Greetings from the Holy Land!

As the sun began to rise over the hills surrounding the Valley of the Kings, we knew that it was going to be a scorcher. Situated on the Nile, Luxor is one of the most significant areas in Egypt for ancient Egyptian sites. It is also the hottest place I've ever been. With highs between 115-120F and not a single cloud in the sky, the heat is just plain indescribable. This climate's only saving grace is that it is so dry that sweat instantly evaporates making it somewhat more bearable than the dank wetness of South East Asia. In any event, nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of being slowly baked alive while trying to appreciate archaeological sites that I remember reading about in 1st grade.

The importance of the Nile to Egyptians of old (and now) cannot be understated. The Nile Valley is surrounded on both sides by huge expanses of nothingness. We witnessed oceans of sand and rock on our approach to Luxor from the Sinai Peninsula making the scenery devoid of substance yet oddly intriguing. The transition from a beige Mars-ish landscape to one of lush green fields of corn, papyrus and other crops happens abruptly as one ventures within 10 miles of the Nile. One can't help but marvel at all the Nile makes possible in one of the harshest climates on earth.

And now for something completely different... Alyce and I's arrival to the Holy Land could hardly be described as graceful. It is a long story that I'll have to tell another time. Either way, once we were both on the ground in Jordan, we quickly headed to Petra and spent a couple days exploring countless unbelievable structures carved out of the many sandstone cliffs in the area. It was awesome in the purest sense of the word. From there we headed to Egypt.

The process of taking the ferry from Aqaba, Jordan to Nuweiba, Egypt across the Red Sea could best be described as a clusterfuck. One has to wait in line and visit practically 15 different windows before being given their ticket. Once you have a ticket in your possession, the waiting begins... Apparently, the ferry leaves "whenever" and nobody quite knows what's going on (not even the ferry company staff). After a few hot hours of waiting, a mad rush happens to board buses so that you can ride about 2 minutes down the road to the boat. After vehemently fighting the request to throw our packs into these giant trailers containing hundreds of unmarked suitcases, we finally had to relent. At least we were able to board the vessel. But even then, we had to wait for a couple more hours before the 1.5 hour trip across the sea began. That is right, all of this hassle for just a one and a half hour trip. The ferry was actually quite pleasant while we were moving but the disaster that awaited us on our arrival to Egypt was just unreal. I don't think I can adequately describe the insanity, inefficiency and plain ass-backwardness of the Egyptian arrival process in a way that would come close to doing it justice. And then, to add insult to injury, all of this can be yours for one easy payment of $85... Yes, almost $100 for an 8 hour ordeal that should have only taken 1.5. Well, I guess it is just another crazy experience to add to the pile... An experience I'd rather not repeat.

This is getting long so I'll just end things here. Alyce and I are heading to Cairo tonight and then to Turkey shortly thereafter. It's been great so far and though the Middle East has its share of frustrations, I've had worse (and better for that matter). Best of all, there is no plain fried rice to be found for thousands of miles.

The Beginning of the End? No, Not Really

Well my grand Asian adventure is coming to a close. It's been over 6 months since I stepped off the plane in Bangkok but it feels like it was last week. I just cannot believe how fast the time has flown by. Well, there will be plenty of time to reminisce later because there is no break after this milestone.

I'm boarding a plane tomorrow night for Amman, Jordan where I'll be meeting Alyce. She'll be on a fresh pair of legs and I just hope I can keep up. Guess I'll just have to see.

Anyways, here's a list of things I will not be missing about Asia:

• Trash everywhere
  
• Smoking everywhere (China)
  
• Spitting everywhere (China)
  
• The complete lack of air conditioning even when a working unit exists (SE Asia)
  
• Taking 3 days to get somewhere when it could have taken 1 (Cambodia)
  
• People trying incessantly to sell me custom tailored suits, sex and drugs
  
• The lack of BBQ sauce and anything remotely resembling Mexican food
  
• Being elbowed in the ribs by an old lady while trying to get on a bus (China)
  
• The seething human mass of chaos that is a Chinese train station
  
• The feeling that I'm on the same track as every other backpacker (SE Asia)
  
• The description of anything more than a walk around town as a "Trek"
  
• The immature gap year kids and people who just got out of the Israeli Army
  

And, things that I will miss:

• The food: Pad Thai, spring rolls, dumplings, okonomiyaki, banana pancakes, fresh tropical fruit, etc...
  
• The cheap beer: Sometimes as little as $.50 for 600ml
  
• The ease of travel: It is so easy to get around that sometimes its disappointing
  
• The scenery: Mountains, jungle, waterfalls, rivers, temples, everything
  
• The locals: I've met some of the most kind and genuine people out here
  
• The travelers: I've met so many cool people along the way that I'm sure I'll keep up with in the future
  
• The wacky pop culture: I can't describe this, it just needs to be experienced to be believed
  
• Giant Asian cities: Hong Kong, Osaka, Tokyo, Bangkok, Shanghai. They are so much fun to explore
  
• The long nights, the early mornings and the feelings of complete misery that make arriving somewhere so relieving

Well this was all thrown together pretty fast since its late and I'm tired so that is going to be it from now. My next post will be from Jordan and I can't wait. I've finished all my uploading so now my Flickr is full of all the pictures that I'm going to put up there from Asia. Enjoy.

East Asia by the Numbers

Well as we all know, I'm leaving this part of the continent soon so here're some stats to give yall an idea of what the last 6 months have looked like...

I've taken...
24 Bus rides (b/w destinations)
23 Train rides
8 Border Crossings
6 Flights
6 Boat rides
6 Countries (7 if you count Hong Kong)
4 Bullet train rides
4 Days to get to Saigon by driving a motorbike
1 Ride in the back of a truck (during the pouring rain incidentally)
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6,300 Pictures taken
~2,500 Pictures kept
1,233 Pictures posted to Flickr (with 21,766 views in total)
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16,000 Vietnam Dong = $1
8,000 Lao Kip = $1
4,000 Cambodian Riel = $1
106 Japanese Yen = $1
30 Thai Baht = $1
8 Hong Kong Dollars = $1
7 Chinese Yuan = $1
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30 Malaria tablets taken (out of 79 brought)
12 Nights spent as a bartender
4 Guidebooks used and since discarded
3 Entertainment options for every bus/train/plane ride (iPod, Nintendo DS, Book)
3 Expensive gadgets bought (eeePC, iPod Classic, Sigma 18-200mm lens)
2 Books read (The Mole People, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)
1 Sock lost
1 Remaining sock used as iPod case
1 Night inadvertently spent in a hammock
1 Camera lens broken
1 Pair of unstained shorts left
1 McDonald's soft serve ice cream cone per day where available

And Thousands of...
Beers drank
drug offers refused
boom boom/massage/pretty lady offers refused
Custom made suit offers refused
Miles traveled

Dont Know What You've Got 'Till It's Gone

The weather in Yangshuo (my current location) is perpetually hot and humid. The streets are filled with hawkers trying to sell souvenirs and bicycle rentals and the ubiquitous Chinese tour groups are everywhere you look. This was the place that almost everyone I spoke too about China insisted that I make time for in my itinerary but I've having a tough time figuring out why. The karst scenery is pretty impressive but I constantly find myself wishing I was back in Yubeng.

Yubeng Village is a full day’s hike from Duqin, which is a full day’s drive from Lijiang, which is a full day’s drive from Kunming, which is 42 hours on a train from Shanghai. Nestled about as far into the Himalayas as one can get without entering Tibet, this roadless town is surrounded by glaciers, mountain ranges and waterfalls. Mitch, Jim (two British guys that I ended up traveling with for a couple weeks) and I hiked out there and stayed for 3 nights taking advantage of everything that the rest of China isn’t.

The town is about as close to an idyllic mountain village as I could have ever imagined. White Tibetan homes are surrounded by golden fields and green pastures. Trails run off into the distance and all of this is punctuated by dramatic snow capped peaks in almost every direction.


All 3 of us had come to China to get to the mountains and we were finally officially there. Elevated altitudes gave rise to elevated attitudes as we explored the surrounding areas. One day it was an easy hike to a beautiful waterfall and then the next day we ventured to an emerald glacial lake. The opportunities seemed endless and we were really limited only by our own ambition.

Our days began and ended with the same food in most cases. To eat, we had to go get one of the women of the household to come to the dining room. On the floor was an assortment of locally grown vegetables and ingredients. Ordering was quite an ordeal because all I could do was just point at what we wanted and they would cook it. If I wanted peppers and onions then I would point at each with different hands then clap my hands together. It was crude but my point got across. If we wanted chicken, they would have to go out back and kill one. Though the food lacked variety, it was fresh and considerably better than much of the Chinese food I had had so far. In the end, 4 days worth of food and lodging cost us $45 total (split 3 ways). Probably the best $15 I’ve spent in a long long time.

It wasn’t Tibet but it may as well have been. Feeling like we accomplished what we set out to do, we walked out of that valley with nothing but our packs, smiles and a natural high that persisted for days. We walked the shady path all the way back to Xedong where we could catch a cab back to Duqin. On the drive I crossed the Mekong for what very well may be my last time… But I’ve said that before.



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I’ve finally succeeded in getting all my Yunnan pictures on Flickr so feel free to check them out. Just hanging out here in SE China waiting for my flight on the 14th to Jordan where I will meet Alyce. But first I have to try and enjoy Yangshuo and Hong Kong though in reality, I may have already left China. The opening ceremonies for the Olympics are tonight so that should be interesting at the very least. Definitely expect another post before I leave this country.