Camping in Kapas

Generally speaking, we try and avoid the craziness of Asian mobs. In the past we've been caught in a few human traffic jams and general situations where personal space is not an option, leaving us feeling generally annoyed and harboring misdirected hatred for the entire continent. As our years in Asia have ticked by, we generally weigh out the pros and cons of the festival:people ratio. Unless it's a must-see situation the festival wins less and less most days. This past weekend was not one of those times.

We can all agree that the novelty of a three day weekend pretty much trumps all else. So when Hari Raya Haji fell on a Monday, we were very much committed to making the most of it. We quickly found out that the rest of Kuala Lumpur had the same level of dedication. However, through hard lessons learned, the pending Asian-mob mentality was not lost on us, so we prepped accordingly. To make the five hour journey out of KL with the plans of catching the first boat to Kapas we were ready to leave at 3am. As we all congregated in the parking garage, watching club goers stumble home (thinking "Is that what we look like!?") we all agreed that it was a bit mad to be leaving in the middle of the night. As the old saying goes "Crazy loves company" (ok I just coined that..you heard it here first!) we were stopped within half an hour by a traffic jam for probably 2 hours. A bumper-to-bumper traffic jam at 3:30am for TWO HOURS. During that time there was certainly wavering from members of our two-car convoy (Ahem, Hutchy&Bing) whether or not we should continue...but we were in it to win it. We ventured on....to the next traffic jam. Another hour an a half waiting to get through a toll booth. Throughout the 7-8 hour drive we kept wondering why, on a highway we could just be stopped...like all the time?

Not really expecting to find a logical explanation to an Asian 'why' question, I Googled it. Based on various articles (which I am not going to reference, nor can verify the validity of the research... which may have taken place in the last 1-3 years) Malaysia, and in particular Kuala Lumpur has a pretty high car to people ratio. So just in KL there are 3,332,767 registered four-wheeled vehicles (excluding motorcycles). With a population of only 1,720,000 it seems that every man, woman and baby enjoys themselves a Sunday drive. That, coupled with small highways, continuous toll booths incapable of maintaining high volumes of cars AND a rare long weekend, I can sit here with a smug, knowing look on my face. A look I was certainly not wearing while sitting in a car for a 16 hour round-trip.

Ok, so those who enjoy the cliche "It's all about the journey, not the destination" are usually not trying to get the most out of a three-day weekend (On the half-full, sunny-side of things- spending some long hours in the car gave us the opportunity to chat, laugh with and get to know new friends Ellie and Kenny). We were all beyond happy to arrive on Kapas Island, settle into our campsite, pour a drink and chill out on the beach. On an island with only 100+ people, things got very relaxed very quickly. We were a group of seven so at any point there was company to snorkel, eat, drink, dive or nap. We brought the fixin's for a killer BBQ (nice job boys!), did the island jungle trek, played poker and bon fired on the beach. Even as the stormy season threatens Eastern Malaysia, the water was clear (better visibility snorkeling than diving) and the beaches were clean. As lovers of camping, it was a great change of pace (and cheaper) from the guesthouses we usually stay in. And camping! Who doesn't love chilling out around the picnic table, making the classic bacon and egg breakfast in the morning? Especially when the campground provides, sets up and takes down your tent for the mere price of $5/night. What a little slice of heaven!

 Although the islands on the Eastern coast of Malaysia are entering into their stormy months (and are generally considered to be 'closed'), we are looking forward to returning to Kapas in the Spring!....Collectively agreeing that we will either fly or take the bus to get there.

More Phuket, Please.

To ease the hurt of having to get back in the swing of things for another school year, we took advantage of the first weekend back in Malaysia being a long one. Tyler and I hummed and hawed about destinations and flight prices right up until Friday afternoon, booking a flight for later that evening to Phuket, Thailand. This meant that Ty needed to race home at lunch (thank goodness for the 3-hour lunch break on Fridays due to Jumu'ah, the special Friday prayer for Muslims), and pack for the two of us. It also meant the we wore the same outfits for the entire weekend.
While waiting at the airport Starbucks, to my amusement both Hutchy and Danielle ran by, also buying last minute tickets. With the gang haphazardly assembled, we downed a latte and boarded for the quick 50 minute flight.

Since we were only going to be away for a few nights we decided to splash out and stay at a pretty decent resort (opposed to being at the mercy of a budget, and perhaps on the less classy side of things). And stay we did. Still feeling a touch jet lagged from our journey back from Canada, it was a perfect way to relax and get back on Asian time.

We had heard some serious mixed reviews about Phuket, and were pretty curious about the island that everyone seems to have an opinion about. We stayed in the main tourist area, Patong Beach, and from what we saw, we loved it!The beach was clean, the people were friendly, we felt safe and the curries were savory! I do understand that particular recreational activities in Thailand can be off putting to some, but as a crew not looking for seediness and certainly not reading too deeply into the nature of the entertainment business, Phuket at face-value is a ball!

By day we ordered room service and floated around the private pool attached to our room (did I mention we were aiming slightly above our regular budg?)Ty and Hutchy spent a day diving, we got spa treatments, hung out at the beach and ate massaman curry every chance we got!By night, we hit the main drag, Soi Bangla where the possibilities are endless. With the typical night market for dinner, fire shows, karaoke and street performers, the Chang beer, buckets and comedic situations were flowing.

Spending three days in Phuket was long enough to relax and see the lights of Patong Beach. Spending three days in Phuket was also short enough to ensure we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for flight sales. Until the next weekender, Phuket!

Oh Canada!

Oh Canada. Forever our absolute spirit boosting, balancing, perspective gaining landscape filled with resounding love, wide-open spaces, peaceful silence and breath-taking vistas. Biased as we are, Canada rocks.

After landing in Toronto and receiving lovely pickup service from one of my nearest and dearest Sarah, our first stop was a greasy spoon; Poutine, grilled cheese with a side of bacon and a large chocolate milk was the first order up, and damn it was good to be back! From there we made our way to my brother and sister-in-law, Aaron and Michelle's house where my Mom was babysitting nephew Lyndon. After some tight squeezes and nephew cuddles we finally accepted that the sun was setting on the 40 hour day we had just endured (even if it was only 7pm). Being annexed to the basement worked perfectly for us, as we were both wide awake by 3am and seriously hungry. Settling for left over airplane peanuts as to not to wake a sleeping baby (Now we know what's the deal with airplane peanuts ;) we managed to get back to sleep, and there ended the dreaded jetjag. Yay!

Two guesses where I'm eating...but I bet you'll only need one.

 We awoke the next morning and I vaguely remembered it was my birthday! It was really great to actually see all of my family on my actual birthday...which hasn't happened since I was like 14. Birthday hugs and kisses were all round, but I was still missing a hug from my Dad. To remedy this, Mom fired up her car and we drove home. There are very few feelings that compare to coming home. I mean actually dropping your bags and flopping down on your childhood bed. It's pretty magical. We celebrated with a Mom-cooked meal, perused souvenirs and chatted, chatted, chatted. It was one of the best birthdays I have had!

The next day I was so lucky to spend the afternoon with some of the most quality ladies out there. Not only were most of my oldest and dearest friends assembled in one place, so were their Moms! It was a real blessing to wine, dine and share in each others' company. Many, many thanks to these girls for making time and taking the day off work <3

 

Ty totally rocks the Uncle gig.

Next we spent a few days at brother Aaron's playing, cuddling and running after Lyndon. Always valued family time, but man, tots are tiring! Not to mention, we were in awe of our eight month pregnant sister-in-law Michelle who kept up with little Lyndon!

After making the rounds with the Harwoods, it was time to head East! Since our families live 13 hours apart, we usually enjoy making a mini-vaca out of the trip...but as time was somewhat of the essence this time around, we did it in one shot. After jamming to some serious Canadian content radio (Quebec radio loves them some Celine Dion..but who doesn't?), a too close for comfort moose encounter, roadside poutines and way too many Red Bulls, we pulled into Harford Lane! The week we spent there went entirely too quickly; Between visiting Grandmas, bbqing, hitting the Farmer's Market, laughing it up with Cousin Kyle&Marcey, visits from honeymooners Leigh&Emily and Korean newlyweds Doug&Goun, and hanging out way too much at Dooly's, we left New Brunswick dragging our heels. I absolutely love visiting St. Stephen.  Everyone is so friendly and always ready for a chat :) Like I said, one week was not enough!

 Luckily our time with Tyler's family wasn't over. Ty's parents made the trek back to Ontario with us, meeting brother Micah, and spending a week at the cottage together. This launched our three week stay at the cottage; No T.V, no internet and no cell reception made for ultimate relaxation and break from our everyday life. Coupled with a solid week of rain and cool weather (a shocking 10 degrees!) we were loving life filled with sweaters, wood-stove fires, reading, wine, boardgames and non-stop laughs. Throw in visits with great family, good friends, an anniversary celebration (Kudos to Jen&Dave for being amazing role models!), and a ribfest, I can say the simple life is good!

Now, living in Asia for 4 years, we've missed a lot of family milestones. We are very fortunate to have traveled and to have experienced diverse cultures but with that we have missed both happy and grievous family moments . When chatting with friends about traveling abroad extensively and signing lengthy contracts in far away places, the biggest hesitation is often some variation of, "What if my Grandmother passes away?" There is no easy way around it, you can't have it both ways. Unfortunately (believe it or not) life goes on without you while you are away. If you are lucky, you have a supportive family at home. We are so lucky.  No matter the circumstances, our families include us from afar, and make efforts to be together when we can.
With that being said, this past year my Great Uncle Boyd, so near and dear to my heart passed away. Yes, we grieved him while in Malaysia, but it wasn't until we spent time as a family at his farm that I truly grieved. The hugs, "I love you"s, and laughter that day meant so much. It was the time spent together that served as a true reminder to me that we are part of a family unit that supports and sees each other through. For that, I am so grateful!

With one week left in Canada, we headed home to Brighton to await the arrival of the newest Harwood, (unbeknownst at the time) sweet baby Andrew. Although we were SO excited with the prospect of meeting Andrew upon his debut to the world...he decided he wasn't quite ready (arriving a week later, and not wanting it any other way!) While we all waited for the baby-phone call, we enjoyed a super relaxed week at home, visiting our lovely townies, doing laundry and packing suitcases. A perfect end to a perfect holiday!

ACTUALLY the most perfect way to end a holiday was having our flights delayed, complimentary airline lounges, spending a night in S. Korea and missing the first day of work. Yup,50+ hours later,  Toronto --> Kuala Lumpur is not an easy trip. Was it worth it? Hell Yes.

A Year End Review

Ok yes, this blog has been seriously neglected, but it's been one heck of a Spring....(and now summer)! With familiar faces from far away places, a diving trip to Indonesia, two crashed hard drives, report cards and beach days, our plates have been pretty full.

First, and most importantly, we have been lucky enough to have had an array of visitors this past year. We always feel so blessed that, when travelling, friends have taken the time to say 'Hi'. The nomads passing through are from all different parts of our past, including visits from Korean turned Singaporean expat Amanda, East Coast Canadian University friends Haley and Laura, Korean way-gook Melissa, and Tim, a neighbour from Korea. Our time spent together was filled with the most ridiculous conversations, creative sleeping arrangements (as per our studio apartment), and continuous laughs. Living in Kuala Lumpur, we are more on the beaten travellers' path than when we lived in South Korea. It's not that more people we know are travelling, we are just more conveniently located on the maps these days. As travelling through South East Asia can be awesomely different than home, we can speak from experience, that sometimes you need a break from squatter toilets, showering in your flip-flops, etc. We were more than excited to have friends stay with us, offer a hint of 'home-life' and show them some sights in KL as part of the self-dubbed 'MaryTylerMore Standard Premier Tour'. Although returning to these spots repeatedly with friends this year, they never get old. These people are hilarious.

As Laura and Haley left KL and headed for Bali, we thought we would join them for a long weekend. Our friend Hutchy, Tyler and I made the short trip to Gili Trawangan for the second time this year and were in ultimate relaxation mode in record time. I seriously scared myself with how long I could just sit and chill. We took a break from beach lounging to go diving each day, took in the sunsets, had a couple dark, wobbly bike rides home and came back super rested. Both Tyler and Hutchy had been wanting to get a Gopro for the past year, and they finally pulled the trigger! It was a lot of fun taking diving pics and videos, check 'em out!

Since the timeline on this blog post is seriously blurred, let's fast-forward to the now; While wrapping up the school year and all the work that accompanies it, we have remained in KL for the longest stretch this year: 6 weeks. As KL is a city with very limited green space, an often serious smog problem and endless concrete, it's been a bit tough for these two grass/tree/lake loving Canadians. Last weekend we decided enough was enough and went with a couple of friends to the closest beach, Port Dickson. The buzz around town is that Port Dickson is dirty, and not so loved. Although Ty&I had already visited P.D (and enjoyed it), our expectations for the day were low, and we were just happy to stretch our legs beyond the city limits. To our surprise, Port Dickson exceeded all expectations! We set up our umbrella, swam, built sandcastles, enjoyed the pool at a resort and returned home that evening. A perfect day trip and break from the city!

Finally, June 29th marked the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim month-long time of fasting. While living in Malaysia, where a dominant religion in Islam, I can say that, though it has been culturally informative, it has not really affected our lives....up until this point. So the deal with Ramadan is that Muslims don't eat or drink while the sun is up. They eat before and after. As you can imagine, the moment the sun goes down, the feast is on! In preparation for breaking the fast each night, there is a frenzy of shopping. Each street is lined with miles of food stalls offering curries, fresh fruit juices, noodles, chicken done in a hundred different ways, and desserts. As we have largely favoured Indian and Chinese food up until this point, this has been a great opportunity to try everything Malaysian. We've really gone for it! Since Ramadan has started, we have exclusively eaten Malaysian...and entering into the festive spirit, perhaps indulging in too many Malaysian delicacies. Everything just looks and smells so good! As wonderfully gluttonous as the Ramadan season has been, the major downside is the horrendous traffic that comes with it. As Malays want to shop, cook and be sitting at the set table ready to chow down the minute the sun sets and prayers have been said, traffic and subways have been a nightmare. Add thousands of parched, starving people in tropical heat to the mix, and things can get a bit dicey. With that being said, I seriously commend those fasting for not completely melting down by 6pm. Seriously, ask Tyler what it's like to be travelling around in the heat with me when I haven't eaten for four hours.

After finishing our first of a two-year contract, I've sent my students packing for Grade Two, and Tyler and I are packed to head home to Canada! We've since been in Canada for two weeks, and loving up all the time spent with our family and friends! Thank you to everyone who has welcomed us home :)

El Nido, Philippines - Spring Break 2014

What is known as Philippines' 'Last Frontier', El Nido on the island of Palawan was our Spring Break destination! Ok yes, we are in our late twenties, graduated from university almost five years ago, and by all rights should not be celebrating Spring Break with such gusto...but we can't help ourselves. Call it what you want, we all need and deserve an escape from the day-to-day every now and again. So, after hearing nothing but rave reviews about the Philippines, we were more than excited to check it out for 10 days!

So as far as travel goes, Tyler and I have always been pretty lucky; Our flights usually leave on time, our luggage arrives on the same plane, transfers are smooth, etc. So I can accept that our hassle-free travel streak had to come to an end. I do however have a bit of trouble accepting that it all came crashing down at once. *Moms...this is the point where you should skip ahead to the paragraphs detailing sunshine and boat rides :) So our flight leaving from KL was supposed to depart at 8pm Friday night, however was delayed four hours and left sometime around midnight. No problem...until we realized we had a connecting flight with a different airline leaving at 4:30am. As it is a four hour flight to Manila, this left us with a grand total of 30 min to get through immigration and onto to the next flight. We breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived at a seemingly small airport, thinking it wouldn't take long to get from point A to point B. This was until a security guard told us we needed to get to another terminal and which required a taxi. From here a series of poor decisions on our part, and a manic taxi driver would set us up for a scary morning (ok, seriously mom..skip the next paragraph)
With the delusion that we could still make this flight, we jumped in the first cab we saw. As we pulled away from the airport, we asked the price, as we noticed the meter wasn't on. The guy pulls out a price list quoting 6000 pesos (!) in which Tyler's mathelete mind quickly blurted out "WHAT?! $130?" Asking how long it would take, the cabbie answered 10 min. At that, since we had only gone 100m, we asked him to pull over and let us out, in which he refused and proceeded to drive like a lunatic through traffic. Having no point of reference, we finally agreed on 1500 pesos for the ride, feeling pretty uneasy about this guy screaming at everything out the window.
We wheeled up to the airport and the cabbie ran off to get us change. Out of curiosity, Tyler asked the next driver how much the fare would be and he quoted 150 pesos. At that, the second driver decided he would help us get our money back. As the crazy guy came back and saw that he was going to be hassled, he jumped in the car and sped off...with the car doors open...and me inside! As I was driven down the highway ramp and away from the airport with this lunatic driver he just kept screaming at me to jump out of the car. Now, I was panicking about the thought of being driven away from Tyler into Manila at 4am with a clearly unstable individual, but I am not one to tuck-and-roll out of a car on a highway. In a strangely calm (teacher) voice I just kept repeating "You have to stop the car so I can get out."... it only seemed logical that if you want someone to get out of your car, you stop moving, right? As the airport was quickly disappearing, true panic set in and I finally lost it, screaming "You have to stop the *&%^ing car!!" That seemed to do the trick, as he slammed on the breaks, to find the doors only opened from the outside. He had to park the car, get out (see...even he wasn't going to get out of a moving vehicle) and let me out. By that time, the second, justice-seeking cabbie and Tyler were hot on our trail, picking me up on the highway.

Super shaken, we got into the airport, obviously having missed our flight, booked, checked in, and waited for the next one. Upon reflection, we made some pretty big errors resulting in the aforementioned drama; Not settling a fare price before getting in the cab, not researching the airport terminals, being naive enough to think we could still catch the next flight...and above all else (the last thing both our moms tell us before we head out) we weren't holding hands. For the next ten days, Tyler would just look over at me, and in his best Liam Neeson voice say "You were almost taken!"

Finally on our way...and still smiling!

So after a delayed flight, wild cab ride, missed flight, we took the 6 hour bus ride to El Nido...only to find that our hotel reservation had been 'lost', and that we no longer had a place to stay for the 10 days. After being awake for 36 hours, we just dropped our bags, sat on the patio of our 'almost' hotel, and asked if they could sell us a beer. As the sun was near gone, we found a place to stay for two nights (high tourist seasons=no hotel rooms), played Uno, ate curried vegetables (our Asian comfort food) and hoped for a better tomorrow!

These Uno cards are well traveled.. 10 countries so far! Thanks Michelle <3

As a result of our journey to El Nido, it took a couple of days to truly unwind. Fortunately, El Nido is a pretty chilled out spot! We spent most of the days on the beach, frequenting a place called Las Cabanas; Building sand castles, drinking from coconuts, reading and dipping. While at the beach we would see about 20 people..all doing the same thing. We would stay until sunset and then make our way back to town for a couple Sam Miguels and call it a night. (If we were lucky, the electricity would even come on in the evenings, if not, then Uno by candlelight worked too!)

Beaches, sunsets and the ever reliable, public transport, 'King of the Road'..the Jeepney.

As awesomely chilled out as El Nido was, we were lucky to have caught some excitement at 'El Nido Fest' and had a couple party nights (it was 'Spring Break' after all) that were reminiscent of any small-town festival; You know, where the local talent is performing on a makeshift stage and carnival games and food are aplenty. We were beyond excited, as we perpetually seem to just miss festivals when we are home, always rolling in a weekend too late. So when we heard that the town's beauty pageant was to be held in the town square (the outdoor basketball court) we grabbed some popcorn and found a spot on the bleachers. Fearing that we would be witness to a Filipino 'Toddlers and Tiaras' show (thanks for the psychological damage TLC) we were pretty excited when the beautiful and confident contestants of Ms. Gay, El Nido  danced their way on stage. After the champion was crowned, we wandered down to the 'casino', made up of a series of outdoor carnival games being run, and bet on by one and all. Seriously, I wouldn't have been surprised if a C.M Coolidge painting came to life at one of the roulette tables, which would have obviously been set up next to the table run by a gang of smoking ten year olds. We bet, we chatted, and I sang a bit of karaoke (I just can't resist) until the wee hours of the morning.

The next morning we jumped on a boat bright and early for a day of diving. As it turned out to be a very choppy day on the surface, and underneath visibility was terrible, we only ended up doing two dives. That was ok with us, as the water was cold (about 24 degrees opposed to the 30 degree water we have become accustomed to in Malaysia (not too sure what's going to happen when we get back to Canada)), and we weren't loving being pounded with waves. We stopped off at an island and had a delicious BBQ lunch, and as we headed back to the mainland...our boat died. What was going to be a day on the water cut short, turned into a full day of sun and bobbing around. The waters redeemed themselves on a second day of diving that was absolutely gorgeous! Again, poor visibility, but the bonus was spending a couple hours on the most beautiful island for lunch. Apparently the island had been bought by a Japanese man, who has no plans to develop it, but simply bought it so it will remain in its natural beauty forever. *Sigh* if only to have Yen to burn.

Besides bumming around El Nido, we took a 40 min. tricycle ride to Nacpan beach. This beach was the largest, most underpopulated beach I have seen (granted, we do tend to hit the more popular ones). The whole day we saw one other napping Western guy, two little Filipino kids (who ate all our chips) and four sweet women who made it rain mango shakes all day. As it turned out, these women were all Jehovah's Witnesses and naturally, we got to talking. It was really inspiring to hear their messages of faith and devotion and of the struggles of living in a very rural location with minimal resources. It's a widely known fact that Filipinos are by and large very devout Christians. As religion and faith is something Tyler and I are both interested in, it was no surprise that we got to chatting with different individuals about their faith and perspectives on religion. At different points of our vacation we spoke at length with groups of Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholics and Muslims, and although all very devout to their own differing religions, they all spoke with an open-mind and respect for other religions, and more predominantly, about universal love, acceptance, understanding and ultimately human decency. After each conversation, the individuals left us feeling uplifted, with gained perspectives and further restored emotionally...something that we definitely needed after our experience in Manila which left us wary of all strangers. I do know it is always good to exercise an air of caution, but it was a really awful feeling to look at everyone with distrust during the first couple days of our holiday. Anyway, if you are in El Nido, take a trip to Nacpan beach, have them fire up the generator, and drink a mango shake. But don't wait too long, it's prime real estate, and I can't imagine it would stay deserted for long!

After a welcomed smooth trip home, that sadly wrapped up Spring Break, 2014! Otherwise, we are fresh into our last term of the school year and with that the rainy (and ever humid) season has returned to Malaysia. We are already looking forward to our summer vacation...which will be spent in non other than Canada! Until then, we are sending warm thoughts and summertime vibes to all those still experiencing Winter...In return, eat an extra Creme Egg for us!

Cambodian Love Affair

Cambodia; A country that remains on replay in our minds and that we have raved about since visiting almost two years ago. The people, despite having been devastated by a genocide only 40 years ago, were as a whole, the kindest and most genuine folks we have ever met. The landscape was beautiful and the history was rich. This was the country where we took our first tuktuk ride, were introduced to coconut curries (in the form of amok), became deathly ill, and began to change a lot of our perspectives. This is a place where we will, without a doubt spend some years in the future.

After our first year in Korea, we did the standard trip around S.E Asia, starting with Malaysia (obviously influencing our next move). From Malaysia we landed in Siem Reap Cambodia for a 3 day tour of Angkor Wat, which turned into a week-long stretch.We stayed at Happy Guesthouse, which was beautiful and the price was right. They had a great bar and restaurant which was an ideal place to hangout and chill. They also had very kind staff. This is where we met Soapy. Soapy worked at the guesthouse with his brother. We hired him for a couple of days of touring around Angkor Wat, and ended up spending some serious facetime with him (the real face, not the iphone kind). He talked a lot about what it was like to live in Cambodia and his family. We also talked a lot about learning English. The thing that we found in general was that Cambodians spoke pretty great English. After coming from Korea, a country pouring millions every year into ESL programs, this was mind boggling. Soapy, a guy with limited means, scrimped and saved $10 each month to attend English class (about 1/5 of his salary), and studied when he wasn't working (literally, when we'd pull up to a temple he'd whip his book out, and by the time we came out he had questions ready for us). As a result, he was able to chat about all aspects of his life and ask us about ours. Alternately, Korean parents throw money at hagwons, forcing their children to toil away for hours each day and still the majority of Koreans cannot sustain a conversation beyond the basics. Perhaps the school of hard knocks has a perk or two?
Anyway, Tyler and I spent time checking out Angkor Wat with Soapy (the obligatory sunrises and sunsets), but after two solid days we needed a break from marveling at ancient stone buildings. We ventured into the city, shopped the markets, lazed on the river banks, biked the dusty roads and ate the happiest of pizzas. I really think we could've stayed in this town forever. But alas, we had to keep on moving.

The smile we left Siem Reap with quickly faded as we rolled into Phnom Penh. Granted, we only spent a few days in the capital city, and did not give it the chance it deserved; Even after returning for a couple of days, we remain disenchanted. Our guesthouse (although certainly not the worst...a certain Sri Lankan hole in the ground comes to mind..) did lack a certain ...je ne sais quoi. Probably contributing to its prison-like ambiance were the lack of windows, air con, and showers. As we emerged from our 'cell', hitting the street, we were quickly and constantly accosted by large groups of street babies, toddlers and kids. Instead of giving them money, we thought we'd do the ol' trick of buying some candies and passing them around. Well, I know I've been accused of being a Grandma (old soul is more becoming) but I hit an alltime high (or low...) in the geriatrics department. After passing out our first round of single candies to a hoard of kids, then to watch their faces and the scene go sour, we realized we had picked up a pack of menthol Halls singles. If this was Halloween, we were the house that gave out raisins and tooth brushes, and our house was about to get egged. After outrunning a mob of kids whose sinuses had just been cleared and smelled of Vics Vapour Rub, the children of Phnom Penh taught us that it is a city not to be messed with.

While in Phnom Penh we checked out the genocide museum, and for lack of a better word, the killing fields which serve as mass graves sites. So, in the 1970's Cambodia was under the thumb of the Khmer Rouge led by a big ol' psycho by the name of Pol Pot. His role models included Stalin and Mao, and he did a good job of being a prodigal son. Basically he envisioned a country that sustained themselves through agriculture, scrapping any advances or influences that could be considered modern or worldly. This included forced labour, killing the educated, burning all of the Cambodian money, and most notably, the murdering of millions of Cambodians. Knowing the history, why did we visit these places? To learn more, be aware of the indecency humans are capable of, and to pay respect to the country's people that had shown us so much warmth. As expected, the day was filled with horrific photos, and accounts of injustice that stirred feelings of sadness and anger. The unexpected aspect was that the killing fields were very much beautiful. Yes, it was the scene of unthinkable violence, however due to the standard audio tour, it was by and large silent. Walking around listening to the stories, and seeing the evidence left behind by way of bones being unearthed each time it rains, there was peace. The silence, a calm lake, and dozens of butterflies made it the perfect place to listen, learn and reflect. It made us hopeful that the victims had found peace too.

After having a heavy few days in the capital city, we bussed it to Sihanoukville, a beach area in the southern part of the country. Again, we were only to stay for a few days, but an unfortunate bout of suspected food poisoning kept us for over a week. I should say, a suspected bout of food poisoning. After 3 days of Tyler writhing in pain and bound to the hotel room, we did a little research as to where the most reputable doctor could be found. As our tuktuk rolled up to what I would describe as a once car garage outfitted with hospital beds, we remained hopeful. While waiting for medical attention we smiled nervously at family members fanning the flies off patients' fresh wounds, and began to assess Tyler's real need to see a doctor. However, after blood tests, wait time, and a hefty bill, it was concluded that Tyler had picked up a parasite somewhere along the way. With a slue of prescriptions in hand, Ty was hitting the beach like a champ within 12 hours and vacation was back on!

What was supposed to be a 10 day stay, turned into a three week love affair. Cambodia showed us its best and worst, and still left us wanting more; I think that's what they call unconditional love! With the sun on our faces, we said 'See you soon' to Cambodia via the Mekong Delta, crossing the border into Vietnam.

Singapore Slingin'

Some are of the opinion that Valentine's Day is a pointless and consumer-driven holiday...although that point can be made, just as any other holiday, there is no obligation to participate. However, don't hate on a day that is based around passing on positive and loving vibes. Isn't that what the world needs more of? Instead, let's not over-analyze and put a dark cloud on the day, scorning people who acknowledge it. Yes, we should strive to let the people we love know it throughout the entire year, but why hate on a holiday that is an excuse to lay it on a little thicker than usual? Who knows? Maybe spreading love and cheer would become more of a habit if we had a few more 'arbitrary love holidays' throughout the year. Am I saying Valentine's Day is the key to world peace? No. But just imagine if Kim Jung Un sent Obama this little gem....

Anyway... the day of love gave Tyler and I the excuse to get out of town check out the city-state of Singapore, just a four hour drive south of Kuala Lumpur. Modernly, Singapore is a country founded by people who decided they didn't like the way things were going for them in Malaysia (and historically, colonized by the British..of course). Knowing this, we assumed that there wouldn't be much difference between Singapore and Malaysia. However, simply put, when comparing the two, the term 'You get what you pay for' comes to mind. Similar to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore's tourist highlights include (although not limited to) Little India, Chinatown, interesting towers and a major world food scene...but with a twist; Everything is so clean, everything is three times the price, and because of insane laws and punishments, it feels safe. Singapore has some of the craziest laws coupled with pretty severe punishments. Most famously in Western culture, we know about the prohibition of chewing gum, however other laws we found a bit over the top were; failure to flush toilet resulting in a fine or public canning, littering on the street three times resulting in having to wear a “I am a litter lout” sign, hugging without permission and connecting to an unsecure wifi hotspot both coming with big fines or jail time.

 So I'm sure you are all thinking..."But what did you do if you couldn't cuddle while while coyly sitting outside Starbucks checking Facebook and chomping down on a big piece of Hubba Bubba?!" Well, as we only had two days in this non-Halal country (in fact even chatting about religion is..as you guessed it, illegal), we ate bacon, drank Singapore Slings and hit the sights...with a few detours along the way.

As you can see..
not a morning person!

 First, to anyone who has spent as little as an evening with Tyler and I, you will know it is quite shocking that there hasn't been entire posts dedicated to the foods of our travels (and their cost effective nature). I will however say that the breakfast buffet we had at our hotel was phenomenal. It was actually one of those breakfasts that makes you excited to wake up, and for me who is not a particularly chipper morning person and one that usually needs to be coaxed into eating a yogurt cup, this is a big statement. Unlimited crispy bacon, french toast, fresh fruit, curry and chapati, baked beans, potato, omlettes, cheeses, pastries! As mundane as it sounds, I can easily say that the complimentary breakfast was the highlight meal(s) of our weekend. (Note: The buffet did not include rice, fish, nor seaweed soup).

Once our bellies were full we headed out to solve a murder mystery. If you've ever played a 'hidden object' computer game, this was the spot for you. After an hour of figuring out riddles and finding clues, we broke out of the room having found out who killed brother 'Brook'. From there we had a wander around town which led us to Chinatown. Although quite similar to KL's Chinatown I found myself repeatedly asking "Where are all the people?" and loving the beauty (and cleanliness) of the Chinese decor mixed with the colonial architecture. Later we spent the heat of the day lounging by the pool and sipping on a few cocktails that share the country's namesake.

That night we had tickets to a production of Romeo and Juliet. It was a modern (and Asian) take on the play and a perfect way to kickoff the evening! From the theatre we wandered around the the harbour where we enjoyed the impressive cityscape, indecisively looked at menus, and even caught the Russia/U.S hockey game (possibly live?..It has proved to be exhausting trying to follow the Olympics in a country that doesn't even have a winter team).

 The next day we had no real plans, so we jumped on an hour-long bus tour to get a brief overview of the city, and an idea of an area or two that we'd like to check out. We ended up wandering around the harbour, checking out the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the iconic 'Merlion' and returning to Chinatown to grab a few souvenirs.

 Although just scratching the surface of Singapore, I am a big fan and can't wait to head back (once our credit cards have had a break)! As it is a change of scenery, and quite a bit more Western, I believe that Singapore will be to Kuala Lumpur, which Seoul was to Busan when we lived there. An expensive weekend retreat where things feel different and vaguely the same.
...And even though it's not Valentine's Day for another year... much love to you friends! You are never far from our thoughts :) xo

Honeymooning in Langkawi

Our dear friends Jack and Amy recently tied the knot in Hawaii!  Although not our honeymoon, we were able to ride on the coattails of the newly weds' S.E Asian honeymoon as they made their first stop in Kuala Lumpur and later to the beautiful island of Langkawi.We certainly couldn't be happier for Amy and Jack, and feel truly blessed that we had the opportunity to spend time with them over the Chinese New Year!
The first days we spent together were filled with Kuala Lumpur tourist hotspots (most of which I have written about before). However, since it was Chinese New Year, and most of the Chinese people in KL go back to their hometowns, our week was significantly less crowded, and by enlarge, coloured red.

Our week included a trip to the Batu Caves, the National Mosque, street-food on Jalan Alor, henna in Little India, a stroll around Chinatown and poolside days coupled with celebratory drinks. For me, particular standouts were our day at KL's waterpark and a Korean BBQ feast.
Korean bbq was really great (for obvious reasons including grilled kimchi, samgyeobsal and soju) as it made us reminiscent of a place in time. I know it has only been nine months since we left Korea, but after a summer in Canada and six months in KL, it seems pretty distant. For whatever reason, whether it was because it was our first country we lived in abroad, the first real risk we took together, or the friendships we bonded while there, Korea holds a very special place in our hearts. Although not actually in Busan, for two hours we grilled, cheers-ed, and had a Korean friend order for us in Korean. We even topped it off with 'Shark-pops' and a beverage from the mart while watching students trudge off to English academy. Although we often remind ourselves when we are 'homesick' for Korea that one can only move forward in life, it's always nice to be nostalgic.

 The day after Chinese New Year, we figured that the water park would be pretty dead, as many Chinese would still be fulfilling their New Year obligations and family time (perhaps one in the same?). Tyler had been really pushing for a trip to the water park for quite some time and since the prospect of less people presented itself, we jumped on it! Arriving ten minutes before the gates opened and leaving as they shut things down, it was a full day of water slides, wave pools, zoo animals and roller coasters. All was pretty awesomely run-of-the-mill amusement park fun...all accept the fact that Amy and I quickly realized when we stepped out of the change room that we were shamefully unaware, and scantly clad in our bikinis. Have you ever gone to a water park in a Muslim country? Me neither. Have you ever gone to a beach and felt like everyone was staring at you, but in actuality you were just being self conscience and paranoid? If so, our day at the water park would have been your worst nightmare. Wandering around a water park where 98% of women are covered from head to toe, sporting the ever fashionable and liberating 'berkini', we certainly stuck out like sore thumbs. We got the looks, finger-pointing, and the question 'Are you from Europe?" shot our way more than once. We did however, ride the waves like champions and made it out with, (thankfully) no wardrobe malfunctions that can commonly happen while shooting down a water slide.. that would have been just the icing on the cake!

 Midweek, Jack, Amy and I (Tyler joined us a day later due to work) headed to the island of Langkawi, in the Northern part of Malaysia, bordering Thailand. Not having visited any peninsular Malaysian islands, I really had no idea what to expect. Turns out, it was pretty darn great! All things desired and required for a beach vacation were present with abundance. Besides lounging on a beautiful unpopulated beach, throughout the five days we (over)indulged in the most amazing food, duty-free chocolate and beer (a huge welcomed surprise was that the entire island was duty free..30 cent beer, yes please!). Each day was spent dipping in and out of the ocean, building sandcastles, sipping on coconut cocktails and taking in the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen (rivaling only one other we had seen in Bali!). To say the least, it was a pretty lazy and relaxing time away!

By the fourth day we felt like we should pick ourselves up and actually do something, so we settled for an island hopping tour. Although super touristy, it was great to see Langkawi from the water's perspective. We got off the boat and swam in a fresh lake, and at a couple of other beaches...but by about 2pm we were ready to be back on the familiar beach we had made home for the last three days.

Finally on our last day we headed to another part of the island and checked out a cable car up into the mountains. The base of the cable car was conveniently located across from Jack and Amy's new hotel, so we dropped our stuff for the day...ultimately ending up at the beach (surprise, surprise) and coming upon an amazing resort where we enjoyed one last island cocktail and swim before heading off to the airport.

 Although disappointed to leave such a beautiful island, we have benefited, as our eyes have really been opened to the potential of travel in Malaysia! To add salt to the wound, we were saying goodbye to Amy and Jack, as they continued north to Thailand, being totally envious of their upcoming adventures! Nonetheless, Tyler and I will continue our adventures to Singapore for a Valentine's Day this weekend!

Thaipusam Festival

The true beauty of working in Malaysia is that there are so many public holidays recognized. This past week we were at school 3/5 days as we recognized the Birthday of the Prophet Mohammad on Tuesday, and on Friday we celebrated Thaipusam. The Thaipusam festival that is held in KL at the Batu Caves is one of the biggest in the world, and the general buzz is that it is quite the spectacle. As Ty and I love our festivals, from the Fireworks Festival in Busan, to Applefest in Brighton, we were eager to add another to the list!

We were warned by coworkers that the insanity starts early, and that about a million people visit the Batu Caves during the one-day festival. Having experienced some pretty claustrophobic moments while at Korean festivals, Tyler and I set our alarms and did our best to beat the rush (with no real luck). Taking the already crowded train too early on our day off and feeling slightly off as per the Korean bbq and soju from the night before, Tyler did the faux-pas of jumping on the illusive 'ladies only' car. Feeling awkward, we found the other rogue males on the train car to stand near and tried not to make eye contact. Once arriving at the Batu Caves it was pretty apparent that this was unlike any festival we had been to. Sure there were the food tents, others selling clothing and jewelery, the music was pumping and there were hoards of people. The biggest difference was however, that it was all fueled by religion, and everywhere we looked people were expressing their faith in spectacularly colourful ways.

**Before I go on, I'd like to add the disclaimer that, although completely captivated by Indian culture, and learning more about the Hindu faith, I am pretty vague on the facts. Most info is based on observations, a bit of internet reading, and by and large conversations with my great co-teacher Magesh. For the most part, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Thaipusam is one of the largest Hindu holidays in the year, where in the lead up people fast, or give up certain things (much like Christian's Lent). On the day of Thaipusam, Hindus visit the temple to pray to Lord Murugan for help in the future or in order to rid themselves of their sins. They make offerings, mostly of fresh milk. Once finished, they feast with their families. Seems pretty mundane, right? Like the case in all religions, the practices that one follows depends on their personal relationship with the deity. People practice their faith based on what works for them, and what brings them the most comfort. As we watched the droves of people making their way through the gates of the temple, as mentioned, we certainly witnessed many expressions of faith and interpretations of the festival.

For some people, walking up the steps to the Batu Caves with their families and pots of fresh milk works. Others will shave their heads, make pilgrimages, carry very heavy colourful offerings on their shoulders, dance, and most notably pierce their cheeks, backs and chests with metal hooks and skewers. Again, it is really whatever works for the individual and the family at that time in their lives.

We watched the steady procession of people and chariots for over two hours!

 As far as festivals go, Thaipusam ranks pretty high! With the basis of the celebration being religion it certainly offered a more dimensional experience than some festivals we have gone to (not that Applefest wants for sophistication or dimension!) If you're interested, check out an interview with a Thaipusam participant to hear his perspective on some of the practices carried out at the festival. 

In other news, the count down is on to Chinese New Year! Nine more working days until we ring in the Year of the Horse with a week's vacation..Let's paint the town red!

A Mixed Bag in Semporna, Borneo

Because of Malaysian tax laws, we had to be back in the country by December 30th. Since we still had a week left of holidays, we decided to check out the island side of Malaysia; Borneo! Although a bit of an emotionally conflicting trip (more on that), it was fantastic to have a look at another dimension of Malaysia..not to mention, being able to show Catherine Barker a bit of our host home (although not KL).

We flew into Tawau and made our way to the coastal town of Semporna located on the east coast of Borneo. Again, without doing any research, and taking for granted that we would be in Malaysia (meaning our bank cards worked and we could could confidently order from a menu) we had few preconceptions. We arrived in Semporna in the evening. Everything was closed, it was dark and the town seemed pretty dead. Having the excuse of wanting Catherine to sample everything Malaysian, we had a large feast of Chinese Malaysian food and as Tyler and I had spent the night before in the airport, we went to bed.

We woke up the next morning really excited for a day of diving and New Years Eve celebrations! We were super pumped, as diving was the main reason we chose to visit this small town and the surrounding islands. The waters and marine life were to be second to none, as most people venture here to dive in the world famous national park, Sipidan. We had been warned the night before by our friend Hutchy who had arrived a few days earlier, that the waters were absolutely stunning, however that the amount of garbage was equally staggering. After we geared up and cruised out of the harbour (where there is always a certain amount of garbage lingering) we marveled at the absolutely brilliant clear blue waters. The sun was shining, the water was relatively calm and we were in good company. As we made our way out into open waters however, it was amazing just how much plastic was floating on the surface of the water. So much garbage that our boat had to stop several times to rid its motor and propellers of the trash before continuing on its journey. Still the garbage didn't seem to hinder our day of diving too much. We did three dives seeing some beautiful coral, fish, turtles..and of course were serenaded by Hutchy's underwater rendition of the Mission Impossible theme song..which makes it seem like we we are on an important mission ourselves :)

 
That night, we geared up for New Years Eve celebrations! Again, we gathered to share a feast of seafood, Malay, and Chinese food before hitting up a (the) small pub in town. We danced, chatted with randoms and rang in the New Year. As far as New Year's goes, it was pretty typical. The next day we were all feeling pretty lazy (myself in particular) so we sought out the only pool in town. We wandered into the hotel like we were guests, eventually were sussed out, and paid the fee. Little did they know how much we love a lazy New Year's Day. From the pool, we all visited the spa for massages, ate at the lobby restaurant, then watched a movie in their cinema room. We totally loitered and lingered perhaps too long.

The next morning we sadly had to say goodbye to Catherine Barker, as she was heading back to Qatar. Danielle, Tyler and I were off the spend the remainder of our holiday on Mabul Island, an hour trip from the mainland. After we arrived and got our rooms all sorted out, we were in utter awe of the beauty of our surroundings! The water was unlike anything I had seen before! We hung around our little resort for a while, then decided to venture to the beach. To get to the beach we needed to walk through the village. Walking through the village was a bit of a shock. The amount of children in the streets was overwhelming (Ty later looked it up..about 2000 people live on the island, with about 1000 being under the age of 14). Furthermore the amount of garbage piled up was heartbreaking. We made our way through to the gated resort, enjoyed the beach and made our way back. As we sat out drinking beer and enjoying the sunset, small children would float by in their canoes asking for money. When we gave them money, they would then ask for food. It was a heart breaker. Over the next few days we did some dives, swam and relaxed.We also spent a lot of time reflecting on topics such as poverty and trash.

Thanks to Danielle for some of the great photos! (Follow her on Instagram @daniellecorbett. Her pics are fantastic!)

 Although in the most beautiful place I have ever traveled to, I had a lot of trouble really enjoying it. It was hard to encounter naked children rubbing their tummies and asking for food, then turn our backs to head off to the gated resorts for an afternoon of spa treatments, ice cream and tanning. This isn't the first place we have gone where poverty is overtly apparent, but something seemed different about this one. I think (although I have no idea) it was that the children didn't seem to smile all that much. In other countries we have gone, the children seemed to play, and engage a lot. Perhaps they are just sick of tourists clicking photos. Again, I have no idea, nor presume to know what the true inner workings of the island, village or its inhabitants are. I do know, that it was not easy switching on and off the vacation/reality mode.

The second issue that weighed heavy on my mind was the apparent problem of garbage disposal. Since kids we have all heard about campaigns that read slogans such as 'Save the rainforest', 'Clean up our oceans', etc. We all know that these are important initiatives and serve a purpose. However for me, they didn't really mean very much. Yes, have seen the result of industrial pollution in Lake Ontario, and know all about the collapsed fishing industry in Atlantic Canada. I am well aware that I could be criticized as 'the pot calling the kettle black', however until seeing the ocean environments in East Borneo and the tangible damage that is being done firsthand, it was nothing I felt passionate about.
While in Mabul, we sat up scratching our heads about the devastating amounts of garbage in the water in contrast with the breathtakingly beautiful ocean. We discussed ways the problem could be irradiated, but nothing really seemed viable. In developed countries we create the same amount of garbage (if not more). Yes, we bury it, burn it, collect into one place. We are lucky enough to be able to put it in an out of sight location, and therefore it is out of mind. Ignorance is truly bliss. In a place like Mabul, they do not have the infrastructure to deal with the garbage, so everything is chucked in the ocean. Again an issue that I have really been now awaken to, however left unsettled and unsure of any solution. I suppose there is no one solution, but an array of possibilities; The simplest ones being, stop creating so much garbage, recycle, and educate. Don't be ignorant to where your garbage is going and what the long-term affects of it are. Tyler and I are as guilty as the next person, but now it's time to decide what we are going to do about. Before we left the island, we were in a gift shop looking for some souvenirs. I picked up a marine life book, and read this quote that seemed apt;
 “The oceans are the planet's last great living wilderness, man's only remaining frontier on Earth, and perhaps his last chance to prove himself a rational species.” -John L. Culliney 

The homes in Mabul were amazing!

 I really apologize for the negative tone of this blog post. To say that our vacation to Boreno was life-changing might be a bit of a reach, however it was certainly eye-opening and thought provoking. Don't get me wrong, we left Borneo with killer tans, having completed six dives in unreal locations, sharing laughs with great friends and welcoming a New Year. The reason we travel is to educate ourselves, and beyond measure we have been certainly schooled! Just as we are expected to when we graduate, it is now time to do something with our experiences.

Sri Lanka, The Spice of Life

By 4:01 pm on December 20th, I was chalked full of Christmas chocolate and in hyper-vacation mode. I dashed to KL Sentral (yes..with an 'S' and not a 'C') to meet Tyler and we were set to make our way slowly to Sri Lanka. Being frugal (a much more becoming word than cheap) we had booked a very taxing route to Sri Lanka; Leaving KL at 8:00pm, stopping in Maldives, and arriving in Colombo at 4:00am. Did I mention it is a four hour direct flight? When checking in, the Malaysian Air worker was pretty baffled, and would not accept our itinerary. Instead he hooked it up! He got us on a direct flight leaving at the same time and signed off on some dinner vouchers. With our bellies full of complimentary airport food, we booked a hotel for that night in Colombo, feeling good that we weren't going to be sleeping in airports and starting our vacation off with little to no sleep. This was surely a good omen for the trip to come!

I need to mention that we traveled over Christmas with one pretty amazingly, awesome gal, Catherine Barker. Catherine and I had done our Education degree together almost five years ago at UNB. We hadn't seen each other since then. She is currently teaching in Qatar, and as she wasn't heading home for Christmas either, we decided to end the Barker/Mary drought and vacation together! The hilarious conversations, laughter, and company of this trip is a large reason why we are coming back to work feeling rejuvenated. Needless to say, so much love for Barker!

So, a little background on Sri Lanka; Geographically, it is an island country just south of India. Politically, the country just ended a thirty year civil war in 2009. Culturally, most people are Sinhalese or Tamils, speaking those respective languages. Most people practice Buddhism. How's that for generalizations?

So we collected Barker and we were straight to catch the bus from Colombo to Kandy. First lesson learned; Public transit in Sri Lanka is to be way underestimated. What was supposed to be a 2 hour drive lasted about 5 hours with a fair share of interesting smells, near collisions and body contact. No problem; we arrived in Kandy in one piece. When we arrived, I was completely overwhelmed! The trip's planning by and large was left up to Tyler and Catherine (thanks!). I hadn't so much as googled a picture of Sri Lanka, and was going in completely blind and misinformed. For some reason I just assumed it would be another S.E Asian country. A place for us, where at this point, we are still in awe, but more or less comfortable. I was wrong. As our tuk-tuk dodged people, cows, and buses from the 1960's busting with people, I turned to Catherine and said "India!?" In response she said "Uhh yah. Sri Lanka is India's 'Little Brother'". For the first time since we had traveled to Asia three years ago, my head was truly spinning with all the new sights, smells and way of life. A pretty great feeling!

Where's Barker? This trip could have easily been dubbed 'Public Transport Tour of Sri Lanka'.

 We spent two nights in Kandy upon a hill looking out over the city. We hired a driver, Mr. Mo, and he took us to various tourist spots in the area, collecting kickbacks the whole way as we bought tons of souvenirs..and good on him! Our first stop was the beautiful botanical gardens in Kandy. The gardens themselves were amazing, but on top of that, there were tons of monkeys and giants bats flying around (more crazy would have been flying monkeys...I wonder if the Wizard of Oz was actually just Sri Lanka..?) We frolicked, avoided the guano and drank tea. It was a great change from the exhaust and concrete we left behind in KL, and for Catherine, the dry, sandy desert!

Next we headed off to spend some time with elephants. Now this was a longtime tourist want for me, since we had first started traveling around S.E Asia two years ago. I had fantasized about bathing and feeding the elephants, snuggling them and leaving them with big smiles on their sweet faces. However, the places we checked out seemed to be a bit of a harsh reality (I know I can be painfully naive). The elephants, although not being abused, were very much in captivity, and it was not the 'Jungle Book' magical scene I had imagined. Nonetheless, we did get to feed and bathe sweet Nona. I left with mixed feelings, but totally glad we experienced, and as lessons are learned, next time we will seek an elephant sanctuary setting.

Next we went to a spice garden. Kandy is very well known for its spices, and we were keen to taste and buy! By the time we left, we had indulged in a name-your-own-price massage and bought several home remedies. We also left feeling inspired to learn more about herbal medicine...we can now add that to the ever growing list of future careers. Leaving the spice garden smelling of cloves and fresh vanilla beans, we ended the long day with a quick stop to a tea plantation and a seedy underground liquor store. Before leaving Kandy the next day, we made a pit-stop at the market, buying a mass order of fresh spices..but not before sampling the very best fruit we have ever tried. Seriously. The mangoes, lemon bananas, papaya! I am ruined!

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Leaving Kandy, we ventured forth on the train. The train was pretty full, and there was standing room only. We had heard that the views from the train routes throughout Sri Lanka were second to none, as they meander through tea fields and upon mountains. The rumors were true! Truly amazing vistas! We got off in a town called Hatton, and took a scenic hour long tuk tuk ride through the rolling tea fields to Dalhousie where we prepared for a hike up Adam's Peak, or Sri Pada. Depending on your beliefs, this mountain is said to be the place of Adam's (of Adam and Eve) first footprint on Earth (or Buddha's or Shiva's). Adam's Peak is a 5200-ish staircase pilgrimage up a mountain. As we made our way, huffing and puffing, we were passed by babies and elderly making the trip up the steep, steep slope totally putting us to shame. It's popular to leave at 2:00 am, to make it to the top for a 6:30am sunrise..and that's what we did. Although tough and exhausting, the sights from the top were pretty spectacular!

Adam's Peak from afar.

 

 

With no sleep, we headed back to to train station to make our way to Ella. As it was Christmas Eve, the train was packed. So packed that we held our bags above our head, my face was pressed up against the wall, all the while, a man was trying to pickpocket Ty. Oh, and it was a steam-engine train from the 1800's! After three hours, we got a seat on the floor, and rode out the rest of the trip in comfort. As I said before, the scenery was second to none and worth feeling like a sardine (don't get me wrong, a little forethought, and a first class ticket would have been the cherry on top..but where's the adventure in that?) So, after being up for 30+ hours and having our legs feel like jelly from the hike, we finally landed in Ella, where we would spend the night before Christmas!

Waking up the next morning, we reminisced about the best things about Christmas in Canada as it rained in the mountains of Sri Lanka. We suffered from about 30 minutes of pathetic fallacy, then picked ourselves up, had a massage and made plans to get to the beach for the remainder of our time in Sri Lanka! Having had our share of public transit, we opted for a private car for the trip (it was Christmas Day after all..) We made it to Unawatuna Beach and never looked back! Unawatuna was a village that was hit by the tsunami in 2004, but because it is such a loved place by tourists, bounced back really quickly. The spirit and kindness of every person we met in this village was amazing. I can see why it's so beloved.

Boxing Day spent on the beach, pizza and beer in hand!

Our final stop before leaving Sri Lanka was Galle. As we rolled into town, Sri Lanka did it once again! Another completely contrasting, equally beautiful setting. This time it was a colonial European town situated within fort walls, much like Old Quebec City, but with a tropical feel. We wondered the streets, ate the most amazing curries, and prepared to say goodbye to Sri Lanka....but not without one more crowded ride on a bus that broke down every twenty minutes.

I know I say this about every country we visit, but I can say with confidence that we will visit Sri Lanka again. It was genuine, diverse, beautiful ...and not to mention the head bobble is literally the best response to everything and anything! Try answering any question with the head bobble. Don't say a word, and see where it takes you!