We Now Say Goodbye

Sawasdee everybody, I hope that this note finds you all well. I just wanted to let everyone know that our Southeast Asia 2010 adventures have come to and end (insert sad sigh here). Today we separated, some of us are returning to the USA and Canada and others are continuing our travels. It has been an awesome run and I am pretty sure Asia will never be the same. We left Cambodia a week ago and returned to the madness that is Khao San road in Bangkok. We were here only briefly before we flew down to paradise (also known as Southern Thailand). We were able to stay in lovely houses on the beautiful beaches of Railae. We went swimming from white sand beaches, scuba diving with sharks and turtles and spent the last night having dinner together and trading stories.

On a very personal note I want to thank each and every person in PD'10 for being so fun, thoughtful, silly and amazing. You have all touched my heart in so many ways and I cannot describe how special you all are to me. Thanks for being an incredible crew. I love you all.

Until next time...safe travels and lots of love,
-Hillary

Here are some final thoughts about our Cambodia days...

Now after visiting all four countries, I can say that each one is 'same same but different'. Each country has its own characteristic and charm that makes it truly unique from the other countries, but for me, Cambodia has thus far been the most enjoyable experience (we still have yet to go to the south of Thailand - so this is subject to change). In Cambodia, a country that has so little, the people and places are full of rich and diverse history. From the volunteer projects, to the homestays, to the big cities, to the cultural sites - Cambodia is packed full of adventure. Two thumbs way up.
-Marc

I have loved all of our time in Cambodia. Not only was building a toilet and house extremely meaningful work, but we got to play with some of the cutest kids too! Even though leaving the Meas family's warm hospitality was sad Phnom Penh was great as well....I saw a water/light show that put 4th of July fireworks to shame! Despite the sweat that has been constantly dripping down my back...i heart Cambodiaaaaaaaa
-Gita

One of my highlights in Cambodia was the day in Phnom Penh when we took a group of kids living at a local orphanage out to a water park. It was a ton of fun being with them as they got the chance to just be kids, especially as they ran up water slides and wreaked havoc on each other (and us) with giant yellow inner tubes. There's something to be said about the importance of play, and mother did they get a full serving. The unrelenting energy of these adorable Cambodian kids left me fully passed out for the tuk-tuk ride back to the orphanage.
-Micah

My time in Cambodia was some of the most rewarding of the trip. With such little money and effort we were able top make such a large impact on local villagers lives. I learned a great deal about giving back to a part of the world I have come to love and admire so much over the past two months.
-Benjy

Last update from Down Under

We last left you at the end of the Fraser Island hiking trip. What a blast!

After eating Australian Cheescake and waving goodbye to Dragon Lady at the hostel, we made our way south to Byron Bay. A windy day provided some excitingly huge waves to help us work on our balancing skills when we went kayaking in the bay. We saw dolphins, which was a delight for all, nearly lost Michael to a big wave (or four) and a few people lost their breakfast (over the side of the kayak) along the way as well. Fun was had by all, cavorting with the locals and other travelers whilst checking out the Byron nightlife. We all enjoyed the comfort of our lovely beach cottages and our impromptu but delicious BBQ chicken dinner.

The waves at Byron in no way compared to the waves around Crescent Head, which was our next destination; Surfaris surf camp. Everyone had been looking forward to this and we were not disappointed. From the free 24/7 PB and J, to the free wireless, to the rocking band on our last night, fun was had by all. Must not forget to mention the surf, which was mostly good; the instructors, who were brilliant; and the surfing skills, which ranged from ok (first day crappy waves) to fantastic (not to brag, but I heard some surf companies want to sponsor me now); all achieved in 5 days of hard work and harder fun! This really was an excellent week together and a great 'big bang' before heading home.

We've spent the last two days in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains National park, a couple of hours from Sydney. Yesterday most of the group went on a grueling 5 hour exploratory bike ride through the Blue Mountains and were rewarded with astoundingly beautiful views during the ride. Although my butt isn't thanking me for it today, it was worth the hard work and effort. Two days in Sydney, final debrief, picnic dinner and the groups' departure beckons tomorrow. Its going to be a shock waking up when I want to, with nobody to talk to and no organizing – whatever will I do with myself?
- Leo

As our last days in OZ are coming to an end, I am starting to wonder what I am going to do without the group. There are only 3 nights left before we go home and I am already getting groupsick (like home sick but of the group). When I get home I will feel like I am lost without the other 11 people that I have grown so acustomed to. When I look back at my time downunder I will be looking back at the time of my life, my prime, my heyday, my zenith, my pinnacle.
- Michael Elghazi

Whenever I stop and reminisce about the trip, I feel as though I'm going over memories from someone else's life. These past two months I have challenged my physical and mental states to unnerving feats compared to the biggest challenges I faced at home. This trip has widened my lens of what I thought was possible from caving, to mounting steep slippery cliffs, and from taking a 134m free fall, to hiking in the rain for 6 hours with 35 pounds on my back. I know when I get home my confidence will be higher and my ambition greater and most of all I will make each moment count. Also I will never forget the people I accomplished all this with and who made each set back into an adventure.
- James Cameron

Jumping out of planes and off bridges, falling down 21ft waterfall, riding a horse that was in Lord of the Rings, scuba diving, planting, surfing, snorkeling, sea kayaking, weeding, zorbing, caving, rappelling---all are activities I somehow fit into my two short months here. And now there are only three days left. How is that possible?! I have spent the past year dreaming of these two months here in New Zealand and Australia and now it is suddenly coming to a close. Even though the time has flown by, I find myself coming out of this experience with not only 11 close friends or a million amazing memories, but confidence, maturity, and an open mind. My next challenge is going home and sharing my indescribable experiences with my family and friends, but I can't even start thinking on where to begin. When March 16th comes around, as I finally say goodbye to my life down under, I will be sure to hold onto all the moments that have made me laugh, cry, struggle, grow, learn, smile, and all the amazing people that made that possible. Peace out PD. Kia Ora.

With Our Own Two Hands...

Hello World! We are all doing just fine here in Cambodia. It has been a crazy week. We left Vietnam in style, cycling 30 km through the Mekong Delta and stuffing ourselves with coconut candies. After crossing the border into Cambodia we headed to Takeo district to stay with the lovely and amazing Meas family. We learned a lot about Khmer history and spent 3 days building a house and toilet for 2 local families. We worked from the ground-up, literally breaking down a crumbling home to construct a new one in its place and building a toilet for a huge family who had never had one before. We are now all skilled with a machette and can carve bamboo with the best of them. Being able to get down and dirty (if you will) in an area that needs so much help really gave us some perspective on what life is like for local people here. The work was hot, hard and beautiful. I was so impressed with everyones ability to jump right in and really take an interest in what we were doing.

After arriving in Phnom Penh we had some free time to explore the city. We visited Toul Sleng and The Killing Fields, both intense and interesting sites where we learned about the Khmer Rouge's atrocities and more importantly about what people are doing to rebuild their lives. Today we visited KDFO (The Khmer Developement of Freedom Organization) an orphanage dedicated to improving the lives of kids here in the city. We were able to take 17 kids to play at the local water park. These kids are so beautiful and after 3 hours of playing, chasing and laughing with them we were all smiles and a bit sleepy as well.

Now were are headed into the north to visit Angkor Wat and the Tonle Sap nature preserve. That's all for now...Southeast Asia over and out!
-Hillary

You can't walk two steps down the street in southeast asia without making that universal cooing sound everyone makes at a baby. There are babies everywhere and they are all 100% cuter than american babies. Most of us are having trouble not attempting to take one home.
-Liz

The orphans in Phnom Penh were awesome. The excitement of driving in tuks-tuks to the water park was great, you could really tell that it was a special event and i got to hang out with a great kid for 3 hours as I chased him up and down the slides.
-Matt

If there is one thing that I will not miss when I get home - it will be the constant honks and attacks from motor bikes which flood the streets of Vietnam. Tourists and locals dodging both directions just to make their way across the street in any of the cities that we visited, was an experience which is burned into my memory. Other than that I cant really make a complaint about Vietnam - Hanoi was my introduction to the prevalence of themed streets, which was not only hilarious but proved to make shopping choices more difficult because you have to chose between 20 stores, which all stock the exact same thing. Hoi An was certainly my favorite town - mainly because it gave me opportunities to have gorgeous dresses made, and also have time to enjoy the land by bike, and the sun on a beach.
-Jane

Although the places we have seen are amazing and the activities we have participated in are exciting-what I have enjoyed most about this trip are the people. In spite of poverty, loss, and violence, these people have remained resilient and smiling. I communicate best to the locals through smiles, nods and hand motions-and it never ceases to amaze me at how sincere their responses are. White teeth, crooked teeth, chipped teeth or lacking teeth, everyone smiles all the same.
-Carolyn

Now that we have arrived in Cambodia, we have reached a whole new level of humidity. The temperature during the day is the worst kind of heat, sticky, sweat-all-day, never-cool-down heat. The only way to relieve ourselves is to duck into the closest cafe for an ice-cold fruit shake.
-Sara

As we walked into the community where we would be building a bamboo house over just two days, we were immediately swarmed by thirty smiling kids who, throughout the day, were constantly putting up peace signs and asking for their picture to be taken. In no time, our group immediately started demolishing what was left of the old structure, at which point I was instructed by a frail old woman on the proper way to utilize a machete. While we were all covered in dirt, cuts, and blisters from wacking bamboo for hours, and dripping copious amounts of sweat, the gracious support from several locals, and the thankfulness that was expressed in the faces of the audience was enough to keep us working for hours. It was incredible to be a part of something that was so life-changing for not only a family, but also myself. -Erika
The volunteering experience was very insightful and exhilarating. I really enjoyed the bike ride thru the Mekong Delta. I think Phnom Penh is one of my favorite cities so far. It is very exciting and mysterious.
-Priya

The 2 days that we spent building the house and toilets were so incredible. It felt really good to know that just with a little hard work, you can make the difference in so many lives. My experience in phnom penh is definitely something I will never forget.
-Jordan

Fraser Island, North Keppel, and a not-so-wet last night of hiking!

Gidday folks, chuck another shrimp on the barbie….

Australia is noticeably different from NZ. If the swarms of biting mosquitos and sandflys don't alert you to it straight away, the intense heat and miles of endless beaches will.

Since arriving in Auz we have had a couple of nights on the run in pretty, beachy places, and five days out on North Keppel Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area. Our camp there was stunning, right on the edge of our very own beach, and we spent the week doing volunteer work such as clearing a fire-break, removing non-native weeds, counting and mapping the sand-dunes, which are receeding. Our work there was the start of a push to re-plant the dunes and save the beachfront. We also spent half a day snorkeling, which was a highlight for all. Awesome, beautiful tropical swimming-things abounding. We ate lots of delicious food, as always, and had a really great time working and bonding further as a group.

Pizza and a second night in Rockhampton preceeded the drive to Hervey Bay, gateway to Fraser Island. You'll find there's lots of stories from our time on Fraser Island, two main ones; the one from those who made the decision to come off a day early and had a dry night at the hostel, and the one from those who stayed the course and got soaked, two nights in a row.

From Leo, stationed in the middle to catch the groups as they came through, I enjoyed my time on Fraser, although lonely without my 11 buddies (they've become more like limbs over these past two months). I did get to see one of the beautiful freshwater lakes that this gorgeous sand Island is famous for (biggest sand island in the world!) and had a few walks on my own with the aid of a dingo stick in case of any too close encounters with a dingo (they recommend you don't ever walk alone)! I'll leave the rest to some of the group for comment….

North Keppel Island was stunning. I think we all were a little surprised when we realized that this was going to be our home for the next 5 days. Right on the beach, it was the perfect spot for camping. Even though the bugs ate us all up (some worse than others… ahem, boys) we had the best time pitching tents and hanging out in this beautiful place. We got to walk through an endless mud filled path everyday, clear a fire break, mark coordinates of trees to help save the beachline, play with children staying at the education center on the other side of the island, clear out weeds, and plant new baby trees. The staff even took us out snorkeling one day - a very nice treat. We saw the most colorful fish, a couple jellyfish, crazy cool corals, some saw a nursing shark, while others saw pucker fish, and a stingray. Like Leo said, it was a major highlight - I had the best time taking funny photos in our snorkel gear, swimming around in the prettiest blue water, and looking at the awesome underwater world with my group. A well spent 5 days I'd say!

And wow, Fraser Island was definitely something I'll never forget. It was gorgeous; the views from the walks were absolutely amazing and almost didn't seem real at times. We weren't prepared for the rainforest environment we found ourselves in either… not something you'd expect from a big island of sand! The largest in fact, which is very cool. We saw goannas, dingos, crazy spiders, and all types of sand lizards. Lake McKenzie was the most breathtaking of waters we came across, and luckily we got to experience it with the last bit of sunlight we would see, for at least the 3 following days… The weather played a huge role in this trip—it rained um, all 4 days! During dinner, during the night, during the walks, pretty much during everything. It was something that you almost had to laugh at because there wasn't anything else you could do about it.

Our group, Group 1, which included Lesley, Brian, Ursula, Tony, Michael, and myself, ended our 41km hike at Dilli Village. After starting at Kingfisher a couple of days prior, I'm sure the sight of us walking into Dilli was totally priceless. We dragged in, mosquitoes buzzing around us, completely drenched, in our oversized raingear, staring at the ground, not sure what to think of all the rain, hating everyone who drove by in cars, not wanting to set up our wet tents, knowing everything in our backpacks was soaked as well, while the guy in charge of the campground told us that the campsites were closed for maintenance this Monday-Thursday (by the way - it's Tuesday), and that there was no place for us… Ah man. I wish there was a picture for this moment! Seriously. At the time it was pitiful but now it's just funny... We managed to get ahold of Leo who moved our taxi and ferry rides up a day early. And since we were already finished, why not right? Our taxi driver told us later that we actually made a good decision, because with predicted winds of 100 km/h, they probably wouldn't have even been able to pick us up at our expected time the next day. And so we arrived in Hervey Bay. The sight of the hostel was literally the best thing ever. Warm dry clothes, showers, COKES, and beds awaited us, and we couldn't have been happier to have made the decisions we did that got us there. We just wished that the other group would have able to join us. It was definitely not as fun as it could have been, but we really had a great time together and somehow still aren't sick of each other!

The trip has happened so fast; it's crazy to me to think back to all we've accomplished together, knowing that 2 months ago I didn't even know these people. And now they have become like family. It's weird how spending 9 weeks with 11 people affects you the way it does. I wasn't expecting it to be this way. It's been so much better than I could have imagined though! I've learned so much about myself and others, and leaving them is going to be incredibly hard. But I'm excited to still have 2 weeks with them, and I'm sure the next part of the trip is going to be just as fun and entertaining as the last 7 have been. Thanks PD for making this all possible, I've had the time of my life!! Xoxo Lindsay

Footnote from Leo: Although we all at the YHA had a sleepless night worrying for the other group; they ended up taking a room at the prestigious "Kingfisher Resort" on Fraser Island and had some good photos, clean clothes and wet hair (from the hot tub) to show for it!

Our Crazy Week in Vietnam!

Greeting from Hanoi! We are all safe and sound in this city of ten million motorbikes, Pho and streets so winding it is easy to get lost even with the help of a map! We arrived yesterday after spending 2 days out in Halong Bay. We were aboard a lovely boat that served as our personal pirate ship. We went sea kayaking everyday and ate our body weight in seafoods. The only bummer was the weather, colder than we all expected but thanks to very warm bathrobes that were provided in each of our cabins we spent the evening lounging and staying warm. Although I believe the staff of the ship probably thought that we looked a bit strange, 16 people chilling in robes makes for a funny sight :)

We also had the opportunity to go fishing with some local villagers. Most of us thought that we would be sitting on a boat and holding fishing poles. WRONG, this is not how you fish in Halong Bay. We helped drop a net that was about 100 feet long and then the locals handed us big wooden sticks. We were all a bit dumb-struck, "what do we do with these?" Some of us had the scary thought that we would have to bash the fish. Thank goodness that is not what they were for. You take your stick and hit the boat over and over really hard. This creates sonar vibrations that disturb the fish and cause them to swim into the net. Strangest fishing I have ever done, but extremely effective, we caught 49 small fishes that were fried up for part of our dinner!

We are about to board the night train to the lovely city of Hue...cheers and salute for now!
-Hillary

Although most of the museum was closed due to renovation, the Hanoi Women's Museum featured two vastly different exhibits illustrating women's roles in the Vietnam War and the current lives of female street vendors. Having been educated in United States history throughout our schooling, it was insightful to experience an alternate perspective on the women's role in the Vietnam War. Reading through the letters from female soldiers to their families and interviews of women who scatter Hanoi's streets everyday selling their goods, we were humbled by their sense of familial responsibility. Consistently throughout the exhibits, women spoke of trying to support their families or sending money to their children at university. One woman vendor spoke of her combined household salary, the equivalent of less than $200/month, and trying to start a family with each doctor visit amounting to over two month's pay! Overall, our experience at the museum was both eye-opening and rewarding in terms of gaining a deeper understanding of Vietnamese women in two different settings and time periods.
Love,
Erika and Sara

My experiences in Laos served as an excellent stepping stone for entering Vietnam. The juxtaposition of the poor, underdeveloped nation of Laos to the vibrant, more modern life in Vietnam is an interesting comparison. Leaving the small, rinky-dink airport in Laos and entering into a major airport in Vietnam was the first noticeable change. While the city was calm because of the holiday Tet, it allowed me to see the city without the all the clutter. We quickly left the city by sleeper train to Sapa, a small mountain town along the Chinese border. The guesthouse we stayed at had incredible views of the largest mountain in Vietnam, and clouds slowly pillowed across the landscape. Words cannot quite describe the majestic feeling. After a few days in the town, we headed back to Hanoi as a way to get to Halong Bay. Aboard our 'pirate ship,' we explored the massive bay and learned about its historical significance. After fabulous cuisine, kayaking and a relaxing experience, we headed back to Hanoi. Only this time, the city was back to life. With the end of Tet, the deserted streets upon arriving only a few days before were now crowded with motorbikes and people. The beat of the city could be felt. I've thoroughly enjoyed exploring the city, noting the plethora of people and cultural history of the city. As we head south along the coast of Vietnam, I am excited to see the cultural differences between the north and the south, and then use my experiences here in Vietnam as a way to continue comparing the differences and similarities across the artificial borders of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
-Marc

It has been quite a shock going from slow moving Laos to high paced Vietnam. In Laos I learned to be relaxed and patient. In Vietnam you can't stop for a second without being in danger of being hit by some motorized vehicle. Although I miss Laos and its charm, Vietnam is new and exciting and keeps me on my toes.
-Hayley

Cruising Halong Bay on pirate-esque ship is a wild experience. The hulking limestone cliffs jutting out of the turquoise water create a completely unique landscape. We managed to, literally and figuratively, soak in the feeling of the place while kayaking through the bay. Despite some pretty active kayak attacks, everyone managed to stay in their kayaks but we were all pretty wet by the end.
-Liz

While swashbuckling, commandeering, plank walking and other pirate type activities where at a minimum, the crew all had fun cruising around Halong bay on our pirate ship.
-Max

We Love Laos!

The land of the lost would be an appropriate name for this lovely country. A place where paved roads are scarce and the food is good beyond measure. We spent 2 days trekking, 3 days boating down the Nam Tha and Mekong rivers and then 3 more days exploring the amazing town of Luang Prabang. As of now we are sitting in the fog-covered town of Sapa, Vietnam, waiting for the night train that will take us to Halong Bay. We wanted to say a quick hello and leave you with some thoughts about the lovely land of Laos!
Cheers,
Hillary

Laos...

I loved getting to bike through the town near Boatlanding Guesthouse. Seeing people go about their daily lives in such a beautiful area surrounded by rice paddies and the river was incredible. I knew I loved Laos right away. The village homestay and trek we did was unbelievable and a night I will remember for a while. Communicating with children with only 2 or 3 words, a camera, some toys, and song and dance was a powerful experience!
-Gita

My bike ride up to the Tran Ton Pass was exhausting and physically demanding. Yet, when we made it to the top the view was incredible. The cuts and bruises were well worth seeing the amazing mountain landscape.
-Benjy (about the biking in Vietnam)

Laos was an incredible experience. I was able to see dualism from the village homestays and the city experience. The village allowed me to see the world in a different light, while the city let me feel normal once again. However, in Laos, one never feel quite the same. Floating down the Mekong, I saw both old and new. The villages and the children were a whimsical experience, while the city let me feel alive. Both were incredible.
-Marc

So there we were in our small wooden boats, watching the beautiful scenery of Laos fly by, when the boat suddenly stops and pulls up to a beach where about 9 (or was it 7?) Laotian women were standing. After a few minutes of talking to our driver they started climbing into the boat forcing us all to squish together like sardines. We were all a little confused but just assumed they only needed a short ride and would be off soon. So, with a positive attitude we welcomed the newcomers......6 very long hours later our Laotian "family" (as we fondly referred to them now) were still on the boat with us. To top it off, one of the woman had not stopped talking once. In six hours this woman had a never-ending monologue, ending each sentence with a high pitched "Weeeeeeeee". When they finally got off the boat, all we could do was laugh. In the end, I figured out I didn't even find this experiece a nuisance. I actually quite enjoyed it.
-Stef

Traveling down the Nam Tha River on cramped wooden boats, I was amazed at how untouched the country of Laos appeared. As we floated for hours over two days, waving to hundreds of villagers, I caught a glimpse into the simple, but sustainable lifestyle that revolves around the river for the majority of the Laotian people. Upon our arrival to our boat driver's village, it was great to witness how simple toys such as a green bouncy ball replaced the language barrier and delivered hours of fun to the village children.
Happy V'day!
Erika

The last few days in Luang Prabang have been filled with eating, shopping, and relaxing (some of my favorite pastimes)! Reflecting past French influence, the city offers plenty of savory baguettes and sweet pastries at every restaurant. At night, the main street transforms into an endless sea of colorful scarves, jewelry, and handwoven tapestries. Between the incredible food and countless night vendors, spending the last of my kip has not been difficult!
-Sara

To describe Laos in a few words would take about as much time as it does to actually receive your order of a delicious cup of Laos coffee.. which is to say - it would take forever... and certainly would not do it the justice which it deserves. Despite my tendency to revert to the western way of rushing through life, Laos gave me a sense of ease which allowed for me to sit back and actually enjoy what was around me and the people who i was fortunate enough to interact with. The trekking in Laos was definitely a highlight for me; not only because of the challenge but more so because of the interaction which I had in the village that i spent my overnight in. Talking and playing with the children of the village finally allowed for the opportunity to be apart of the village and cultural experience rather than watching it as an outsider. It was truly something which I cannot and will not, ever forget.
-Jane

For me, Laos is all about extremes: extreme beauty, extremely cute kids, and extreme sickness. Between the slowboat trip down the Mekong River, playing rocketship (where you toss small toddlers into the air), and not being able to hold a meal down for a few days, I really fell in love with Laos.
-Micah

Playing soccer with the kids in water buffalo grazing area in the village. Amazingly dirty. Amazingly fun. Boat landing guesthouse. A great run through the rice paddies with the mountains in the background. The rice was so green and a great contrast with the brown mountains. The scenery made you forget you were running. If i could do that run every day i wouldn't belong to a gym.
-Matt

I still haven't figured out the right words to describe Laos. The laid back atmosphere, the lack of concept of time, and the overall good nature of its people. I just know that I miss it.
-Jordan

Kahurangi Challenge

Expedition Two: Kahurangi National Park (Tuesday 02 Feb -Saturday 06 Feb)

Day one (Tuesday 2/2): Arrive at Courthouse Flat set up base camp. Caving in Blue Creek cave.
-We all arrived at the campsite early in the morning, around 8:00. By 9:30 we were geared up with overalls, helmets and our headlamps and headed towards Blue Creek Cave. We ate lunch before we entered the cave for a few hours. In the cave we went around obstacles such as walls, water, and slippery surfaces. It was challenging and dark but so much fun! It felt like we were in Indiana Jones so we were constantly singing/whistling the theme song.
-After a muddy, wet, fun day in the cave we came back to the campsite and cooked up a delicious steak meal thanks to our amazing guides Dawn and Andrew. It was fantastic after a long days work under ground! We then prepared/trained for our next day of repelling

Day two: Full day canyoning in Blue Creek canyon.
-Woke up to another delicious meal prepared by our guides (and great weather). We had bacon, eggs, beans, cereal, fruit... it was a feast. We needed it though for our long day of canyoning down some cliffs! We went down this one gorgeous narrow canyon and repelled down 12 different times. One time we had to repell into water and we got our waist down soaked! It was another LONG but FUN!! day. We got back to camp and cooked in our cooking groups then went to bed dreaming of what else there was to come.

Day three: Tramp through Dogface flat. This is no ordinary tramp, there are ropes and ladders required to ascend this rugged gorge. In one place it is required to wade in water which is chest deep.

This was definitely our most intense day. We hiked with our backpacks on which probably weighed like 30ish pounds. We had MANY obstacles that at times could be really scary. It varied from walking on thin paths, climbing up rocks/waterfalls, walking through the cold river chest deep, and more. I had no idea how intense it would be but it was amazing fun. It was challenging and really pushed all of us and tested our teamwork. We started on the path for about 2 hours going over trees, sliding down on our buts, avoiding wasp nests (a couple of us got stung), & climbing steep uphill. It was a huge workout. After lunch near the river we changed into our warm polypro/long undewear gear because we would be walking up the river. We got suited up and all prepared for cold wet feet. It was really fun walking up through the river but definitely chilly at times! We followed Andrew up and he guided us around all the obstacles. Our first big obstacle though was to get through chest deep water. We walked around the edge of the river holding onto rocks until we reached Dawn who was holding a rope- she then quickly pulled us up over the rock. Everyone was so excited at that point and having so much fun because it was our first real challenge! Other obstacles were to climb up ladders, lift ourselves up rocks, balance on logs and moer. I can't really explain it to you because it was way more intense than it sounds. It was hard becasue of the big backpack we had on that could easily shift your weight. By the end of the day, however, the backpack seemed like it was apart of me and having it off felt so weird (but great!). Anyway, the day was super challenging, risky, exciting, fun, but overall amazing! To past time, we pretended to be in the Lord of the Rings. Actually, we were right by/saw the mountain in the first movie where the Fellowship hid from the spy crows on top of the mountain before they went into the mine--we were also right by the mine where Gandolf falls. By the end of the day I was beat but excited to do more!

Day four: Our plans changed for day four because it took us a lot longer the previous day to get up the gorge/river. We instead hiked up a little farther up the river then hiked the mountain in order to loop back around to our first campsite. It was a bit easier of a day obstacle wise but we had to hike uphill for a while and then downhill on this rocky terrain. Towards the end too there was limited water so everyone got really thirsty. It was another really fun day and luckily there was no real wet feet. At one point it was just fun rocks to climb up so James and I just flew up them--I love rockclimbing and the challenge of it! Just being outside in this gorgeous place was amazing enough. I really can't explain what it was like but we just hiked in the woods, in the river, in some rocks, down some rocks, down ropes, over holes, just so much stuff! We all arrived to the campsite around 8:00 and cooked up a quick dinner and celebrated Leo's birthday. We all dressed up in dresses and had cake. The person with the best dress won... all the judges voted for the boys because they looked really funny in their dresses or "frocks."

Day Five (Saturday 2/6): Sleep in and compass work! We slept in after two long days and then Andrew taught us how to use a compass/GPS. We did some exercises which was really fun. After that and a sad goodbye to our awesome instructors we headed back to Nelson.

In the end, after an amazing 5 days of seclusion, the group became a lot closer. Going through the different challenges, we worked on our character and team building skills. It was a once in a lifetime experience that we will all look back on and remember. We are all stronger physically and mentally after pushing ourselves farther than any of us thought possible. We all made it through with help from each other and being able to find our inner strengths. Looking forward to the next week of volunteering at Nelson Lakes!!

- Natalie and Carolyn

Southeast Asia Program group in Chaing Mai

The Southeast Asia group with the team from Chiang Mai rockclimbing.

Amazing Thailand

Sawasdee,

We are all sleepy in Chiang Mai this evening. It has been a long 12 days! Where to start the story is always the hard part...so I guess we will begin at the beginning. We all arrived in Bangkok safe and sound and began our journey together adventuring around the city. Bangkok is amazing, a city of contrasts, smiles and so much good food. We traveled by boat, train and tuktuk, saw Wats, Buddhas and modern shopping malls. After a few days in the major metropolis we headed out to Sukhothai, the ancient capital of the Siam empire. We arrived on a hot afternoon and decided that the day would be best spent at the local public swimming pool. We played frisbee with some children and enjoyed ice-creams of unusual flavors. After an excellent dinner we collapsed in our beds and woke up as the sun was rising.

The next few days were filled with bike riding around sandstone ruins, eating foods of the spicy nature and playing games with each other which always seemed to end with a few people laughing so hard that they cry and make funny snorting sounds. We loaded into vans and set our sights on Mae Sot, a small town on the border of Thailand and Burma. Here we stayed at the lovely Ban Thai guesthouse and got to know Thein, the man who runs it. He is an amazing man who introduced us to a Burmese Monk named Askin who took time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about the Saffron Revolution and the Peace Movements in Burma. He told us of his peace walks around the world and how he has been teaching and organizing for peace and democracy in Burma. An amazing experience that really got us in tune with the environment.

We then headed into the jungle for a 3 day trek through amazing bamboo forests. We camped by a waterfall that is 5 football fields wide and swam in the crystal pools below. We trekked through rivers and into a Karen hill-tribe village, met the chief and drank local rice-wine with him and our guides. After a not-so good sleep due to many roosters that decided to crow at about 4 am, we climbed on top of elephants and set off down the mountain. Elephants are amazing but after 3 hours on the back of one you have pretty much reached your elephant-riding limit. However, the ride is somewhat more comfortable when the Karen Mahouts (local villagers who "drive" the elephants) hop off and let us take over. We sit on the heads of the beautiful mammals and steer them through the forest.

After our jungle adventure we arrived in Chiang Mai, a lovely city in the far north of Thailand. From our base here we went rock climbing and caving in the northern mountains. We repelled 60 meters into a cave that has live stalactites and flow stones which sparkle when exposed to light. We spent the last 2 days crawling our way in and through the earth to emerge on top of peaks that only bats usually see....

WOW, and this is just the beginning! We have a few more days here in Thailand then we are off the the lovely mountains of Laos to float down the Mekong river and eat as much sticky rice as we can!

Until next time...

SE Asia Crew!

Bring on the south!

Weeks one and two have passed in a torrent of fun, laughs, hard work and a little rain. It was obvious from the start that this was going to be a great group who would enjoy our time together and make the most of everything.

Urupukapuka Island in the Bay of Islands, North Island, was our first stop. A week spent working hard for our meals for the Department of Conservation taught everyone solid camping skills (had to survive an unseasonal thunder and lightning storm in tents), new cooking skills and also taught a lot about ourselves and each other. This was a truly beautiful place and everyone enjoyed the sun and gorgeous surroundings.

Back to Auckland next for a night cleaning ourselves and our clothes, then off to Taupo, via Rotorua, where we rafted the Kaituna River, and Zorbing; where most of the group were rolled down a grassy slope in a huge inflatable ball - fantastic! At Taupo everyone in the group decided to challenge themselves and we all went skydiving. This is hard to describe, mind-blowingly fun, and was an amazing experience I will never forget or regret.

After Taupo we started our four days paddling the Whanganui River, still in the North Island. Rain on the first night seemed nothing compared to the storm we weathered during the first week, and yummy meals, planned by the everyone, made for some new cooking skills and new tastes. We celebrated Tony's birthday at a campsite all to ourselves, by filling his tent with lots of balloons and then tucking in to a chocolate mudcake. Everyones favourite night and day of the trip.

The last night of the canoeing trip and the following night were spent at Maraes (Maori home/community centre) and enabled everyone to learn a bit about native NZ culture and experience the Karanga - the haunting, beautiful cry of the Kuia (respected woman) calling to welcome us onto the marae. Koriniti was a chance to dry out all our gear, have hot showers and spend some time alone, as well as reliving our experiences as a group.

An early morning today saw us driving to Wellington, the capital of NZ, where we took a tour of the Beehive - the New Zealand parliament building and learnt about NZ government. Tomorrow is the first fully free day of the trip, and most have chosen to take a ferry out to a small island in the harbour that has ancient Tuataras, the smallest penguins in the world, and the ugliest little wetas you ever did see! Off to the South Island in a few days. Yeehaa.

Leo

Southeast Asia Program: Safe arrival in Thailand

The group have just touched down in Bangkok, have met Hillary, their program leader and are now on their way to the group accommodation to meet three other participants who arrived over the preceeding days. Hillary will suggest the new arrivals email you once they've freshened up, so expect to hear from them soon. This afternoon Hillary will run a comprehensive program briefing and orientation before the program kicks off tomorrow morning. The group will traverse the city by river ferry, canal boat, sky train and tuk tuk, to immerse the group into the contrasts that Bangkok presents, before they enjoy a traditional Thai massage to unwind jet-lagged muscles.
Scott Burnett
Program Director

New Zealand Australia Program: Beaches, camping and volunteer work

Just back to the office after spending time with the New Zealand Australia group. They are currently spending time on beautiful Urupukapuka Island in the Bay of Islands Maritime Park, camping and doing volunteer conservation work. Everyone is getting along great and enjoying themselves. Here are a few photos I took:

Jumping into the ocean before our program briefing on day 1

Trust and bonding activities

Whole group after our first day of volunteer work.

You'll hear more from the group when they return to Auckland at the end of the week.
Scott Burnett

New Zealand Arrival

All participants on the New Zealand Australia program have safely arrived in Auckland to a sunny 80 degree evening. Everyone is excited to be here, to start the program and to start getting to know their fellow travellers.  The program offically begins tomorrow morning, with a Pacific Ocean swim, picninc breakfast and an extensive program briefing.

Kind regards, Scott and Leo

Haiti Earthquake

Family close to the directors of Pacific Discovery have been caught up in the earthquake in Haiti. Director Rachel Sanson is flying over to assist where and if possible. Please bear with us over the coming days if we are a little slower than usual in getting back to you.
With thanks for your understanding and patience,
The Pacific Discovery Team.

Fantastic finale!

[Hillary] From the rooftop bar in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we sit and enjoy the moonlight dancing on the water below us; the Brazilian bossanova behind us and the ladder to the partial moon setting the tone for the evening. [Leo] Gazing down at street level, the contrasts with home are obvious – a barge painted with a giant fluro coloured chicken, fake deer grazing on its deck. Closer still, Cambodian couples on motorbikes stare, equally amused at the foreigners looking down at them as a dried squid vendor passes yet another dried squid vendor on a bike-cart. [Scott] The last few days in rural Cambodia have been awesome. Homestaying amidst day-glo green ricefields and building a house for a needy Cambodian mother have been fantastic and rewarding. It has also been a nice escape from the intensity of Vietnam.

One week later and we're sitting at the airport in Bangkok, waiting to fly to beautiful Southern Thailand. Coming back to Bangkok felt like coming home for many people, recognizing places from before and planning the next exciting streetfood meal kept us all busy. As we drove into Bangkok, we were also excited reminiscing about how we all met and how far we've come as a group.

Our time in Cambodia was absolutely beautiful. From living briefly in a rice paddy to the majesty of Angkor Wat, we are all in agreement that Cambodia is a very special place. Our group is smiling, sunbaked and ready for scuba diving. As our trip is coming to a close, we are excited to spend some good quality time on the beach.

Touring the Khmer Rouge killing fields and Tuol Sleng prison, where many of the 2 million Cambodians were killed and tortured during that time, was sobering. A sad, yet important history for us all to see. I (Leo) was particulary affected by the bits of clothing and bone sticking up out of the soil where people were brutally murdered – Choeng Ek Killing fields, one of hundreds discovered in the late 1970's.

Siem Reap was a humbling and interesting time. We visited many beautiful ancient temple ruins. The many gorgeous sunrises and sunsets we shared as a group meant that we avoided the hot part of the day. Walking around these beautiful, crumbling creations evoked wonderment and awe at the time and effort taken to produce all the temples. Its hard to imagine the people actually living in and using the temples back in the day. A visit to the landmine museum provoked sadness and thoughtfulness about what hardships people have been through. The visit to the Angkor Childrens hospital in Siem Reap left some people with less blood, as most of the group donated blood to this worthy cause, helping save a childs life (don't worry folks, totally sterile and safe) felt awesome.

We are off on our final adventure as a team! Some of us are staying in the south after the trip, others are embarking on new adventures, and some returning home. Time to board our flight, see you soon!

Hugs
Leo and Hils

Lucky me!

Lucky me; to start off where the last blog left off – in Halong Bay, is a good thing indeed. Halong Bay was the stuff of dreams – amidst a busy port of hundreds of beautiful junk style boats, our excited group boarded two elaborately beautiful wooden boats owned by brothers. While motoring out to our first stop, we were served an amazing seafood feast, bird-shaped napkins and all (doesn't take much to impress me). The thought emerged "how will they top this next meal?" I'm not the only one who professed to be in food heaven – fresh morning glory, whole stuffed fish, fried squid, chicken nibbles, to go on would be inviting trouble as I'm making myself too hungry.

Over the two days our trip guide, Khang (pronounced 'hung') took us out on some fun kayaking tours of some Halong Bay islands. There are over 1000 in all, beautiful karst cliffs soaring into the sky. The rock climbers in the trip were salivating eagerly. The two days passed in beach visits, swimming and games on the beach and numurous gastronomical celebrations – the crew did manage to top every meal, every time. The days wouldn't have been complete without jumps and flips off the top level of the boats. The Halong Bay experience was a great group relaxing and bonding time, with the inclusion of our newest buddy, Sabrina, who met up with us in Hanoi to join us for the remainder of the trip.

Hanoi followed Halong Bay. The capital of Vietnam, this is a city on the move. Shared bunkrooms and group meals both nights ensured more ammunition for the 'not so quotable quotes' page – where things you said without thinking first, end up recorded for others to laugh at, often. Hanoi saw us busy soaking up the many things this city has to offer – morning runs round the lake, with locals joining in the exercise – running, badminton, tai chi, people watching. Excellent bars were on offer for celebration of Jeffs birthday. Shopping, shopping and more shopping for some. Mothers, your daughters will be well dressed when they get home. Delicious feasts – one group dinner at a busy restaurant specializing in street food from all around Vietnam, which was fantastic. A walking tour provided exciting insights into Vietnamese life, taking us around the different themed streets (decorate your temple street, holiday street, silk street, tools and hardware street, hair product street?) and bringing, for myself, more opportunities to try crazy, unidentifiable but mostly delicious Vietnamese food.

From Hanoi we traveled to Hue, a quieter, beautiful town flanking either side of the perfume river (named for the 'perfume' smell when the flowers along its banks are in bloom). Here we all jumed on the back of a moto with a local driver and did a moto-tour of the sights. I found the Citadel awe-inspiring, with its old buildings being restored, beautiful columns and statues, as well as the gorgeous pagodas and tombs with their crumbling ruins.

Today the team is enroute to Hoi An, on the coast. I have come to Saigon a few days early with Emily Robin to sort out passport issues. This has brought with it the unexpected joy of discovering 15 cent yoghurt and deliciously, but ridiculously cheap meals next door to the guest house. Oh joy of joys!


Leo signing out.

SE Asia adventure!

Greetings from the lovely town of Sapa, Vietnam! SE Asia 2009 is still trekking, moto-touring, river running and experienceing life to its fullest. It has been a while since we posted and we wanted to update you on some of the highlights of our trip.

Prior to our arrival in Vietnam 2 days ago, we spent 10 amazing days in Laos. We began in the north in the little town of Luang Nam Tha. The Boatlanding Guesthouse was the perfect place to relax along the riverside and regroup after our 17 days in Thailand. We reminisced over the elephant rides, time spent in Karen villages and caving/rock climbing adventures in Chiang Mai. After relaxing and enjoying some of the best food Asia has to offer we were off again to trek into the hills. Our Laotian mountain stays were exciting and very different from the villages of Thailand. We enjoyed spicy jeows (an amazing local cuisine), rice wine that the chiefs love to share, and leeches that were a fun and not-so-fun suprise for many of us. After trekking it was off on a 3 day river journey. We began in long boats down the Nam Tha river then out to our big Mekong boat. Chilling out in the sunshine and bunkering down in an attempt to stay dry during the tropical down pours, it was a journey of contrasts that lead us to the ancient city of Luang Prabang.

Luang Prabang is beautiful, old and modern all at the same time. A totally chill enviroment that boasts the oldest temple in Laos. At 6am every morning the monks walk through the streets collecting alms for the day, a beautiful site to behold as their bright orange clothing contrasts the rising sun on the stone streets. Many of us enjoyed renting bikes and visiting local markets and everyone has thus far agreed that Laotian food is by far the best.

Our arrival in Vietnam was exciting, the fourth country in 27 days! We have been trekking and mountain biking in Sapa, a steep city on the edge of Mount Fanispan. Many of us have already fallen in love with the local culture, great food and adorable girls wearing some of the most elaborate and skilled textile clothing. They spin the cloth, dye it and then sew and embroider it into such phenominal outfits. It is hard to escape their charm because they are all so kind and their english skills are impressive! I think that we will all leave with a piece of their handiwork. Tonight we head back on the night train to Hanoi and then out to Halong Bay where we will spend a few days sea kayaking and soaking up some sunshine before continuing south.

SE Asia 2009 is sending our love to you all! We must say goodbye for now...but our adventure continues!

Hillary

Homeward bound

Here's the second and last trip missive - from Singapore airport as it happens so we are winging our way home already...when I last wrote we were staying in the Old Quarter of Hanoi which the students enjoyed exploring - streets that sell one thing each - shoe street, tombstone street, shirt street etc - quaint but a bit of a labyrinth and very easy to lose your way! Another early morning start saw us heading to Saigon, where we visited the war remnants museum and the graphic images chronicling details of the Vietnam War and especially Agent Orange were a sobering reality check for students. While in Saigon we also visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, which is just outside the city and a fascinating tribute to the ingenuity and resilience of the Viet Cong. Thousands of metres of tunnels on 3 different levels where people lived and hid during the war - there were babies born there and mini hospitals - small underground villages where people hid for up to 4 years. Remarkably inventive and stoic conditions to exsist within. A highlight for students was a visit to the Wildlife Rescue Centre where they got to hold pangolins and see endagered gibbons (their call is outrageous!), otters, lizards, bears and turtles. The bear bile trade is particularly cruel and unneccessary and the Australian manager informed the students of the inhumane conditions that those animals exsist within. Our trip leader had a close call with the resident leopard, which grabbed her bag through the cage and it wasn't letting go easily. We figured it was after Janine's money but the scratch she sustained on her arm was enough to give her large cred with the kids, who I think are all a bit jealous of her scar.

We farewelled the madness of Saigon's tooting streets for a day's sedate cycling through the pretty Mekong Delta - small lanes lined by coconut palms and quiet villages - it was great doing some exercise. There was a hairy moment when we 'mislaid' a couple of students, but happily we found each other again without too much drama. It did mean that students had to cycle in hot conditions until 3pm before reaching our lunch destination but not a complaint was heard. We did look longingly at the row of resting hammocks they had set up for us as we hot pedalled it back on track to try and make up time. Our final night in Vietnam we stayed on a floating homestay bodies weary and tummies happy.

Arriving in Cambodia the following afternoon was a contrast. The geography was quite different and the roads strangely quiet in comparison to Vietnam. The homestay in rural Takeo with Siphen and Mach was a relaxing haven and an antidote for weary travellers. Nearly everyone had run out of clean clothes so we quickly had the lines full before relaxing in hammocks or wandering around the rice fields.

The next day was unfortunately raining all day in Kampot where the students assisted with building a simple home for a mother and her twin daughters. Everyone got muddy and wet, but the satisfaction was high as the building came to fruition. Others visited Epic Arts, a facility that promotes and trains disabled and deaf youth in performing arts. The students donated money towards a long needed new set of traditional drums and watched rehearsals, conversing and sharing with the deaf students. There was a stretching session where some of our kids achieved positions they never thought possible with the harsh task master slapping their limbs into position. In the eveing our host Siphen, shared her personal story of the Khmer Rouge time with the students. Many found this an inspiring and moving day.

Our time at the homestay was too short and we left sadly for Phnom Penh the following morning, farewelling our gracious hosts.

Visiting the Genocide Museum, Toul Sleng, in the afternoon had students in a sombre mood. Hard to believe that nearly a third of the population of this country was killed during the Khmer Rouge time - numbers that compare with the Holocaust, but only 30 years ago. A last shopping visit to the Russian market was intense in a different way and most of us were struggling to accept that we only had one day left.

Our last morning was spent visiting the Killing Fields - one of 380 across the country - and paying witness to the horrific crimes that took place there. We also spent time at a school that is funded mostly by the french and assists poor children to achieve both basic and vocational education. There was lots of playground interaction here and our students enjoyed joining in games and showing pictures from home to curious Cambodian kids. After having a sumptuous buffet lunch at the training restaurant we crossed town to spend the afternoon at an orphange that houses and educates children rescued from living at the dump or from being trafficked, in very basic and crowded conditions. We were all touched when they greeted us with rousing renditions of The Wheels on the Bus and If You're Happy and You Know it before breaking into groups (20 kids per 2 Hagley students) for games and play. It was super hot and very intense noise and space wise. Our students were great, being human jungle gyms, teachers, facilitators and friends to a hugley smiley and excited bunch of kids living in very difficult circumstances. The students donated close to $1000 of fundraised money to this organisation as they struggle for funding but do such an important job trying to improve life and prospects for these children.

Students especially enjoyed their time in Cambodia and felt connected in a way that meant they could happily have stayed longer - heat, scoop showers, squat toilets and all! But last night saw us walking through flooded streets to have our farewell dinner and today we sift around Changi airport waiting to return home to our surreally privileged lives.

I believe they have learnt enormously - not only about the lives of those in this part of the world, but also about themselves and their capacities. They've coped well in some challenging moments and been a great group to travel with. Read their experiences at www.pacificdiscovery.org.

They've certainly earnt a week's holiday before returning to school in chilly NZ!
Cheers,
Rachel and Paul

In Phom Penh

We haven't been in the path of any typhoons, though sadly a lot of people in other areas of Cambodia and in Vietnam have. We did have an extremely wet day in Kampot, though, where we helped to build a simple pole house for a very needy family. We certainly hadn't expected goose bumps in Cambodia, but a few of us had them! And 2 hour's drive away, back at our homestay in Takeo, our washing was happily drying on the line. ( By the way, a few students commented on how much fun it was doing the washing, so parents take note!!) It's been full on since arriving in Phom Penh early this afternoon. Experiences ranging from the sombre to the hilarious. Dinner and the lure of cheap pedicures just around the corner from our guesthouse have probably put other bloggers on hold until tomorrow. The sight of a row of students reclining in comfy seats with their sweaty, wiggling little toes extended and being pampered was really something to behold.

Janine

We have a bit of a limerick competition going, that a few students have dabbled in. This one harks back to our time in Sapa, in Vietnam:
There was a H'Mong woman called Mi // who invited us all round for tea // First she offered us dog // then cat, snake and frog // and to wash it down hog-blood for free.

Dodged the typhoon

Our Hagley College group sucessfully dodged the recent typhoon that went through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The group were in southern Vietnam, the Mekong Delta, and on the South Coast of Cambodia when the typhoon went through Central Vietnam and North East Cambodia. I phoned the group at their homestay this morning, and heard that it's dry - not even a drop of rain in Takeo. The group are loving Cambodia, spent the day volunteering on the South Coast yesterday, and head to Phnom Penh today in great spirits - though I am sure all are a little sad their trip is almost over. The group haven't had internet access since Saigon, but will be able to email once they arrive in Phnom Penh, so I'm sure we'll hear from them later today.

Thanks,
Rachel Sanson

Southeast Asia Program - Beginning the adventure!

We've arrived!

The adventure begins; wandering the streets of Bangkok, sampling the local cuisine, leaping onto canal boats that don't stop - only slow down, and marveling at a city so grand in its contrasts. Our tour on day two highlighted the life in Bangkok, Thailand, where one fifth of the country's people live, from homeless people sleeping under bridges, to huge malls with Hermes scarves draped decadently on mannequins, to shining golden Wats (temples) exuding a peaceful vibe. Bangkok truly is the city of smiles.

The Southeast Asia Fall 2009 trip is underway and we've begun our journey into the mountain; ancient ruins, trekking with hill tribes and a rafting trip beckon. Our group of 16 enthusiasts are already having a ball together. Some silly games on the first day forced us into each other's personal space and shared experiences promise to bring us even closer.

Hillary and Leo

Some more memorable moments

The Hagley student group are about to set off for the Mekong Delta to test their cycling legs. Goodbye Saigon.

- Tash: A touch of blindness. Did she not SEE the 7-11 lady on the little boat below her as she bombed Halong Bay from the junk roof??
- Ben slept like a baby throughout the water puppet theatre performance.
- Louie strolled the aeroplane aisles sporting various whacky but oh-so-cute hairstyles.
- TK. First time blood donor. You rock!
- Dean summoned by security at the airport in Hanoi and whisked away behind closed doors.
- Mick: One of the pioneers of the woolly hat treatment. His sentence was for losing his train ticket which had to be shown at the Lai Cai exit to prove you weren't a stowaway.
- Alison and Janine for both managing to extricate themselves from bag snatchers in Saigon.
- Dean's underground grin at Cu Chi tunnels demonstrated that he was probably a mole or a bat in a past life.
- I love rice paddies I want to take a rice paddy home with me I want my boyfriend to buy me a rice paddy for Christmas: Alison.
- Buying weasel coffee at Ben Thanh Market. Coffee beans are fed to weasels who pass them and then they're harvested by people who know what really good coffee should taste like. Wicked!
- Negotiating prices with cyclo drivers in crazily busy Saigon. Some were stung. Ouch.

Janine :)

Cu Chi & WAR

This moring was an early wake up between 5:00 - 5.30am as we had to be down in the lobby at 6am. Breakfast was served with a massive bread roll including jam, butter and bananas. After breakfast we hopped on the bus and travelled for an hour and a half to the Cu Chi tunnel site - I think a lot of people learned something! It was very interesting and the majority of people chose to go through the tunnels and the lucky few left behind had to hold all the bags! We also went to WAR (Wildlife At Risk), a wildlife refuge center - it was inspiring, the work that they do. We all enjoyed seeing lizards and pangalins (look them up) and we got to hold and touch! It was awesome! A real highlight! I have to g0 now as it's getting close to 11! Will write a better blog soon!

Alison

Hanoi to Saigon

Day 10 started off early, with two wake up calls at 5.25! We all jumped on the bus at about 6 for an hour long ride to the airport. We sat around at the airport for a while and finally checked our stuff in, but just as we were about to head to customs, an attendant came over and started looking for some one from our group with brown hair! I knew I wasn't in trouble because I have red hair :) Lucky Ben got taken out to the "back room" and we were all pretty worried, but he returned moments later and Dean was ushered away. We got a little nervous when the door was locked, but we needn't have, because it was only a miscommunication. Phew! Off we went through customs and all was well. Once we had boarded the plane, we discovered that not only does Vietnam Air have old and very wide planes, but the most uncomfortable seats in the world! We think they were posture correcting, but they were horrible!

When we landed in Ho Chi Minh City, we had to wait aaaages for our bags, but we had a huge downpour to watch that kept us occupied. We all then piled in to taxis that could carry five, but acutally it was four passengers so we had to squeeze a bit! At our guesthouse, we were warmly greeted and offered refreshing drinks. We all then gladly dumped our bags in our rooms and headed out for lunch and a little shopping before our 1.30 deadline at the guest house. We then had a quick briefing about the museum we were about to go to and then headed off to The War Remnants Museum. A lot of us were nearly in tears as we saw pictures displaying the horrors of the Vietnam War, but it was interesting to learn about and many poeple gained some knowledge. We then walked (the long way) to the Reunification Palace and when we got there, no one decided to go in, but we saw the tanks that had helped break the gates, and be part of ending the Vietnam War. Most people got taxis or cyclos to the guesthouse and then hit the town for shopping! It was bargains galore and to chill at the end, we all had noodle soup and spring rolls for dinner!

Ali

Hanoi experiences

Woke up after a fantastic night sleep at the Gold Spring Hotel, very relieved to be on dry land and not be surrounded by water and not soooo much seafood! The hotel is lovely. I had breakfast with Laurentel at around 7 - juicy watermelon, potato, french toast, toast and a selection of other foods were available. The bus was a hour late, shock horror! But made it to the Museum of Ethnology, randomly walked around and saw displays and sculptures from different ethnic groups. A dragon dance was very entertaining - you could tell from the happy smiles on the children in the crowds faces :) Once we got back we were allowed free time. For most people this meant shopping. For me however I had to wait an hour for a pizza which luckily was amazing. Then I had to try explain to a non-english speaking lady at the drycleaning place that I didnt get my top back. This was a very difficult thing and after 20 mintues to my surprise she understood me enough to go get my top which had been misplaced. During this time Allison, Lewis, Lauren and Aimee waited while Hanoi decided to pour down! We tried to be fine with the rain and shopped, got soaked in the process though :( Tea was with the whole group at 69 restaurant which was quite good - a beef burger and fanny icecream went down very well. Then we went to the water puppet show which was entertaining for the people that didn't fall asleep (cough cough BEN, MICHELLE Hahaha). I found it really interesting though! Well yes that was friday the 25th waking up early for a flight tomorrow soooo bye!

Evy Schofield

Random memorable moments in Vietnam

Take a bunch of senior Hagley students to Vietnam and what do you get?

- TK, Casey and Annie leaping and dancing in a Hanoi downpour, much to the amusement of the locals

- Alison wearing an incredibly glamorous banana leaf hat on the trek in Sapa

- Jules, managing..somehow..to get himself locked in the bus at a toilet stop, all the while dying to do number 2

- Evy discovering her life's calling as a street vendor

- Michelle using her expert bargaining skills to get, after considerable negotiation, back to the original price. Duh!

- Simon being stung by the only jellyfish in Halong Bay. (But was it just a ploy to get a Vietnamese female staff member on the junk to rub lime juice all over his arm??)

- Aimee being stung by the same jellyfish which Simon had inadvertently cast off his arm right at her!

- Annie rising to the challenge and negotiating with a cyclo driver to swap places at Lake Hoan Kiem in Hanoi.

- Paul, on his birthday on the junk - walking the plank in the morning and treating us all to his rendition of 'Daddy Cool' in the evening.

- Rachel jumping of the junk in her glasses. (Did she possibly think that she would be able to see the fish better???)

More to come! :) Janine

Hello from Humid Hanoi

Hello there from insanely busy Hanoi. As I sit and write a chorus of toots accompanies me and a light monsoon drizzle adds to the humidity outside. It is hard to believe that just a week ago we were in Singapore which is definitely "Asia lite" compared to Vietnam - more like one big shopping mall - the kids loved it! We spent only 12 hours there, breaking up our flights. The second day saw us arrive in Hanoi and visit the Temple of Literature in steamy heat, before eating at KOTO cafe, an NGO that provides education and employment to Vietnamese street kids. We caught the night train north to the mountain town of Sapa (as described by Michelle and Casey on the Pacific Discovery blog - just go to the website for student updates). The cabins were small, the toilets were dodgy and the sleep was slight. Once in Sapa, half the group took off on the trek and the other chilled for the day and evening wandering the streets of quaint Sapa and practising their bargaining and fending techniques. The following day we flip flopped. Both days were extremely hot and the students really suffered trekking in those conditions - i was proud of their tenacity. The homestay had great food and marae style sleeping. A monsoon deluge with lightening and thunder in the night meant our return journey a bit cooler, and much more slippery. Day 5 saw us back together and catching the night train back to Hanoi, arriving before 5am to see the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake pulsing with locals out walking, stretching, and dancing getting their daily constitutional. After breakfast we had a 3 hour bus ride to UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong Bay. Rising from the waters of the bay are around 2000 karst limestone islands - picturesque and pristine. We boarded 2 junks, our home for the next 2 days. The junks have 3 levels - sleeping quarters below, with en suites, dining in the middle, and a viewing, lazing deck up top. Diving off the boats into the ridiculously warm waters was our first mission! In the afternoon we took to the kayaks and cruised around some islands as a group. Unfortunately quite a lot of us took ill at one point or other on the boats - whether it was a virus or travel catching up with us I'm not sure, but it really took its toll on some. X-fingers for healthier days ahead! Those who were up for it did some more kayak exploring the next day into a cave and swimming off a beach. This morning we walked through an enormous cave before heading back to land and the bus ride back to Hanoi - where we stay in a lovely hotel for the next two nights before flying south to Saigon. Hard to believe it's so cold back home when we drip in the humidity here. Last day of term for you all - enjoy the beginning of your well-earnt holidays and I'll send another update before we leave.
Squeezes to loved ones,
Rachel and Paul.

Trekking in Sapa, Vietnam

We were finally in Vietnam. The doors of the bus swing open, and within seconds we were befriended by the local women of Sapa. Doesn't that sound nice...more like bombarded! And when we say bombarded we mean 10..no 20...might have been 30 women and little girls all vying for your undivided attention to buy things from them. They weren't afraid to be ruthless. One of these little girls, Jew , took a shine to Mick. And when someone takes a shine don't expect to be walking down the streets without them by your side - into shops...out of shops..up the street...down the street..you get the jist. The only way to free yourself is to purchase. But to tell you the truth, Mick seemed to enjoy it more than he should. After all Mick "can't say no to the girls" - ha ha.

At about 10 am half the group (the lucky group) set off on a nice afternoon walk to our homestay. About 3 minutes into our 'hike' we all had sweat patches the size of the Pacific Ocean. I don't think either of us had dry patch on our shirt, so you can imagine how smelly it may have been. Ew. Who ever said treking was an enjoyable sport?? Obviously never trekked in Vietnam. Trek? More like a death hike. So now we're an hour into our mission but thank goodness we were able to go for a swim in the local river. Mm. You can just imagine the look on the locals faces when they saw 9 students crawling their way to the river bank, ripping off their clothes and piling into the water. Sigh. The single most satisfying swim in our lives. But that was short lived. We thought the worst was over, but then after 4 intense treturous hours uphill, downhill, climbing we finally started emerging at the top of the hill (ha, mountain more like), and one by one we collapsed. Overheated, sunburned and half eaten alive. We slowly drifted back into conciousness to the sound of laughter. We look over and see a man in his rice straw hat (Alison looks amazing in a rice hat) chuckling at the sight.

After ariving at our homestay the only thing we could think about was getting into the nice cool shower, getting clean and refreshed. It was a fight to the death for the luxury of getting the first shower. We were stopped in our tracks, shocked to find that our highly anticipated shower was a scoop bucket under tap in a shed. Wasn't exactly what we were used to but AMAZING all the same. Things were looking up when we were served a traditional Vienamese dinner overloooking the village. Delicous. Meanwhile in the upstairs bunk Michelle was spending her evening throwing up in a bowl.

We had the most AMAZING experience of our lives. There might have been a teeny bity of complaining but overall we handld it pretty well. :)

Michelle and Casey

[A wee note from Pacific Discovery: The young minority girls in Sapa are amazing in that they often make this trek both ways in a day just to go to their nearest market to exchange goods and buy food]

First day of our adventure through Cambodia and Vietnam

Aimee here. I am with the group from Hagley Community College and as we speak I am standing at a computer with swollen feet and red face from the heat. Walking out of the Singapore airport terminal and onto the footpath I walked into the surroundings of what felt like a sauna. Most of us wanted to head back into the airport and onto the plane because it was so much cooler. But we had a bus to catch. Everyone loved the bus ride to Habitat hostel where we slept, 8 to a room! Back to the airport this morning for our three hour flight to Vietnam! Update soon! bye bye.

Thailand volunteer summer program launched!

Our new Thailand summer program has just been launched and registration is open for July 2010.

It will be an amazing month in the 'Land of Smiles' with two fantastic volunteer projects as well as a ton of adventures and cultural immersion.

Participants spend a week at the Elephant Nature Foundation caring for elephants and learning an enormous amount about elephant care and conservation. This is followed by a week at Chiang Mai's Migrant Learning Centre, a non-profit educational facility established by Burmese refugee teachers to provide free education and vocational training for Burmese migrants and refugees Participants assist in English language and computer skills classes.

The program also includes: Two days of rock climbing and caving in Northern Thailand; a three-day expedition into incredible Khao Sok National Park, hiking, kaykaing and staying in floating houses; time exploring historic Sukothai, Chiang Mai and Bangkok; and finally wrapping up on the island of Ko Phra Ngan, staying in amazing beach houses, snorkeling and swimming.

For more information check out the program page online, or contact us for an information booklet.

Farewell to Saigon and SE Asia

Just one night to go before our group flies home to their soft beds, their favourite pizzas, their boyfriends..or whatever it is they are most craving. In Alex's case it's the 11 shower heads in her bathroom. I hope she doesn't drown!!

 

The last part of the trip seemed to go very quickly, as is so often the case. We've compared Hanoi to Saigon, and unanimously we prefer Hanoi. It's certainly much harder to cross the roads here. Our stops in Hue and Hoi An, in central Vietnam, seem like a long time ago. The Hue moto tour was great and Michelle and I had our palms read by a lovely old woman, dressed immaculately in white silk, beautifully made up and sporting a conical hat over her white hair. She was sitting under the roof of the covered Japanese bridge, no doubt to lure travellers into their future. So, as I'm apparently going to live to a ripe old age, I guess I shouldn't be too concerned crossing the Saigon roads after all. Except that she also mentioned my three children. And I can't for the life of me work out where I put the other two!!!!  Hoi An, with its relaxed pace, lovely historic buildings and riverside lit up with soooooo many lanterns is a favourite with us all. And we've all have had our wardrobes enhanced.

 

A visit to the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, the Cu Chi tunnels just out of Saigon, and ( over the border into Cambodia ) the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum in Phom Penh, were all sobering and emotionally challenging reminders of the insane cruelty we humans have shown ourselves to be capable of. It's impossible not to be appalled and upset, but also impossible not to wonder at the recovery communities and countries are able to make and the way that people are able to live side by side again and the pervading strength of the human spirit. 

 

We all loved our brief foray into Cambodia, and many are talking of returning some time. Our homestay was incredible - such lovely people and warm hospitality. I did hear a couple of the girls say that Ly, one of the family members who accompanied us around town and to our last stint of voluntary work, was quite hot! Always a bonus. Helping to build a very simple pole house for a needy family, alongside the family who would be living in it and a few helpful neighbours, was an awesome experience. We had to demolish the old one first and it mostly just came apart in our hands (along with a host of creatures!!)

 

Mekong Delta - what we thought would be a simple homestay turned out to be a sumptuous French era guesthouse. Nobody complained.There are always surprises here so it pays to be prepared for anything - treats included! Cycling along narrow paths around an island in the Mekong was great fun. Jordan tried to bring the power lines down. Or was it a house? Anyway, we all missed it! The prang of the day. Just when you need an audience there's no-one in sight. Everything was so lush (we just had to stop for a feast of rambuttans) and "Sin Chau" was heard around almost every corner. Well, there are plenty of anecdotes which come to mind but there's a queue for this computer so those can wait.

 

Janine

Vietnam is da BOMB!

Hey all,

This is Alex Woodcock and I am currently on the Vietnam summer trip and having the time of my life! Been avoiding getting hit by crazy little vietnamese dudes on motos, jumping off junks, and making friends for life!

Just some amazing memories to talk about:

1. Night trains (you really don't sleep on them) - a sleeping pill is advised.

2. Hannah got stung by a JELLYFISH in Halong bay - CRAZY stuff.

3. "You buy from her, but why don't you by from me." - One of the classics quotes of our group. The Hmong girls may look sweet but they are stalkers...it's SO TRUE!

4. Indian food in Vietnam is KILLER GOOD!

5. I am especailly stoked about the Cat Ba Langur project. I really enjoyed my time there, and the woman in charge of the project, Daniella, was very inspiring...I think her job in general basically rocks!

6. GO LANGURS!

7. I am super excited to go on the moto tour in Hue. At first I was so scared when we went in Cat Ba, but it turned out to be the most exhilerating part of that day...hydro-planing just doesn't get any better than that!

Hope this is informative for people reading at home! I think most of us are having an AMAZING time (missing sanitary bathrooms) but otherwise...TRIP OF A LIFE-TIME!

AL

New Zealand Program Week 2

This week started off with some free time in Auckland. Diana joined us from Australia, and a few of us went out to the airport to meet her. The next day we travelled from Auckland to Waitomo. In Waitomo we went on a very adventurous caving expedition. We spent about five or six hours in the caves, climbing, repelling, and crawling. After that we went to Castle Rock where we spent the next two days mountain biking and rock climbing, followed by soaking in the hot tub in the evenings. Then off on a road trip, in which we saw a giant multi-coloured kiwi bird, to Rotorua where we saw some boiling mud. Since Rotorua is on volcanic ground, there are pools of boiling mud everywhere and it smells like sulphur (or rotten eggs). In Rotorua we all got to go white water rafting. We went on a hour long adventure, complete with going down the worlds highest commercially rafted waterfall. After getting out of the chilly river we drove to some natural hot springs and soaked in those for a while. Then we continued down to Taupo where we spent the night. The following day we drove about five hours down to Wellington. On our drive down, we got to see a giant gum boot (a.k.a. rubber boot or rain boot). The next day in Wellington we spent the morning at the Te Papa Museum on a private tour going indepth in Maori culture and history followed by a Maori meal. And in the afternoon we went to the parliment building and got another private tour in which we learned about New Zealand's political system, which was more interesting than you would think!

Catba Island volunteers' close encounters

Our group weren't lucky enough to spot any Catba Langurs, but they're all sporting 'Save the Catba Langur' t-shirts. And hopefully the signs they painted and helped place will contribute to a decrease in people entering the areas within the national park where the remaing 60 to 70 of this species live. It is certainly not a magic solution, but a step along the way to better protection. Sadly, although the capture, killing and eating of the Catba Langur is illegal, there are still poachers willing to risk fines and imprisonment for the substantial monetary gain to be reaped from black market sales. If the Catba Langur becomes too accustomed to human presence, it won't retreat to safety when it most needs to, and will become an easy target. The next major task the Catba Langur Project will undertake is the relocation of a small all-female group of langur , closer to a group which has a roving male. So hopefully Pacific Discovery will be receiving emails about an increase in baby Catba Langurs before too long. This species is found only on Catba Island and the numbers are dangerously low, especially in a country where its people are accustomed to eating virtually anything that walks, crawls, slithers, flies, swims or just hangs about. Whilst mealtimes in Vietnam can be a real gastronomic adventure for travellers - especially carnivores - education is important to ensure that the recipes no longer include endangered species. And we're sure that with good nutrition, a healthy lifestyle and perhaps lots of good luck crossing the roads, it will be possible for both Vietnamese and their Chinese neighbours to live plenty long enough without partaking of Catba Langur steak for their longevity!

 

So, having survived a few mornings of scheduled 4.30am awakening (yes, even without the roosters) followed by long work days out on the national park boat in Halong Bay and on an inland walking trail, to erect the finished signs and touch up a few old ones, our group boarded a luxury junk for a bit of well-earned R and R. We even got to see the signs we'd put up again.

 

Some highlights and lowlights: 

 

Hannah drew the short straw and got to be stung by a jellyfish. And no, we're not going to add this experience to future itineraries.

 

We paddled seakayaks through a dark cave, its ceiling adorned with hundreds of little bats.

 

We all ate far too much on the junk. Dish after dish just kept appearing at mealtimes. We had to work hard to convince our cooks that not eating everything on the table didn't mean that it wasn't good!

 

A power cut while in the national park - with the threat of no fans all night in the monsoon heat and stickiness - sent a few of the group into a spin. If only they'd spun a little faster they could've provided the needed air movement!!

 

A deluge held off until we reached a little fishing village - and our lunch spot - after the long hike carrying poles and bags of cement and sand. Travelling light is overrated. Ho ho ho ho it's off to work we go. We hopped on the back of some local motos to get to the waiting park boat quicker -  to outrun the worst of the storm -  only to turn a corner and find a big fallen tree blocking the road. No problem for the local lads. Out with the machetes and, before you could say chopstick, we were on our way. The road became more of a river, and between the water below and the water above, the sweat from our labours was thoroughly drowned.

 

Dogs and chickens were everywhere. Humungous spiders, worm-sized mud vipers, stick insects with thumb-fat bodies and mosquitoes the size of the palm of your hand just added to the menagerie. Not all creatures were looked on with love :)

 

Just joking about the size of the mozzies.

 

Janine :)

 

 

First week in New Zealand

Kia Ora!

New Zealand is awesome. Here's the breakdown of what we're done so far...

The group met up on Friday and had a great time getting to know each other with a scavenger hunt throughout Auckland before heading north of the Bay of Islands. We started heading to the Bay of Islands on Saturday and stopped at a couple places along the way. One place we went was the Waitangi National Reserve which is where New Zealand's Founding Document was signed. We also got to see this sweet Maori dance, the haka, which was the male war dance, and the poi, which was a dance that the women did. Alex got chosen to be the chief of our group and had to rub noses with the main guy performing the dances. The whole performance was intense and emotional with a lot of yelling, slapping of arms, and the guys sticking their tongues out (apparently it's just way for guys to intimidate each other). It was a cool way to see some of the traditions of native New Zealanders, especially when, in appreciation, a guy from the audience stood up at the end and started dancing alone. It was impressive and left us all speechless. The next day we went to Urupukapuka Island to get set up for our conservation work. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We took a boat out to the island and got to see a lot of the other islands along the way. New Zealand is very hilly and very green. It tends to rain quite a bit but with sunshine too so rainbows are frequent. Once on the island we had to get used to living with no electricity and no hot water which was quite a feat for some of us. We had a lot of fun cooking over the stove we made out of cement blocks and had many laughs while playing Cranium. There was also the greatest climbing tree ever on the island which was definitely my favorite part. This place is really beautiful and the people are great. Everyone is friendly, and I love learning their new words. My favorite so far is chilly bin for cooler...what a logical name. We're back in Auckland now and heading off to caving tomorrow. I'm excited for the upcoming adventures!!!

Love,
Kate {and Nicole}

Morsels

Thought I'd better do another blog entry because it may be the last chance I get. Ever. We're just heading out to a Karaoke bar across the road from our guesthouse and I'm not sure that we'll be allowed out alive. If only more parents sent their children to singing lessons...

Here are a few noteworthy morsels.

Alex: As the tracks got steeper and muddier and the weather became muggier and muggier, and litre after litre of sweat rolled down our faces, her grin just got wider and wider :)

Michelle: Has been sporting some sort of cross-cultural turban and eyeballing every weird-looking bug or beetle she discovers.

Rikki: Doesn't love roosters.

Erika: Stops every 5 seconds to photograph something. Just as well she had her own personal umbrella-wallah, Hayley, to shield her camera from the rain.

Jordan: A frustrated ballet dancer. Combined descending slippery muddy trails with doing the splits. And, having been given a tip on exactly where to put her feet to avoid calf-deep mud she proceeded to put a foot exactly between those two points. Clearly loves mud.

Rikki: Hates roosters.

Hayley, Alex and Me: The mean keen running team (soon to be joined by Michelle?) Turned back at the swingbridge because we had no money in our pockets to pay the toll to the village on the other side.

Rikki: Did I say she wants to personally strangle every rooster in Vietnam?

Emily and Rikki: Quick to capture a bargain foot massage on their return from the trek.

Hannah and Rikki: Ultimately the winners of the 'muddiest trekker' competition. Recipients of a well-earned dessert prize.

Rikki: Has given me instructions to make sure her room in guesthouses is pre-booked to include no roosters in the vicinity. Needs special treatment :)

Emily and Rikki: Have yet to master the squat toilet.

Daniel: Held up with study commitments, now waiting in Hanoi to join the group when we arrive fresh as daisies off the night train at 5am on the 8th of July. Wasting no time in embracing local delicacies, the last we heard from him was that he was just heading out to eat dog. We await his verdict.

Many of the group: Would question my use of "fresh as daisies".

Hannah: After the first sleep in Vietnam - ready to roll !

Erika: Bought hand-dyed and embroidered cushion covers from the shortest, cutest old woman in Sapa.

Hayley: Loves everything. Even roosters.

Janine :)

Mud glorious mud!

Our group have just returned from the muddiest trek they've ever done, from near Sapa (northern hill town) down to the little village of Thanh Phu. Unfortunately the much looked forward to swim in a warm spring In Ban Ho, our lunch stop on the way, was thwarted by an earlier landslide. But at least the monsoon rain was warm !! And to think that some people pay a great deal of money for health-enhancing mud wraps..we could enjoy head to toe mud for hours on end at no extra cost. Our homestay was fantastic. After a quick wash and change into dry clothes, just sitting on the verandah and looking out over rice terraces and other equally lush vegetation, we all felt human again. It was fun watching our meal being prepared over an open fire and a few of us perfected our spring rolling techniques. Dinner was absolutely delicious and there was so much of it. Lucky pigs that scored the leftovers! The whole group are pretty keen on Vietnamese food, overall, and willing to try new things, so mealtimes are a breeze. Nobody has even hunted out a hamburger or pizza yet (or if they have they've kept it secret!) Our H'Mong guide was funny and, as a bonus, really seemed to appreciate a sense of humour from the other side of the world. It would be interesting to know what she tells her family about us when she returns to her own village!

Janine

Reflections on leading the Southeast Asia Program - Melissa Raftery

Melissa is stepping down from leading our Southeast Asia Semester Program after five years and here shares some thoughts and experiences. Enjoy!

Melissa on a Bangkok river ferry

Today is day 47 out of 60 on our group tour in Southeast Asia. It’s morning in Siem Reap, Cambodia, but the sun has not yet risen. As I lean over to tie my running shoes, I can hear footsteps thumping closer and closer. A few participants have awoken to join me for morning exercise. This morning we will venture out before the crowds, just as the stars dim in the first light of day, to begin our jog around the treasured Cambodian icon, Angkor Wat.

I greet the group and immediately see Tet and a small gang of moto drivers cruising around the corner. Tet pulls up with a smile, revealing he’s just had a good breakfast of noodle soup and with the engine still running we hop into the back of the three-wheeled taxis to begin the 20 minute ride into the countryside where the Angkor temple complex begins.

My introduction to Pacific Discovery began as a participant in 2002. I traveled to New Zealand and Australia on a two month program. My leaders, Rachel Sanson & Scott Burnett (the founders of Pacific Discovery), led me to places I could only venture to in my dreams. From caving underground amongst glow-worms, to sleeping in a traditional Maori meeting house, to rafting over the world’s largest commercially rafted waterfall—the adventure left me hungry for more.

Cooling off while trekking in Laos

Now in the role of a trip leader for the Pacific Discovery Southeast Asia program, I often re-visit my first experience as a participant. I am forever questioning what exactly made the two months of memories and relationships so monumental? What changed in my deeper understanding of the world? How can I share this with others?

A participant once came to me and said: “Today I trekked into the world’s 5th largest waterfall, sampled my first wasp larvae during lunch, and sang in a circle with Thai teenagers in a new language. All of this in one day!”

It would be a slight exaggeration for me to classify all days of the program are filled with such excitement. Of course, there are the days where we ride in a cramped minibus, shifting and shaking on a dirt road in Laos for 8+ hours. And there are group dynamics that need to be carefully recognized and dealt with. More often than not, there is a participant who is experiencing a harder time adapting to the faster pace of group travel and missing the familiarity of home. As a leader, knowing when to devote more time to a certain group member is key.

The summit of Mt Fansipan - highest point in mainland SE Asia

What I have gained from being a program leader is immeasurable. In the beginning, my largest fears dealt with not having all the answers. I learned it was okay to tell a participant “I don’t know” and get back to them the next day with a response. Assertiveness also factored into my need to be the ‘leader’ and not always the ‘friend,’ a role that can sometimes be fuzzy as the gap in age is often no more than a few years. But most of all, I have gained confidence. Over the years, sticky situations have arisen that could not have been otherwise prevented. I gained the ability to deal with each event in a calm, focused manner and trusted that my training and intuition would remedy the situation.

During the ‘Orientation to Pacific Discovery’ I tell all of my groups that an event, a discussion, or a circumstance that would never occur back in the relative safety of ‘home’, will occur every day while traveling in Southeast Asia. These interactions are not always obvious at first (sometimes you forget entirely until you re-read your journal one winter evening five years later), but with an open mind and heart you can challenge your framework of thinking and re-shape your greater understanding of the way humanity functions in the world.

As an example, I can remember a participant commenting to our Cambodian home stay hosts, the Meas family, about how beautiful the lily pond was in their side-yard. The mother and wife of the family, Siphen Meas, casually answered, “Oh, thank you. That pond was created by two B-52 bombs dropped from American planes bombing eastern Cambodia” …the paradox of destruction turned into beauty.

Former Emperor's palace, Hue, Vietnam

On the Southeast Asia program, we spend our last four nights relaxing on the beaches of southern Thailand. On the final night of program, we have a special evening where we conduct our last group debriefing as unified travelers and family. After sharing a meal of Thai curries and noodle dishes, each person presents a homemade gift in the honor of their ‘Secret Buddha’—the name of a group member they chose from a hat 55 days earlier in the trip. The gift usually reflects funny moments shared by the gift giver and receiver, with a personal touch. For me, as a trip leader, this commemorative time often highlights the brilliance of what participants have gained—courage, the bond of friendship, an ‘awakened’ creative mind, and insight into one of the most fascinating pockets of the world. Most people vow to travel to Southeast Asia again and, of course, we will never forget the bond of group travel.

On a personal note, the time has come for me to ‘hang up the Southeast Asia hat.’ I consider the relationships that I have built with local guesthouse owners, tour operators, even the old man who sells the best Thai coffee on Thanon Prah Athit in Bangkok. I consider the reward of being invited to share such genuine experiences with young people who are on the brink of transformation. How lucky I am to find such a meaningful and fulfilling job position in such a spectacular location on this Earth!

Enjoying her coffee in Saigon

Philosophic author Kent Nerburn writes, “When I am old, and my body begins to fail me, my memories will be waiting for me. They will lift me and carry me over mountains and oceans. I will hold them and turn them and watch them catch the sunlight as they come alive once more in my imagination. I will be rich and I will be at peace.”

During this time of transition, I do not worry. Such sights, sounds, and smells as the temples of Angkor, the fresh exotic fruits being sold on every street corner, and the thousands of motorbikes honking in Hanoi, Vietnam will forever stain my mind. I will always have my memories. I will always be at peace. And there’s a good chance this won’t be the last time I set foot in Southeast Asia. Melissa Raftery

Gifting photo's to Phnom Penh's KDFO orphanage

A huge THANK YOU from The Pacific Discovery team Mels for all your hard work over the years and belief in what we're all about!! We wish you all the best with your future plans.