continue our training and are hearing many amazing stories from other divers about sites around the world. We definitely would like to take the time in the future to do a live aboard dive trip (where you live/dive on the boat), which would allow multiple dives per day and reduce the transportation time between diving and living on the mainland.
  

Camping on Our Own Private Island

Many of the islands of Palau are small rock islands and not inhabited, but have lovely little beaches and picnic areas with shelters that are ideal for camping. We were able to arrange with our dive shop to drop us off at one of the islands one day after diving. We chose a small island with a couple sandy white beaches - one perfect for sunset and one perfect for sunrise. In the middle of the island there was a grove of trees that we used for hanging up our hammock to swing and read.

When we arrived to the island at about 3PM, no one was there...so we had our own private little island. We unloaded our gear and set up our beds on the benches under the shelter. Then we went exploring and beach sitting to enjoy the last of the sun. I found a coconut that looked ripe for eating and Eric and I took turns smashing it against a rock until we got it open and could enjoy its fruit as appetizers before dinner. We should start calling ourselves Swiss Family Robinson! :)

The sunset was beautiful. After taking plenty of photos, we ran out into the ocean and watched darkness fall while swimming in the aqua blue water. We finally headed back to our shelter to begin dinner preparations. Eric lit the coals on the BBQ and we grilled hot dogs and baked beans. We enjoyed our fancy meal out on the picnic table lit by our lanterns under a sky of a billion stars. The star gazing was incredible - we could see the entire milky way and a number of shooting stars. Bedtime was quite early due to lack of light or anything to do...though it took us awhile to get to sleep because it was so hot and there were some interesting sounds of the night - is it a bat, rat or bird?!

We were both up by 7AM and enjoyed a quiet breakfast of banana bread sitting by the shore. However, our private little beach was not to stay that way for long...by 8AM, a group of locals arrived for Sunday picnicking. While we did have a number of groups come and go throughout the day, the beach luckily turned out to be more of a local hangout rather than a touristy beach filled with Japanese tourists. We met one group of locals who asked if we'd like to share their BBQ chicken, sausages, steak and fresh sashimi - we instantly obliged! As the day drew on, we began wondering when the dive boat would come back to pick us up. At 3PM, everyone had left the island again and we were there on our own with a package of food from our local friends and some water in case we were stuck here another night. Just as I was starting to consider waving down passing boats to hitch a ride back to the main island, our boat finally pulled up. It wouldn't have been all bad to be stuck there for another night, but we were planning to catch a twice-weekly boat the next day to the island of Peleliu...

The Island of Peleliu

The local boat to Peleliu was a great experience...we were packed on with a variety of cargo heading to the island and a number of locals. We had some nice chats with a couple of the women, who were enjoying their betel nut chewing (a light sedative that turns your mouth red). When we arrived, we were met by our local guide, Tangie, who would be helping to find us a place to stay and showing us around. Tangie is an exuberant fellow and a self-made local historian with a passion for taking tourists around his island.

We negotiated a good price for a double room at Wenty's Guesthouse, run by Mama Antonia (as we called her). Mama is an elderly woman who loves to spoil her guests. She is quite a character - a devout Christian very passionate that she wants to "meet us in heaven" and a proud Palauan wanting to make sure we experienced the local food and culture. In fact, she wanted to feed us at every turn, despite our polite refutes that we had brought much of our own food. She gave us bananas, papaya and insisted on making us dinner each night. We must admit, we did quite enjoy the fresh caught fish, taro root, rice, watermelon and coconut juice she provided at no extra cost. Mama also used palm leaves to weave us traditional headdresses with flowers in them. On the way to the dock on departure day, Mama was styling in her sunglasses and swerved back and forth on the little road (thank God there is hardly any traffic on the island!) stopping every time she saw a different kind of flower so I could get out and pick it for my "crown." Her hospitality, and the overall friendliness of everyone we met on the island, made this one of our favorite places in Palau.

It may be surprising, but one of the bloodiest battles of WWII between the Japanese and the Americans took place on this peaceful little island. Over 2,000 American soldiers died and nearly 10,000 Japanese. Our guide Tangie has devoted much of his time to learning the history of the battle. He knows the island inside and out and spent a day taking us around to all the battle sites - showing us tanks, am tracks, guns and caves left over from the war. He's also put together a nice little museum filled with war relics, news articles and personal photos and stories he's gathered from many of the veterans of the battle. It was very interesting speaking to him and learning about the history and effects of WWII on the island. If you'd like to read more about this important historical event go to: http://www.worldwar2database.com/html/peleliu.htm

After our day of history with Tangie, we spent our last day exploring the small 6mile x 2mile island by bike. We rode to all the island's beaches and a local swimming hole. It was great exercise after so much island living! We relaxed in the evening at the locally owned Dolphin Bay Resort over a beer and a few games of backgammon. This nice little resort (also home to Peleliu Divers) is certainly a place we'd come back to in the future - it's closer to the dive sites and we found Peleliu a much nicer island to stay on if you're okay with lots of peace and quiet.

What's Next...
In just a matter of hours, we board our flight to Yap and will be there for the next 25 days. We are hoping to get to some of the untouched outer islands to witness the native culture and also spend time diving and doing some volunteer work on the main island. We hope it will be a good chance to stay put for a few weeks and really get to know more about the local community. We're not sure what internet access is like on Yap, so it may be awhile before our next posting, but we'll do our best!

Until next time...
Mariah and Eric

Impressions of South East Asia

It's been nearly a week since we boarded our plane in Bangkok and said goodbye to South East Asia...and hello to Micronesia and the scuba diving paradise of Palau. Having had some time to reflect on our experiences over the past two months in SE Asia, we wanted to share with you some highlights and insights about this remarkable region.

Preface: While we strove to experience the "local" culture of these countries, please understand that much of what we have witnessed has typically been on the backpacker path. We did have the opportunity to see the local way of life in snapshots, but much of what we experienced was what is readily available to travelers who transverse these amazing countries. Many of the influences of our blog come from our own observations and the instances when we were able to converse with the locals (random strangers, guides, friends of friends) and other travelers. We are sharing from our own personal experience and are not trying to put these people/cultures into a box, but only share what we have learned. Each person who comes to these places may come away with a different experience or perspective, and we welcome comments/insights from others who have spent time in these places. We always appreciate other viewpoints and know that many of our travel companions from this region are checking the blog - Enjoy!

Thailand
Of the three countries we visited in SE Asia, Thailand was by far the most developed - and the most touristed. And for good reason, the country has so much to offer in terms of its natural beauty - the picturesque beaches in the South to its mountains and jungles in the North. And its culture and people who are both welcoming and friendly. Bangkok is very much a modern city filled with shopping malls, high rise buildings and the shoppers and business professionals to fill them.

Some of the things we loved most, or thought were most interesting, about Thailand included:

People - having come from China where social etiquette is not highly valued, arriving to Thailand was a nice change in pace. Thai people are very respectful, always giving a warm greeting and a genuine "thank you." Many people, especially in the less populated areas, would stop to say hello or chat with us for a few minutes (many people speak at least some English). And if we ever looked a bit lost, within minutes someone would stop to ask us if we needed help or directions.

AMAZING Thai Massages on offer for about $6 an hour. Not to mention the variety of other spa services like manicures and pedicures for a very reasonable price.

Thai Food - spicy Thai curries, delicious soups and noodle dishes. And when we were craving Western, plenty of pizzas and burgers as well to cater to us tourists.

Shopping - everywhere you go in Thailand, you can find cool souveneirs, gifts, clothes, and more. We had a great time looking through different markets and bargaining to get great deals. Let's just say we had to send a very heavy box home via slow boat mail (so the post didn't cost us more than the stuff!)

The King - people in Thailand are wild about their king, and we are not exaggerating here. Every Monday, virtually everyone in Thailand wears yellow because the king was born on Monday and the day's color is yellow. At 8AM on Monday, the king's national anthem is played all over the country - we were in the Bangkok train station one Monday morning and everyone in the station stood up and faced the flag (and the king's huge photo next to it) while the anthem played. And when you see a movie in Thailand, before the main feature is played, the anthem is played while movie clips are shown of the king growing up and showing his kindness to the people. The king well loved because he has truly been the people's king ・he has always visited people all over the country and fought for causes that help the people. He has ruled for 60 years and is now 80 years old. Currently, and sadly, he is in the hospital with some medical issues. Everyday, upwards of 50,000 Thai people go to the hospital to sign a book to let him know they have visited and are hoping for his recovery. If only every monarch in the world had so much dedication!

Lady Boys - lady boy culture is something that is common throughout SE Asia and is well accepted. Lady boys are men who dress up as women (some are very convincing and attractive) and have the usual feminine characteristics. They may be transvestites or transsexuals (i.e., undergone various surgeries) and we assume many are homosexual. They are often part of the hilarious cabaret shows that you can view throughout the country. Unlike in Western culture, there is not really a social stigma around lady boys. In fact, they are embraced as a usual part of society and from the little we saw, do not face a lot of discrimination.

What we didn't like so much about Thailand:

The very apparent Sex Trade - it's not uncommon to see an elderly Western man arm in arm with a very young and cute Asian girl. In some cases they are prostitutes, in other cases they seem to be mail-order-brides. In certain known areas in Thailand, many a sick man (and perhaps occasionally woman) comes to take part in the rampant prostitution, sex shows, and underage exploitation. It's really very sad considering many of the girls entering this trade are either sex slaves (having been sold into it by family or suckered into it by lies) or feel they need to resort to the practice to feed drug addictions, or maybe even just to survive. It brought back memories of our visit to a museum exhibit we saw in Sweden on the expansive global sex trade - and makes one realize what a huge and devastating problem it is in the world.

The negative effects of Too Much Tourism - while tourism can bring many benefits such as money to boost an economy, there are also some downsides. In Thailand, there were times we felt we weren't far from home - Western fast food chains, retailers and even pharmacies were common place. Traditional ways of life are often diluted and changed and it can be hard to feel like you're getting a genuine "local" experience when everything is catering to the tourists and demanding vendors and scammers pop up at every corner to try and make a quick buck. And since some tourists can be quite demanding, some of the local friendly spirit can be diminished and replaced by people calloused by tourism. That being said, if you can get past or ignore some of these downsides, we would still highly recommend Thailand as a destination because it does have so much to offer.

Laos
This is a country that we had not been planning to visit. But after so many fellow travelers recommended it, we decided it was worth changing our route. And we weren't disappointed, Laos is probably what Thailand was like 20 years ago and turned out to be our favorite country in the region. While tourism (largely by backpackers) is becoming more commonplace, it is a bit easier to get off the beaten track and experience the local culture and people.

Some of our favorite aspects of Laos included:

People - like Thailand, the people in Laos were very friendly and welcoming, probably even more so. Everywhere you went, you were greeted by the locals with a smile, wave and "Sabaidee" (hello). Even when in the midst of hard bargaining, the locals were sure to keep it a friendly affair and often smiled and laughed with you. The tuk tuk drivers and shop vendors were not too aggressive or forthright in trying to get your business. The Lao people are extremely laid back, often preferring to hang out and chat with family and friends than to work too hard. And the children, oh, the children were wonderful! Full of energy, life, love and smiles. There were gangs of them everywhere and they always wanted to play (unlike other countries we've visited, they weren't interested in begging). The Lao people love children and have as many as possible - the percentage of pregnant women and the ratio of kids to adults is unbelievable. And despite large families living in small villages with very little to their names, it always seemed everyone was quite content and happy. In Laos, they seem to know what community is all about and they are graciously willing to let us "farlang" (foreigners) get a true glimpse at their lifestyle and culture.

Transport - we've already written an entire blog on this, but suffice it to say that getting around in Laos was one of the most interesting, and often fun, aspects of our travel there.

Food (and drink) - the actual Lao food is quite similar to Thai/Vietnamese food. And like in Thailand, many places have some Western food on the menu. What they have here that Thailand does not is a history of the French, which equals amazing coffee, pastries and baguettes. This may not be very traditional, but it certainly was delicious. And Lao coffee is amazing for anyone looking for good international blends. Beer Lao also deserves a mention as the local brew - we enjoyed this on many a hot day.

Backpacker Culture - as mentioned before, most of the travelers we ran into in Laos were other backpackers with similar ambitions to ourselves in seeing the world. In fact, from the time we arrived at the Thai/Laos border to the time we left the country, we hardly ever traveled alone. In each place we went, we met other singles, groups and couples on similar routes and would travel or hang out together for a few days. There were a number of international travelers who we met up with time and time again and really enjoyed getting to know them over the course of several weeks in various locations. Laos is still currently geared more to the rustic traveler, but unfortunately will probably change over the next 10 years as tourism increases. If you want to see a country in the region that still retains most of its original culture, come to Laos and come soon. (Sidenote: We were also told by many that Burma is similar to Laos with wonderful people. We would have loved to visit Burma as well, but unfortunately the recent events and violent government crackdown against its people has made it difficult to travel there for the time being. It's on our list of places to go back to though.)

Hammocks - let's just say that we spent a lot of time in these while in Laos doing what the Lao people do best, hanging out. And we loved it!

Our FAVORITE Experiences: riding and bathing elephants, drinking Lao coffee and eating pastries in Luang Prabang, tubing and swinging into the river near Vieng Viang, staying at a local village, going through the Tham Lot Kong Lo cave, playing backgammon and cards over breakfast and on rainy days, and relaxing in the hammocks in Don Det.

What we didn't like - honestly, there wasn't much we didn't like about Laos. The only thing I would mention, which is also true of other countries in the region, is the disregard for the environment. It is commonplace that people throw trash out the windows of moving trucks, buses and boats. Slash and burn methods in the rain forests are still quite common in Laos. The local people feel they need to do this to farm the land and support their families. The government and a variety of NGOs are beginning to address this issue with education and alternative and sustainable practices to help the local hill tribes make their living.

Cambodia
This country, more so than the others, left a lasting impact on us. What we learned here through visiting the historical sights of the Pol Pot regime, spending time with the local children and exploring the ruins of an ancient kingdom was both heartbreaking and uplifting. This was the country where we found ourselves reflecting the most - on poverty, war, humanity and hope. This was the country where we found ourselves feeling the most deeply - sometimes feeling so rejuvenated through the love of a child swinging her arms around us, or on the verge of tears at the many child beggars with their hands out for food. While Laos is technically a poorer country, the poverty in Cambodia is much more pronounced and the scars of their brutal recent history still loom.

It would be hard to sum up Cambodia in the same way that we have with Thailand and Laos. We loved so much about the country - again, we met many wonderful and kind people, we were inspired by the children, and we thoroughly enjoyed the sights and natural beauty. The ruins of Angkor Wat were breathtaking and it was amazing to think about what it might have been like during the height of the Khmer kingdom centuries ago.

But there was also a constant cloud of something deeper, something sad almost, tugging at your heart. The tuk tuk drivers were extremely desperate and aggressive for your business. There were children and beggars everywhere selling things to tourists, and they knew well the lingo of getting a deal and convincing you to buy. Cambodia has also been touched and changed by tourism, and with the popularity of Angkor Wat increasing, this is likely to continue. The people here are a bit more reserved and not quite as friendly and warm, with good reason if you consider their history. There are billboards asking people to get rid of their guns because they are no longer needed in the new, modern Cambodia. And in general, we did feel safe here and could see how the country is changing and growing in positive ways. However, if you were looking for it, there were still plenty of shady characters around willing to sell you some time at the local shooting range blowing up cows, give you drugs, etc. - but even these people are also just trying to make a living (and often supplement their $20-$30 a month income) to feed their families by playing off the former (and still remnant) corruption.

Cambodia's fledgling democracy is bringing hope to its people, but it's fragile and the past is not yet forgotten - probably never fully will be. Hopefully, Cambodia will be able to continue its move towards modernization and be able to improve the lives of its people.

To conclude this section on Cambodia, I wanted to share a snapshot of one of my personal journal entries that I feel embodies both of our emotions and thoughts at times while in Cambodia:

On the bus ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, we stopped at a local rest stop with a restaurant and bathroom. I jumped off to use the facilities and get a coke. As I walked past the entrance to the open air restaurant, there was a boy of about 12 sitting cross-legged with a basket in his lap. His eyes were gone and his sockets were covered over with skin. Probably the result of a land mine. He sat there singing to himself and swaying to and fro. Occasionally, someone would drop some money into his basket and he would smile and say "kop jai" (thank you). I put a bit of money in his hand and then took a seat nearby to wait for the driver to unlock the bus so I could get back on.

As I sat there waiting, I watched the boy and found myself on the verge of tears. He was so sweet, so full of life. Even if he did get decent money from begging, his life could not be easy. His parents might use him as a tool to get money, or maybe he doesn't have parents. He probably can't attend school easily with his eyes and he will be forever disabled. Of course, he is not the only one with this fate in this country that has been shaken by war and tragedy. And there are also those like him all over the world - even in the USA. But on this day, as I sat and watched this wonderful little boy and saw his joy despite his pain, I could not help but love him - want to touch and hug him. It made it all so real - all the suffering we had learned about the past few days with the killing fields, the stories of the kids at the orphanage, the beggars everywhere we turned. This little boy made it real for me - made it so human, made me feel raw and so sad. Watching him made my heart hurt so much for him and for all the pain like his in the world - the unfairness, the atrocities. It all came up inside me and cumulated in a large bulge in my throat barely holding down my overwhelming emotion.

So that I didn't break down right then and there, I got up to go and get him a cold juice drink. I figured he must get thirsty sitting there in the heat and if the money he earned did go to someone else, at least I'll know he would be the one to enjoy this. I took it over to him and put it in his hands. I spoke to him in English, and to my surprise, he thanked me back in English. I wish now I would have tried speaking to him more, but I was so emotional that I didn't think of it at the time. I walked away and continued to watch him from the corner of my eye as I waited again for the bus driver. He didn't open the bottle or drink it right away. He held it in his hands, felt it, smiled a big grin and put it in his lap. Now and then, he would finger the top of the bottle and the straw alongside it and would smile again and go back to singing. I hope he did eventually enjoy it for himself. And I hope he could feel the love I gave it with and somehow know that I admired him - his joy and smiles despite his circumstance.

When I got back on the bus, I finally allowed myself to cry. As I sat there hiding in Eric's lap, I let my emotions overcome me and released the sadness that had been building the last couple days. It was a huge relief, but still frustrating because I felt so helpless. We can each do our part - and we can make a difference - but we can't fix it all. It's a hard reality to know that pain and suffering will always exist in the world. And even harder (but so important) to see it face to face.

Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor

First, let me preface by saying there is no way I can do justice in words to the amazing architecture and fascinating beauty that are the temples of Angkor (ancient ruins that spread across many kilometers)...so please take a look at our photos. That being said, I will try and briefly describe our experiences exploring the temples with our friends Cory and Stacey.

When we arrived to Siem Reap in the late afternoon, we were met - to our surprise - by a friend of our Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver (he had a sign in hand that read "Ms. Mariah and Mr. Eric"). We decided to be good-willed and give him our business and agreed to stay at the guest house where he gets commission and hire him the next day as our driver to explore the further afield temples. We met back up with Cory and Stacey in the evening at a pre-determined local Khmer restaurant where sampled some of the local cuisine and got caught up on our activities from the last couple days. We all agreed to tour the temples the first day by tuk tuk and the second day by bike. And we also agreed to rally and get our butts out of bed at 4:30AM to go and see the sunrise over Angkor Wat - something the guide books claim is a must-see.

Day 1

The early morning arousal was brutal, but we eventually recovered and made up for it with a late afternoon nap. The sunrise was beautiful - despite the many other tourists motivated to do the same as us. Once the glory was over, we rushed back to our tuk tuk and headed to the temples that were 20-40 kms away, making our way slowly back to some of the main temples towards the end of the day. Each temple we saw was unique in its own way, depending on why it was commissioned and the time period in which it was built. Sometimes, we had to deal with the tour bus loads of people wandering around with us. But other times, we lucked out and were able to explore a place virtually alone - enjoying the peace and serenity of the ancient ruins. (If you visit Siem Reap, we recommend taking the larger loops that take you away from many of the most famous temples, but allow you to explore some of the unique smaller ones without the crowds.)

Day 2

We slept in a bit on day 2 to recover from the previous early morning, so set off about 11AM on our bikes for the half-hour ride to the first temple. We spent the day exploring the more famous temples including Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom (which also just happened to be a bit closer and more convenient for biking). Exploring the area on bikes added a whole different feel that we really enjoyed. It made you feel closer to the ruins and it was easier to stop if you saw something along the way you wanted to explore or take a photo of - not to mention giving us a dose of exercise we were in need of.

We had planned to watch the sunset at the famous tree-covered Ta Prohm temple (which we had also visited the day before), but our explorations of other temples took longer than planned and an unexpected flat tire on Stacey's bike meant we had to do some problem solving (we eventually found her a free ride back to town in a minivan with some gracious rich tourists). Mariah, Cory and I were on our own for the bike ride back to town as dusk fell and darkness set in. All was fine and good until we took a presumed shortcut on a better road. While we could bike a lot faster on the smoother pavement, it turned out the shortcut was a bit of a detour, so we pulled into town in the growing darkness amid crazy traffic and honking horns. We only almost got hit a couple times - no problem - but in the end, made it safe and sound. After our stressful ride, we agreed to meet for dinner and a beer to relax and enjoy our last evening in Cambodia with our Canadian friends.

Overall Highlights of the Temples of Angkor

• Angkor Wat - The largest scale wat with intricate bas-reliefs stretching around the outside of the central temple complex (800m)

• Bayon - We enjoyed the giant faces (216 faces) and wandering the many halls in the compact three tiered structure


• Ta Prohm - Unlike the others, this temple has been swallowed by the jungle (featured in the original "Tomb Raider" movie)


• Further afield temples - We all enjoyed exploring the smaller temples and other structures that aren't on the main tourist path. There are many jungle lined roads weaving in and out of these ancient testaments to the former Khmer Kingdom of Cambodia.

By the end of our 2-day whirlwind tour of the temples of Angkor, we were definitely feeling like we needed more time to enjoy this area and explore the temples in more detail. They are still to this day discovering more ruins in the area that are worth a visit if you have the time and motivation to get off the beaten track. This may be a place where we have to return one day.