Alex & Madie’s travel route in China.
Alex & Madie’s mode of transportation in China.
Alex & Madie’s travel route in Vietnam.
Writing this nearly five months after our travels, my feelings for Vietnam have not changed. I have very fond memories of the place, and looking back now, these emotions are rooted in the bonds we made with the local people who showed us their diverse country. Yes, there were some rough parts of our trip - the taxi scam upon first hour of our arrival, the meals sitting on tiny stools in the gritty old town streets, the heat. But all of those things are dwarfed by how full our hearts and minds were after our month there, on the back of motorcycles with our newfound uncles, eating our way through cities with our friend Joe, and finally spending a few days with a young guide and the night with a minority village family.
Throughout the rest of our journey through Asia I was searching how to replicate our experience from Vietnam. Maybe in Myanmar that would happen? Maybe in India? Would we love any country as much as we did Vietnam?
I’m still searching...
Alex & Madie’s mode of transportation in Vietnam.
Alex & Madie’s travel route in Cambodia.
I had no expectations for Cambodia, knowing relatively little about it’s history before touching ground. Immediately after landing, there was a calmness about the country and its local people - soft-spoken and patient, and as we learn later, possessing the kind of humble determination it takes to quietly rebuild and reclaim a nation devastated by a horrific genocide and corrupt political leadership. I’ve never met a population so warm, kind, resilient, yet dying for change.
What we saw in Cambodia was absolutely stunning, from monumental temples to elephants in the wild. But what I cherish most about our short time there was connecting with our local guide Lee, learning about his life, his country, and the collective thoughts and ideals of his generation, the first born after the genocide. There were many things we discovered about the current state of the country that left us distraught and wanting, somehow, to share the gift of freedom we have in America, where there are simple things like free speech, free press, free media (which I’m beginning to feel is a luxury, really). We were there when Lee’s hero, and the hero of many, was assassinated — both a somber and sobering moment, indicative of the arduous path to reform the nation still has ahead.
Despite the current political strife and social inequities, we want to visit again soon. Hopefully in a more peaceful and righteous time, and to see the same warm, kind faces, in a genuinely tranquil state. We are rooting for Cambodia.
On a different, less-serious, less-emotional note, here are some numbers...
Alex & Madie’s mode of transportation in Cambodia.