…although Kepler IS growing even faster than most babies his age. HA! Well done Kepler in making the 90+ percentile :).

The past 6 months have flown by. Now that Kepler is bigger, and NZ summer is approaching, we’re eager to explore the country with him – especially to visit the Kepler Track, which inspired his namesake!

Until we can though, I am reminded daily that there is extraordinary in the daily ordinary. We have adventures every day with Kepler. Every smile, every milestone, every meltdown, every cuddle…is an adventure. Learning how to become a parent is an adventure. Discovering Kepler’s personality is an adventure. As cliche as it sounds, he is also our favorite adventure.

Check out how Kepler has grown!

Month by month, watch him grow!

Here are some of the BIG (and small) milestones and “firsts” in these past six months:

Kepler’s first road trip around the South Island with Grandma Jenny (GJ). He was about 8 weeks old. We visited Mt Cook Village (NZ’s highest mountain-photo right), Lake Tekapo (photo left), and Lake Wanaka. 

Kepler gets baptized in June, at about 2 months old, at Grace Presbyterian Church, by our pastor Rusty.  

Kepler started swimming lessons at 9 weeks old (left), and now loves the water…he even goes underwater to do “duckling dives”! He is getting so big and wiggly (just like a fish), as he shows off his ONE-YEAR-OLD-sized swimsuit at 6 months old (right). He loves splashing, chasing after pool toys, and rolling along a mat to plop into the water

  .

USA Trip

We visited home in Atlanta from July 15-August 19 so family and friends could meet Kepler. He was amazing on the flights and loved all the attention

Kepler’s first trans-Pacific, 24+ hour flight at 3 months old was a success, and he met is grandfathers, aunties and uncles for the first time!

Kepler even met his extended family cousins, and great aunties and uncles from the McClure side, who drove down to Georgia to spend time with us and him. 

Nana Lu hosted a “Sip N See” Party for friends to come and meet Kepler on our first day home in the US. For being jet-lagged, he was an absolute trooper! 

 The Foresters’ Perimeter friends hosted a Baby Shower for Kepler, and lavished him with wonderful 6+ month clothes, as well as NEW PRAM! I was beyond excited to finally have a set of wheels for the little munchkin. 

Kepler’s first weekend at Lake Lanier, which included his first boat ride and an opportunity to sport his new togs (kiwi slang for swim suit). 

Great-Grandma Betty flew down from Illinois to meet Kepler. #4generationpicture

Both sides of the families:

Kepler visited Universal Studios Orlando at about 4 months old to celebrate Daddy’s 30th birthday! He got to see Hogwarts Castle, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Jurassic Park, and more. He even got to try his first butterbeer (via breastmilk)! Thanks Nana Lu and Papi for coming alongside us to make it happen. Thanks Kepler for being so cute that you helped us skip a few lines. And thanks Universal for thinking of the most glorious concept of “Baby-Swap” rooms. 

Back in Christchurch:

Kepler has two playgroups that he hangs out with every week in Christchurch. One through Mum’s prenatal aqua yoga swim friends (left), and another through Plunket, an organization that monitors child growth Birth – 5 and supports mothers with classes, advice and services (right). 

Kepler discovered why Christchurch is called the “Garden City” when spring arrived this year. He even tasted his first daffodil when Mum wasn’t paying attention. Here he is about 5 months old. 

Kepler tried pureed solids at 5 1/2 months old. His first meal was a mix of pumpkin, kumara (sweet potato), and carrot. He LOVED it, and hasn’t refused any foods yet. He has since tried chicken, toast, kiwi fruit, plum, pear, apple, sweetcorn, mashed potato, lentils, chickpeas, banana and avocado, but we’re suspicious that these latter two hurt his tummy. 

First trip to the beach in New Brighton, Christchurch (6 months old)

And that’s a wrap on his first six months. He is still our smiley, cruisy, and happy boy! He is very mellow and sleeps pretty well at night (for the most part).

First month highlights:  Met Nana Lulu, first smile, first trip to the park (Abberley Park), first time attending church, Newborn Photo Shoot, day trip to Kaikoura, first car ride, met Uncle Tony and Auntie Lindsey

Second month highlights: first immunizations, first airplane ride, first babysitter, first Mother’s Day, slept through the night, first road trip, met your GJ, recognized us and our voices

Third month highlights: first swimming lesson, found your hands, baptized, rolled over from tummy to back, first Father’s Day, grasped objects in your hands, received your kiwi passport

Fourth month highlights: experienced summer for the first time, first long-term babysitter, met your extended family, saw the USA, slept in a crib, laughed out loud, developed ability to grasp and hold toys

Fifth month highlights: recognized his name for the first time, had enough hair to create your first bed head, went underwater at swim lessons, first boat ride, Dad’s 30th birthday, first trip to an amusement park

Sixth month highlights: rolled from your back to your tummy, first duckling dive at swimming class, tried solids for the first time (pumpkin, carrot, and kumara), graduated your Snugglefish swim group (0-6 month) and moved up to the Cuddlefish group (6-12 month), slept for 12 hours at night, jumped in jolly jumper, drank from a sippy cup, sat with support

Thanks for checking in with us as we continue #keepingupwithkepler 

BOY!

Nugget finally made his appearance on April 7, 2016 at 11:34am, weighing 7 lbs and 10 oz. He was a decent size for being 10 days early! We named this gorgeous boy Kepler Jude Forester (read on to find out why). He was delivered via scheduled cesarean at Christchurch Women’s Hospital. We knew all our kids would have to be delivered via c-section after my previous surgery two years ago. Long story short, the delivery went well, Kep is healthy, and Momma is recovering steadily 

Leading Up to the Delivery 

As the day of the operation grew closer, I became more nervous. My nervousness for the surgery (and the IV) sometimes outweighed my excitement. I stopped working just shy of 37 weeks. Here in New Zealand, many women choose to start their maternity leave early, thus sparing themselves the discomfort of working during the latter half of their third trimester. This is a luxury kiwis can afford when receiving a year of maternity leave! Most women begin their leave much sooner than I did, and many of my coworkers thought I was crazy to continue pressing on, but realistically, I knew that if I sat at home pregnant, I would either a) eat; b) spend money; or c) worry about the baby. It was better for me to remain distracted by 24 crazy children in the classroom.

On Monday before the delivery, we went to the hospital to meet with the anesthetist and go over last-minute details. I walked away from the the meeting disappointed and even more anxious about the birth! Firstly, the hospital made a ‘clerical error’ and had NOT booked me a place in the operating theatre to deliver that week…WHAT?! I received a confirmation for this procedure back in JANUARY. So, they were going to have to change the date of my caesar, moving it a day forward. Most people would be thrilled to meet their baby a day earlier. I was heartbroken though, since my mom was flying out for the birth and moving it a day forward would cause her to miss it. I wouldn’t get to pick her up from the airport; she wouldn’t get to see me pregnant; she wouldn’t get to feel Nugget kick.  Needless to say, I did well to hold back my hormone-induced breakdown until we got to the car.

All these things casted a bit of a gloomy shadow on the week preceding Kep’s birth, but…

The Delivery

…it’s hard to not have a smile on your face when meeting your first-born for the first time! The IV wasn’t as bad as the many others I have had in the past (it only took two attempts this time!). The spinal block went well and worked very effectively.

Evan had to wait outside the operating theatre while I received anesthetic, which he later admitted wasn’t filled with much ‘waiting’ as much as it was filled with ‘pacing’. He was allowed to come in after I was already on the table, laying down, hooked up to a plethora of cords and machines, and ready to go!

We were so surprised that it only took 5 minutes for our surgeon, Dr Conaghan, to lift Kepler above the curtain, and Evan called out “It’s a boy!” A noteworthy, and humorous, point to add is that Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel was playing on the radio in the theatre, at the time of birth.

I watched Evan walk over to the weighing station, cut the cord, and take in the sight of his son. The nurses then brought him back to me for some cuddles. Many happy tears and special memories were made during these moments!

Who do YOU think Kepler resembles more?

Morgan (left) or Evan (right)?

In Recovery

My Mom arrived at the hospital after we had been in recovery for 3 hours. The nurses kindly let her come see us, despite the “no visitors in recovery” rule. This was the first time I had seen my mom in two years! However, I think someone else stole her attention!

At the Hospital

I spent 4 nights/5 days at the hospital. After two nights at Christchurch Women’s Hospital, I transferred to St Georges. We had so many lovely visitors at both places, and St Georges served amazing food and delicious cold milos (like chocolate milk).

So What is the Story Behind His Name?

The name Kepler is fairly unique, a requirement for me as a school teacher. I didn’t want any names that came with previous associations! We are also tickled at the fact that he is a dual citizen of both New Zealand and America. We wanted to name him something that reminds him of the country of his birth. His name actually comes from the Kepler Track, a 4-day, 60 km (37 mi) hike over and through some of Southern New Zealand’s most gorgeous Fiordland mountains!  It was the first Great Walk we did after moving to New Zealand, and one of the most epic adventures of our time here. Raising our son, Kepler, is sure to be an even more epic adventure!

Also worth mentioning, Kepler is the name of a famous scientist, Johannes Kepler, who was a strong Christian and discovered the laws of planetary motion. When he discovered these scientific laws, he said this, “I give myself over to my rapture.  The die is cast.  Nothing I have ever felt before is like this.  I tremble, my blood leaps.  God has waited six thousand years for a looker-on to his work.  His wisdom is infinite, that of which we are ignorant is contained in him, as well as the little that we know”

Kepler’s middle name comes from the book of Jude. Growing up, Evan heard the same benediction at church every week. Interestingly, we have also heard the same benediction every week at our church here in New Zealand.

It comes from Jude 24-25:
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

And so we pray that Kepler will live a life of adventure and discovery. Furthermore, we pray that he will live a life in which he is kept from stumbling, filled with great joy, and knows the presence of God’s glory.

We’re quite happy with most nicknames: Kep, Keppy, etc… We’ll see what he likes to be called when he gets older.

  

   

He’s growing so fast! 

 

After a tour of the Coromandel on the first half of our ‘BABY’moon, we spent Christmas in Christchurch with friends, and then quickly ventured south for New Years Eve. We had heard a lot about the Catlins National Park, and had never been to Dunedin before…those were reasons enough to plan our next adventure.

This was our first time driving down the eastern seaboard of New Zealand. Typically, our road trips take us inland as we chase the Southern Alps in all their glory. But the eastern coast has a few surprises of its own that are well worth checking out, if you have the time.

After 3.5 hours of driving, we arrived at our first destination: the Moeraki Boulders. These large spherical stones are scattered along the beach, after many years of sea erosion on the shoreline caused them to surface from the shore’s sediment. Some weigh several tons and are up to 3 meters in diameter! New Zealand Maori legend explains that the stones are the remains of eel baskets washed ashore from the legendary canoe that brought Maori ancestors to the South Island, before wrecking at nearby Shag Point.

Just “rockin'”out with the Moeraki Boulders on New Zealand’s Otago Coast  

After a delicious fish n’ chips lunch overlooking the ocean, and after stopping at a yellow-eyed penguin nesting point (with little luck at spotting many), we were on the road again, headed for Dunedin.

One wonderful thing about New Zealand summer is the gloriously long daylight. So, despite another hour in the car, we still had plenty of time to tour the town. Dunedin was one of the first settled areas in New Zealand, as the harbour and surrounding bays attracted whalers and made access by sea easier. Now it is known for its gorgeous Edwardian/Victorian architecture, as well as a ‘college town’ for Otago University students. The beautiful stone buildings reminded us of what Christchurch used to look like, before the earthquake.

One of the many beautiful bays/harbours outside Dunedin 

We spent the afternoon walking the steep trail down to Tunnel Beach. The picturesque cliffs drop off into the ocean, and huge waves crash against the shoreline, forming arches and caves. The story is that the actual tunnel leading down to the private, and otherwise inaccessible beach, was created by John Cargill in the 1800s for his daughter. Not a bad tree-fort/hideaway if you ask me!

Careful on that edge there, Evan!

We enjoyed the remainder of our evening exploring Dunedin, and ringing in the New Year!

Our second day in Dunedin enabled us to explore the city further, visit the First Church of Otago, and tour Lanarch Castle (the only castle in New Zealand).

The steepest street in the world was a little too much for 24-week pregnant Morgan to walk in its entirety

The First Church of Otago

One of Dunedin’s most famous buildings: The Old Train Station

Lanarch Castle is the only castle in all of New Zealand. The castle was built as a private residence by William Lanarch for his family in the late 1800s. Materials were imported from all over the world to create this structure. The gardens around it were just as impressive as the views overlooking the harbour from atop the home. Despite the beautiful castle left behind, the Lanarch family’s story has a very sad history. It just goes to show that money can’t buy happiness, health, or fidelity.

Lanarch Castle facade (above left); view of the harbour from the garden (above right)

From atop of the castle, looking out onto the many harbours that surround Dunedin (below) 

We farewelled beautiful Dunedin and headed further south toward the Catlins National Park. We detoured to Nugget Point, one of the most iconic landmarks in the Catlins. We were tickled at the idea of taking our Nugget to Nugget Point.

Nugget Point

The lighthouse on Nugget Point was built in 1869 to warn ships of the dangerous rocky islets surrounding the peninsular outcropping. The islets (Nuggets) are home to many seabirds, penguins and fur seals. What a great way to spend the first day of 2016!

We spent our final day in the Catlins venturing through bush walks, waterfalls, the Cathedral Caves, Curio Bay and Porpoise Bay.

Matai Falls (above left); McLean Falls (center and right)

Cathedral Caves rank in the top 30 of the longest sea caves in the world and can reach up to 30 meters high. After walking down a 30 minute trail to Waipati Beach, we had to walk alongside cliffs and through crashing waves to find the entrance to the caves. We managed to make it to the entrance without getting too wet, but we weren’t as lucky on way back to the beach. Oh well, each adventure has its own risk.

Inside the Cathedral Caves

Porpoise Bay has a pod of resident hector dolphins that we were lucky enough to spot! Evan even had the courage to wade into the 16 C (60 F) water to swim with these playful visitors.

Porpoise Bay

Adjacent to Porpoise Bay is Curio Bay. Curio Bay contains a petrified forest and is home to about 8 of the world’s most rare penguins: the yellow-eyed penguins. In fact, Curio Bay is one of the few places in the world where you can get close to these wild animals, in their natural habitat. We were incredibly lucky to spot one of these penguins along the shoreline before dusk, waiting for its mate to come in from a long day of fishing.

We had a long journey back; Curio Bay is pretty far from Christchurch! But it was a great trip and we loved seeing a new corner of New Zealand.

It’s crazy to think that next time we road trip through the country, we’ll have another Forester in tow!

First on our list to visit was Coromandel. It is a large peninsula on the North Island, and it is full of stunning, remote beaches. Since our last couple trips were fast-paced and we were constantly ‘on-the-go’, we intentionally planned a trip on which we could simply RELAX!

We had four full days at the beach, surrounded by a day of travel on each end. We stayed in the town of Whitianga and used it as a base to reach other beaches and nearby destinations.

From the lookout down onto New Chums Beach

Our first full beach day brought us to New Chums beach, ranked as one of the world’s top 20 remote beaches. In order to reach the beach, you must walk 20-30 minutes over a semi-rocky trail and cross ankle deep water. It is only accessible during the two hours before and after low tide. The walk was very pleasant (we were at the beach after all!), and the beach was gorgeous.

We climbed up a small “path” to reach the top of a lookout point that had amazing views of the area. Morgan handled the climb like a champ, and Nugget certainly appreciated the views.

Testing the water and relaxing at New Chums Beach

We spent the morning on the beach and briefly braved the water.  Although gorgeous, the water was only 62 degrees (16.2 in Centigrade), which is pretty cold by our standards after growing up on the beaches of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. We then left the New Chums, wanting to beat the rising tide back to our car.

We spent the afternoon at Otama Beach, which was even less crowded than New Chums. Less than 10 people were on this beach and we enjoyed an afternoon in the shade, hiding under Pohutukawa trees (aka New Zealand’s Christmas trees). We also saw a 7 foot bronze whaler shark swim right along the shoreline, which made us thankful for the cold temperatures that kept us out of the water.

Enjoying the waves and views from Otama Beach

The following day included the two most famous beaches in the Coromandel area. First up was Hot Water Beach. If you’ve ever been to the beach, you know that it doesn’t take much digging to reach water under the sand. Because there are geothermal springs under Hot Water Beach, digging here might lead you to some very hot water (up to 140 degrees F!). Once you mix this with the cold sea water, you create your own personal hot tub.

This was the most crowded beach we encountered on our beach trip. People squeezed together amidst the small geothermal portion of the beach, armed with shovels to build walls against the incoming tide. While Evan spent most of his time digging and maintaining a wall, Morgan and Nugget enjoyed sitting with their legs in the warm water. This was best form of teamwork, if you ask me.

Digging our hole to find geothermal water at Hot Water Beach

After high tide crashed into our hot pool and drove us away from Hot Water Beach, we made our way over to Cathedral Cove. At Cathedral Cove, a large tunnel links two small remote beaches, and again, it can only be reached by a 40 minute walk (or a boat taxi for cash). This beach has become much more popular since its debut in the movie Prince Caspian. You can watch the scene from the movie below:

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We spent a while relaxing in Cathedral Cove, but on our way back to the car, we stopped at Gemstone Bay. Up until now, we had carried our snorkeling equipment all over the place, but the cold water kept us from using it.  No longer would New Zealand’s cold water deter us! Gemstone Bay was a pretty unique place to go snorkeling, and felt like we were swimming over a large golden forest.

  The view from our walk down to Cathedral Cove, looking out over the Marine Reserve (above left)

Where we set up camp at Cathedral Cove (above right)

Inside Cathedral Cove 

  Snorkeling at Gemstone Bay (above left)

Walking through dense bush on the way to/from Cathedral Cove (above right) 

We lasted about 15 minutes snorkeling at Gemstone Bay before we decided we had braved cold water for long enough. Even Morgan and Nugget’s combined heat didn’t make it too long.

On our third beach day we drove down to Whangamata with plans to kayak out to Donut Island. Unfortunately, due to wind, the kayak rental company would not let people take boats onto the water. So instead, we walked along an underwater sandbar to Hauturu Island and explored the views from atop the highest point of the Island.

Views of Whangamata from Hauturu Island

  Crossing the sandbar to Hauturu Island, with Donut Island in the distance

After a picnic lunch that afforded our last lovely views of Whangamata Beach, we made for Onemana beach. Once again, we found a stunning beach, deserted from any other people. We posted up, took naps, read some books, and relaxed for the afternoon before returning to Whitianga.

View of Whangamata Beach from our picnic spot (above left) 

Enjoying solitude at Onemana Beach (above right)

Our fourth day brought rain. We managed to go swimming in the hotel pool and compete in a game of mini-golf before the rain started to pour, but by lunch time we were back inside our hotel, listening to the rain on the roof. However, after three glorious days at various beaches, we were content to rent a couple movies and enjoy a restful afternoon.

We really loved our time in Coromandel and were sad to leave, but we had a flight to catch on Christmas Eve so that we could be back in Christchurch for Christmas day. We still think it is weird to have Christmas in the summer, but you’ll never hear us complain about warm weather!

I (Evan) dutifully researched tours that would pick us up from the airport. We selected and booked one that visited the Great Wall, and then spent a few night hours in Beijing.

Upon arrival, we made it through customs in excellent time. Our tour guide wasn’t waiting for us as expected, so initially, we figured we were early, or they were late. Five minutes, Ten minutes, Twenty minutes passed,  and I was getting grumpy. I wanted to see the Great Wall, dangit!

We had no working phone, but an Information booth allowed us to call the tour company. They apologized and said they would figure out the problem. When we called back 15 minutes later, she said, “sir, your booking is for tomorrow on July 17.”

I looked down at my watch, and as I suspected, it said July 17. Now I was getting angry. I responded, “It is July 17!”

“No sir, it is July 16.”

I looked at Morgan for support, but when she looked at her watch, it read July 16. My eyes doubled in size, the Psycho theme began playing in my head, and my heart sank. Somehow, my watch was incorrect and the whole operation was blown!

Fortunately, after some scrambling, the tour company was able to get us a tour guide on a moment’s notice. We simply had to wait 60 minutes for them to navigate Beijing traffic. We consoled ourselves by purchasing Chinese McFlurries.

When the tour guide finally arrived, we had a 2 hour drive to the Great Wall. Time was getting precious because everything closed at 5 pm. We arrived with just over an hour to spare, and a rather large section of the Great Wall to explore.

Naturally, Morgan wanted to explore as much of the wall as possible. This meant that we ran. A lot. But, we managed to enjoy ourselves and take several amazing pictures. In all honesty, the Great Wall was one of the highlights of our travel career.

I love ruins and I love mountains-especially jagged and unruly peaks. The Great Wall had them both! It was a stunning area to visit, and we’re so thankful we had the chance.

After the Great Wall, we made our way back into Beijing for what we hoped would be another great tour.

We were wrong.

Rush hour never seemed to end in Beijing. Our night allotted us epic views of Chinese tail lights. We were starving and excited to try street food at a local market, but then told it wasn’t safe to eat, so we didn’t even stop. We longingly watched Tianneman Square pass through a windshield.  We did stop at Hoan Kiem Lake but only managed to snap one photo before begin rushed back into our van.

It was your classic example of trying to fit 23 hours of activities into 2 hours. Granted, we were behind schedule because “someone” booked the tour incorrectly, but there was still way too much on the itinerary. Due to hunger, fatigue and traffic, we actually cut the tour short and asked to go back to the airport.

Needless to say, we loved seeing the Great Wall of China, but didn’t get a great taste of Beijing. However, we learned some important lessons:

1) Things will go wrong when you travel, but keep your head attached to your body and you can find a solution!
2) Don’t try to fit a bazillion hours of activities into 2 hours! You may fear missing out on something, but instead we just missed out on (almost) everything.
3) China firewall blocks Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other websites we’re all addicted to.

Next time, we’ll have to check our booking twice, and give Beijing a proper chance to impress us more!

In July 2015, we spent two weeks in Japan, and a day at the Great Wall of China, over the school holidays. We now feel thoroughly satisfied with our Asian experiences, and although we’ve loved these opportunities, we’re ready for the  next holiday to be on a relaxed tropical island or somewhere in the Western World!

Check out this video of our Japanese highlights:

Tokyo

We landed in Tokyo, and began our Japanese excursion walking several blocks in the pouring down rain to find our hotel. If this doesn’t scream “TOURIST”, then I don’t know what does…

Evan could not contain his inner child any longer, so we naturally spent our first two days in Tokyo at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea. Evan reminded me that this was a ‘once and a lifetime’ experience since Disney Sea is ranked the best Disney Park in the world by most Disney Enthusiasts.

While Tokyo Disneyland made for a good day, we much preferred Disney Sea. Tokyo Disneyland is more geared toward younger children (What?! You say two 28-year old adults aren’t Disney’s top clientele?) with fewer fast-paced rides and lots of animatronic story rides. Well, we still enjoyed ourselves, even though most of the stories were told in Japanese and we had no clue what was going on. We were also disappointed that the Dreamlight Parade and ‘Happiness on High’ firework show were canceled, but we filled our day with multiple visits to Splash Mountain, Star Tours, and Space Mountain.

Tokyo Disneyland:

Disney Sea was perfect for us…even in the rainy weather! The Mediterranean Harbor Front was beautiful…it actually looked like a small European town! We enjoyed coasters and fast-paced rides like Indiana Jones, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and the Tower of Terror. We dined on churros and margaritas, and we enjoyed Big Band Broadway-esque Shows. We loved the Toy Story Mania ride and were thankful to avoid the 4-hour long wait for it, thanks to our fast passes.

Tokyo Disney Sea: 

After two days at theme parks, we jokingly decided that this was probably one of the best cultural experiences we could have asked for. 95% of the attendees are Japenese, which meant that we were in the minority as internationals.  The Japanese do theme parks differently to Americans. First of all, crowds arrive at the park an hour early and then proceed to swarm fast pass lines. Evan likened his experience of getting Toy Story passes to “the running of the bulls, but with very polite bulls.”

Also, the Japanese attend theme parks dressed-to-the-nines (suits, high heels, and cocktail dresses)! Needless to say, we were underdressed. We were also amazed at their spirit level: it’s not often that you see people bringing giant, human-sized Disney stuffed animals INTO a theme park to carry around for 12+hours. Props to the Japanese.

The remaining two days we spent in Tokyo were a decent mix of highs…and lows. We didn’t find Tokyo to be particularly tourist-friendly, and navigating our way through the expansive Tokyo Rail public transportation system was often stressful enough to make a grown-man cry (Evan, however, handled his emotions like a champ). Not to mention we were HOT and sweaty, walked for hours (averaging 25,000 steps a day!), and were oftentimes lost with no English signage or speakers in sight. However, we did enjoy several highlights:

Asakusa District: 

The Asakusa District was very exciting, filled with street stalls, vendors selling green-tea ice cream, rickshaws, Japanese lanterns and the incense-filled Sensoji Temple Grounds. This was a worthwhile way to spend a few hours, for sure.

The famous Kaminarimon Gate in the Asakusa District

Sensoji Temple & Five Pillar Pagoda (top left, bottom right); Alleyways off Nakamise Shopping Street (top right, bottom left)

Akihabara District: 

The Akihabara District is known for its electronic superstores. Evan particularly loved wondering floor-to-floor, browsing through 20-year-old N64 games and camera equipment.

Tokyo From Above:

We found many observatory towers to enjoy the Tokyo city view from on high, both during the day and at night. Endless skyscrapers as far as the eye can see! The AC in the towers was an added bonus. And, we could also see Venus brightly shining in the sky, towering above the nighttime city lights. Wow!

View from atop the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

View from atop the Seaside Observatory Deck

Shinjuku District: 

The Meiji Shrine was one of the highlights in the Shinjuku District. Directly across from Yoyogi Park, this quaint and wooded shrine was dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji and his consort. We also spent a decent amount of time shopping for clothes in the GAP, a worthwhile and honorable mention in this highlight list.

The iconic wooden torii marking the entrance to Meiji Shrine

Shibuya District: 

Besides multiple shopping stores and bright advertisements lining packed city streets, we enjoyed one of our favorite restaurants on the whole trip in Shibuya: Genki Sushi Co. The restaurant itself was not posh, but the sushi train concept was awesome! Each customer had his/her own electronic display, on which you could see pictures and names of every food item on the menu. Once you placed an order, a tray came zooming on rails from the kitchen, stopping right in front of you, with your meal ready to eat!  It was a great way to sample several different types of sushi in small, cheap portion sizes.

Another highlight was watching the bustle of the Shibuya Crossing Scramble. This 5-way intersection is rumored to be the world’s busiest intersection and embodies the rhythm and chaos that is Tokyo. When the street light turns red, pedestrians pour onto the street from every direction, like marbles spilling from a jar. The large neon billboards and video screens surrounding the intersection truly make you think, “Wow, I’m in Tokyo!” Our video (at the beginning of this post) does this awesome spectacle a much greater justice than the photos below – so make sure you watch it!

Before the light turns red (left), Let the scramble begin! (right)

A Traditional Ryokan: 

Before leaving the bustle of Tokyo, we enjoyed a night’s stay in a ryokan (a Japanese inn). This place had all the Japanese traditional ornaments: a rock garden, slippers to wear on wall-to-wall tatami mats, a shoji (paper-sliding door), a fancy toilet system, a small (close-to-the-ground) table, yukatas for each of us to wear, and even origami cranes on our pillows! Evan was braver than I was in ordering a traditional Japanese breakfast, but I have to admit that I ate more of my western breakfast than he ate of his! (Although Evan disputes this).

Mt Fuji

Our next stop was a breath of fresh air: Mt Fuji! We had left the chaos of Tokyo to enjoy the peace and serenity of the five lakes region surrounding the slumbering volcano. We were blessed to have the first clear day seen in that area in about a month’s time, giving us picturesque views of Mt Fuji.

Our feet welcomed a reprieve from the 25,000+ steps we’d averaged each day in Tokyo, and we explored the area by bike. We enjoyed trying the local delicacy: hoto (yoshida udon noodles cooked in miso soup with pumpkin, cabbage, and vegetables). We gladly tried this local favorite opposed to our other menu options: pork guts stew and horse-meat sashimi!

A view of Mt Fuji and the Japanese countryside by train (top left); Mt Fuji by bike (top right, bottom left); Atop Mt Kachi Kachi, looking out on Lake Kawaguchiko (bottom right) 

Hoto (left); Clouds covered Mt Fuji’s summit in the distance, so I improvised with a much-needed popsicle (right)

Kyoto

Our favorite Japanese city was Kyoto: big enough to get lost in but still charming enough to display Japan’s traditional culture. We enjoyed our first ride on a bullet train from Mt Fuji to Kyoto, and stopped at Nijo Castle once we arrived in town. Perhaps my favorite area was Arashiyama due to the beautifully-lined bamboo streets, which offered shade and tranquility.

Watching the world pass by at the speed of a bullet (train, that is) 

Nijo Castle and Grounds

Arashiyama Bamboo Streets

Gion District:

The Old Quarter of Kyoto lies in the district of Gion. Here the architecture quickly changes, and you feel as though you’ve stepped back into Japanese history. This is one of the only places in the country where you might find an opportunity to run into a genuine geisha. Pagodas dot the skyline and rickshaws carry passengers down cobblestone streets. It’s a lovely area and one that monopolized much of our time in Kyoto. We also met up with our friend Sadia, who was studying in Kyoto at the time.

Yasaka Shrine

Sushi Train Restaurants with Sadia

Through the streets of Gion

Well, we hadn’t seen any traditional geisha yet, so Sadia and I ensured a photo opportunity at the Maiko-Henshin Studio. That’s right, WE dressed up as geishas! Evan wasn’t too keen to dress as a samurai, but this proved to be a good thing as we needed a photographer at the ready!

Fushimi Inari Shrine: 

Kyoto delivered again…with one of our favorite shrines in Japan! Fushimi Inari is known for the thousands of vermilion torii gates, lined closely together, straddling trails through wooded forests that ascend the sacred Mt Inari. We didn’t make it all the way to the top of Mt Inari, but we loved weaving our way through orange tunnels.

Golden Pavilion: 

Kinkakuji, Kyoto’s famed golden pavilion, is a zen temple completely covered in gold leaf. I’m not sure what was more impressive: the number of sweaty tourists crowding onto the tiny viewing platform to catch a glimpse of the temple, or the pavilion itself. Either way, the temple is looking good for its 600-year-old status!

Hiroshima

Our day trip to Hiroshima from Kyoto proved to be a fascinating, yet sobering, day. As a history buff, I wanted to visit and learn about the atomic bomb that was dropped on the city. The Hiroshima Peace Museum did an excellent job of providing non-biased, somber, matter-of-fact anecdotes.

Within the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, we visited the Prayer Fountain, the Children’s Peace Monument, a mound made from the ashes of unknown victims, the Cenotaph, the Atomic Bomb Dome, and the Peace Museum. Not far from the park was a plaque commemorating the exact location of ground zero, where the a-bomb exploded.

The Museum was very graphic, and had a mixture of facts about the bomb itself and stories from victims. The personal tales of victims were gripping. Japanese families had even donated locks of hair, strips of torn clothing, and shards of skin from deceased children and loved ones. We saw blocks of cement with shapes burned into the outline of human bodies and walls of buildings streaked with acidic ‘black rain’. War is horrifying, no matter which side you’re fighting for. It’s also weird to smile for these photos, but I guess we are creatures of habit.

It’s also weird to smile for these photos, but I guess we are creatures of habit.

A lock of hair saved by a mother who lost a child (above left); The Cenotaph (above right)

The Children’s Peace Monument (above left); a shredded school uniform (above right)

The Atomic Bomb Dome (above left) was the only building that remained standing near the bomb’s hypocenter. The plaque (above right) signified the exact location, 600 meters below, of the bomb when it detonated. 

Miyajima

Just beyond Hiroshima is a small island, home to the Itsukushima Shrine. This shrine is famous for the tidal waters that wash in and out each day, and the shrine appears to ‘float’ during high tide. Wild deer also roam freely along the streets of the shrine and are now quite accustomed to tourists. Unfortunately, high tide evaded us, but the views were lovely, nonetheless.

Osaka

Before farewelling the Japanese island altogether, we paid our respects to the city of Osaka. Our first stop was the Osaka Castle. We enjoyed the dumpling vendors outside the castle, more than the museum inside- mostly because we understood very little of the Japanese information in each exhibit. However, the view from atop the castle was worthwhile, and the castle itself is worth a picture!

Dotonbori District:

After one more shopping spree at Banana Republic, we spent our final Japanese evening roaming the electric streets of the Dotonbori District. This area is known for eccentric food stalls offering many types of (questionable?) appetizers, the lantern-lit river ways that wind through skyscrapers, and the neon billboards that send a kaleidoscope of color onto the pavement. You can feel the hum of the city as you explore the alleys, and our final Japanese sunset made a surreal spectacle of the evening sky against the flurry of manmade lights.

We’ve had some pretty adventurous experiences over the last few years. Moving to New Zealand, scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, releasing lanterns in Thailand for New Years, and running along the Great Wall of China. None of them, of course, could fully prepare us for the next adventure on our ‘bucket list’…

Parenthood!

We’re excited to announce that Morgan will be giving birth to Nugget Forester on April 8 (Nugget is a working title, this will change once the baby is born…maybe). We’re very thankful that God has blessed us with this baby. After Morgan’s surgery last year, we’ve been kind of nervous about the possibilities around pregnancy.

But we’re now 21 weeks into it and everything is going well. Easy for me to say, of course, as I didn’t have an epic battle with morning (and day and night) sickness, like Morgan.

She is handling everything like a champ, however, and we can’t wait to meet our first child, to teach them to love God and to live fully.

Most people have asked us about the gender: In keeping with our adventurous spirits, we’re  waiting to find out the sex until it’s born.  We’ve also been asked if we will be giving birth in New Zealand, and the answer is yes. It’s much more affordable, we have the same doctor as we had for Morgan’s surgery, and maternity leave/care is pretty amazing. We love that Nugget will be a dual citizen!

That being said, we do miss home! As soon as Nugget is old enough, we will take him or her on a world tour to meet everyone.

And now for some obligatory pictures…

We would appreciate your prayers greatly! Thanks for faithfully keeping in touch!

After crossing the border from Cambodia into Thailand, we hurried on an overnight train to Chiang Mai. We had altered our plans to make sure we could celebrate New Years in Chiang Mai due to the Lantern Festival. The night did not disappoint! We spent the night with Alex and Aga, new friends that we had met in Cambodia, and run into again on the streets of Chiang Mai. It was a great night of fun, laughter, drinks and, or course, lanterns! Truly magical!

Our GIANT lantern…with a sparkler attached!

Midnight on New Year’s Eve!

Earlier that day, while waiting in anticipation for the festival to begin, we “wat-hopped” around the city. We didn’t make it to all the 120 wats in the city, but we did manage to visit a few, including the most famous Chedi Luang.

Wat Mahawan

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Dok Eung

We also visited the King’s Monument and the Cultural Arts & History Museum. However, one of the most interesting experiences we had was participating in a ‘monk chat’ outside Chedi Luang. We sat down with a monk and could ask him any question we wanted about Buddhism, a monk’s life, or the wats in general. We still walked away confused about what Buddhists actually believe, and who they believe that God is, but it was interesting nonetheless.

We spent the next day with elephants! I couldn’t WAIT to ride one and bathe one. Although, after it was all said and done, feeding the pachyderm was my favorite moment. When you have sweet sugar cane and bananas, they sure do get close and friendly!

“Look Mo! No hands!”

Bathing these mammoths was another…adventure. We thought we would be entering a rushing river, pure of clean, crisp water. But, what we actually entered was a stagnant pond. The mud squished beneath our sandals and our eyes bulged when we saw the watermelon-sized droppings being released from the elephants and floating all around us. “It’s okay,” we thought, “we’ll be taking showers soon.” No sooner had these fleeting thoughts been muttered when our four-legged friends began spraying the water in the air. Pond scum and poo flecks rained down on us! Time to bolt! I suppose the mud under our feet wasn’t mud after all, and some adventures are made more memorable when they aren’t exactly perfect.

Chiang Mai also rewarded us face-time with other gorgeous animals: Indochinese tigers! Although hesitant at the size of their fangs and prowling stance, we do not regret the experience. These cats were beautiful!

Evan thought the small cubs were ‘over-rated’ at first, but their playful demeanor quickly changed his mind!

You aren’t allowed to touch or lay near the cats’ heads. Why? I can give you 4 reasons…each is about 2 inches long! 

Just a short tuk-tuk ride away from Tiger Kingdom was the hilltribe markets. Although this area is highly commercialized, it was fascinating to see how beauty is defined among cultures of the world.

‘Long Neck’ Karen Tribe

Akha Tribe

We spent the afternoon at Doi Suthep: one of the largest and most popular temples in Chiang Mai. This temple sits atop an enormous hill and overlooks the city below.

Chiang Mai from a bird’s eye view, as seen from Doi Suthep Wat

We ended our Chiang Mai experience on a tasty note. Evan desperately wanted to get his hands dirty in a Thai cooking course. We started the morning with a train ride to a local village, Our morning was filled with spring roll appetizers, hot and spicy prawn soup, pad thai and holy basil chicken. Our brief intermission from cooking gave us time to peruse the village by bike and take an afternoon nap in the garden. We finished the afternoon with curries and banana spring roll and sweet sticky rice desserts. What a delicious success. We even got Thai cooking books to take home to practice!

We started the day picking out fresh vegetables and spices from the market.

Delicious pad thai

Farewell Chiang Mai! Thank you for the wonderful memories!

Another overnight train ride took us back to Bangkok-the next stop on our Thai whirlwind. In trying to beat the heat, we headed out early to the Grand Palace. The palace was spectacular! The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Buddhism’s version of the “Sistine Chapel”) is painted with images from Buddha’s life. Most interestingly, we learned to distinguish differences between Cambodian and Thai architecture. Thai architecture reflects the Buddhists’ belief in reaching nirvana, as the spires on towers become slimmer and slimmer, eventually evaporating into nothing.

 We also learned that the Thai name for Bangkok is 66 syllables long, but the locals just call it Krung Thep. The ferry took us across the river to Wat Arun, where we climbed incredibly steep steps to the temple’s tower, rewarding us with high views of Bangkok. We even experienced a few moments dressed as Thai royalty!

Exhausted, we trudged through What Pho in the Bangkok heat before retiring for our afternoon siesta. Revived and ready to conquer the city by night, we indulged on Khao San Road in local cuisine…that’s right, we tried scorpion!

The impressive, ‘building-sized’ reclining Buddha

The following day, we rode out to experience the Damnoen Saduak Floating Markets. In a floating market, merchants sell to you either from their boats in the canals, OR you can hire a boat to take you through the canals to the merchants alongside the river. Prices were highly inflated due to tourism, but we managed working our spices down from 600 baht to 200 baht. Hooray for bargaining! Our excitement was short lived when we later saw the same spices in a store for 80 baht. Ugh.

After the floating market, our day was filled with milling around Khao San Road: We perused market stalls, tried ridiculously cheap appetizers and mains at restaurants, Evan got an Asian hair cut, and we even experienced our first Thai massage. It wasn’t at all what we were expecting. We were crammed into a sweaty upper room, in the dark, with about 20 other people, lying on the ground, getting pulled in every direction. Interesting…it was dirt cheap though!

Our evening blessed us with a riverside dinner next to Wat Arun at sunset. What a lovely view with lovely company!

After soaking in the heat for 3+ weeks, our tired bodies needed some beach time…and stat! So, one flight, bus, and longtail boat ride later, we were finally at Railay Beach for 3 days with NO plans…only relaxation! Well, I guess we did some swimming, kayaking, hiking, and of course, eating!

Longtail Boats

Soaking in Vitamin D! Thank you Thai sunshine!

Beautiful Railay Beach

We hiked a VERY steep, difficult, muddy hill to the beautiful Railay Viewpoint

Our sunshine extravaganza wasn’t over yet! We drove to Koh Lak to board a 5-day liveaboard diving boat. We cruised through the Similan and Surin Islands, visiting dive sites that revealed vibrant color, huge schools of fish, and even a manta ray! We got our deep-diving certification to 30 meters (about 100 feet) and the professional photographer on board shot some amazing photos on each of our dives. Over the whole week, we dove 15 times….almost. Morgan had a tummy bug and head cold that kept her out of the water for the last 6 dives, although she saw the water multiple times as she leaned over the edge of the boat. Ouch.

Lion Fish

So many schools of fish

Cuttlefish

Stonefish: Yikes! Don’t touch it! 

Morgan with the manta

Best photo bomb from Morgan!

Taking these fish to school! 

The photographer commented that this was his favorite shot of the whole week…I think I agree!

One of the many swim-throughs 

The whole crew on the liveaboard with whom we spent the week

In order to give our bodies enough time to recover between dives, we also spent quite a bit of time on the beaches surrounding the reef. These weren’t too shabby either…

Tachai Beach

Views above the water, from the boat, weren’t so bad

Donald Duck Beach

Donald Duck Beach

Donald Duck Beach

We spent our final night in Thailand on the island of Phuket. We found a small pizzeria on the sand, and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset over the Andaman sea, sad to see the sun also setting on our amazing Thai adventure.

So long Thailand!

To see more of our photos, scroll over our gallery below!

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

After our trip through Vietnam, we hopped on a bus and crossed the border into Cambodia. Our first stop was the city of Phnom Penh. One of the employees on the bus asked if we were interested to hire his cousin as our tuk tuk driver for the day. We were nervous about walking into a scam, but figured we could be cheated by any driver in town anyway. So we took a chance, and it worked out great!

Our driver was named Mony. He weaved through gridlocked traffic like one hunting deals in Wal-Mart on Black Friday. Since we only had one full day in Phnom Penh, he made sure we saw the highlights and drove us around at a quick pace. He was also very polite and had a great sense of humor.

Our day in the city was easily the most sobering day of our entire trip. It’s almost too morbid to post these on our blog, but we decided it would be even more tragic to remain ignorant of the past. We don’t want to forget the victims or the effects that sin can have on the human race.

In case you don’t know, a man named Pol Pot usurped power in the 1970’s. He instituted a Communist Regime called the Khmer Rouge and forced everyone living in cities to go out and work in the rice fields. He believed urbanization was evil and targeted intellectuals for ridiculous schemes and conspiracies. He accused and killed many people thought to be spies. Malnutrition, physical labor, torture, and murder wiped out between 2 and 3 million people under the Khmer Rouge regime.

The population of Cambodia at the time was 8 million.

As a curious history buff, I (Morgan) was really interested to learn more about this country’s past. We started our day in Phnom Penh at the Killing Fields. This large plot of land is the final resting place for thousands of Pol Pot’s victims. Once every ounce of information was recorded from civilians through hours of torture, victims were sent to these fields to be brutally murdered. We walked past mass graves of men, women, and children. We even saw bones and pieces of clothing along the walkways, resurfacing after recent rains. The most devastating part of our tour was standing by the tree on which they crushed infants’ heads before tossing them into a mass grave. The mausoleum housed hundreds of skulls that showed evidence to how the victim was murdered: most were killed by hoes, axes, metal rods, or hammers, as bullets were too expensive for the Khmer Rouge.

The mausoleum that housed bones of victims

The tree next to the mass grave for infants. Pol Pot believed that all members of the family needed to be killed so no one would grow up to seek revenge.

You can see holes and cracks in the skulls noting how the victim died.

Bones along walkways that had resurfaced from recent rains

Visitors left bracelets from countries across the world as symbols of respect and remembrance to the victims and international support for victims’ families.

Thousands of victims have been exhumed from mass graves

After we left the Killing Fields, we went to Tuol Sleng. This was once a high school, but the Khmer Rouge turned it into a prison and torture chamber. In the 3.5 years that the Khmer Rouge ruled, this prison housed 20,000 victims before sending them to the Killing Fields. The torture devices and sloppily-erected cinderblock prison cells are still in place. Of the 20,000 confined within the prison’s walls, only 11 survivors walked away once the Khmer Rouge was disbanded. We even got to meet Chum Mey, one of the only two remaining survivors alive today. It was amazing and devastating that something like this happened, without much of the western world knowing about it, in the last 40 years. It was also a clear reminder that we need a God who can redeem broken situations.

It was amazing and devastating that something like this happened, without much of the western world knowing about it, in the last 40 years. It was also a clear reminder that we need a God who will redeem broken situations.

Tuol Sleng: the high school converted into a prison

Chum Mey: one of the only two survivors of Tuol Sleng still alive today.

Counting the days: markings inside one of the cells

Barbed wires on the second and third stories prevented prisoners from committing suicide

Chains and torture devices still lingered in some of the rooms

One of the rooms where victims were interrogated and tortured.

We needed a change of scenery, so Mony took us to the Russian Market and then to the Royal Palace. The grounds were HUGE! It was unfortunately boiling hot, but we had to cover shoulders and knees! Why do the hottest countries in the world require the most clothing?

One of the highlights of the Royal Palace was the Silver Pagoda. The floor of this temple was made entirely of pure silver!

Silver Pagoda in the background

On the steps of the Silver Pagoda

One of the many buildings within the palace grounds

The Victory Gate at the Royal Palace

We then went to Wat Phnom. Legend has it that couples who visit Wat Phnom together are doomed to split up. We decided to risk the old wives tale and visit…together. We weren’t particularly impressed, but we enjoyed watching the monkeys jump from branch to branch overhead.

Small temples sat on stands in front of most homes and wats. These were meant to give a home to the spirits of men and women wandering the grounds.

Wat Phnom

Inside Wat Phnom

Cruising around town in Mony’s tuk tuk

The final stop of our long day in Phnom Penh was the King Statue and Independence Monument. These were stunning stops at dusk, and we happily welcomed the cool night air after a LONG, HOT day. We ate dinner along the Mekong River and had a nice walk along Sisowath Quay. We then boarded an overnight bus heading toward Siem Reap.

Independence Monument

The King’s Statue

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Littered with hundreds of temples, Siem Reap and Angkor Archaeological Park were some of the highlights of our trip. We started our first day exhausted, as our overnight bus trip from Phnom Penh was not a decent night of sleep. In fact, it was probably Evan’s least favorite part of the entire 5 weeks. Imagine riding a wooden roller coaster, like the Georgia Cyclone, but doing it for 7 hours while you try to sleep and are really hot.

Despite the bags under our eyes, we made the most of our day and toured the Outer Circuit of Angkor Archaeological Park. The temples were stunning! …Much more so than those that lie in ruin in Vietnam. Our first stop was Pre Rup. This temple had 3 monuments atop a set of steep steps.

Pre Rup

Pre Rup

Pre Rup

Pre Rup

Pre Rup

Pre Rup

Pre Rup

Our next stops along the Circuit loop were East Mebon, Ta Som, and Neak Pean. Some temples were more impressive than others, but each had a unique aspect to them that we could appreciate.

Neak Pean was surrounding by a large moat

Ta Som

Ta Som

Ta Som

King Jayavarman VII spread most of the Khmer empire to its greatest extent around the 1100-1200s. Preah Khan was part of a grand urban plan, but he also built Angkor Thom, Bayon, and Ta Prohm. He built hospitals, highways, bridges and more.

Alleyways of Preah Khan, one of the more impressive temples

Preah Khan

Preah Khan

Preah Khan-not supposed to be exposing my shoulders…but it was SO HOT!

Preah Khan

After finishing our circuit around Angkor Archaeologial Park, we were exhausted and overheated. Tuk-tuks are fun to travel in, but air conditioning is a distant memory. We decided to head back to the hotel, but I jumped at the opportunity to stop to take photos of the wild monkeys playing in the trees and dirt alongside the road.

We quickly learned that our time in Cambodia would consist of avoiding the hot sun by starting early and going until 1 or 2pm, napping during the hottest part of the day, and going back out again at night. The perfect Cambodian sandwich!

Day Two in Siem Reap started with a fantastic wake-up call at Angkor Wat! Getting up at 4:30am, cruising along for a 45-minute tuk tuk ride, and waiting in anticipation for another hour while trying to find a place away from crowds for our 7am sunrise was well worth it. Here is a taste of our anticipation…

6:59am

7:07am

7:17am

7:21am

7:30am

Well then proceeded to hire a tour guide to take us through the complex. Here are some interesting facts we learned:

• Angkor Wat was built 901 years ago and took 37 years to build
• At the time, it was only used twice a month on the New Moon and the Full Moon
• It was built as a Hindu temple, with the 3 main spires representing the three main gods of Hinduism: Vishnu, Burma, and Shiva
• It was later transformed into a Buddhist temple
• Angkor Wat is the only temple to face west (as west represents ‘death’), but the king who built it knew he was reaching the end of his life and wanted it to be one of his last lifetime achievements.
• Angkor means ‘city’ and Wat is the Buddhist word for ‘temple’

We even met some monks along the way!

Feeling authentic with Buddhist monks

Angkor Wat from behind

Eastern-most end of Angkor Wat

Seems to go on forever!

The 37 steps are very steep, as this symbolizes the Buddhists’ belief of the very difficult road one must take to reach heaven.

Stunning sun rays rising above Angkor Wat

 After Angkor Wat, we continued around the smaller park circuit towards Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was the actual city a few kilometers from Angkor Wat. We saw a lot of the ruined palace grounds, living quarters and local temples.

Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom

One of the highlights of Bayon is the many carved heads into the temple’s walls

Nice view at Bayon!

 We also climbed Baphuon (the oldest structure in Angkor Thom), the Royal Palace ruins, Phimeanakas and Preah Palilay. One our our favorite temples, though, was Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm became famous when it was used at the set of TombRaider. Although, we loved it for the trees that grew in and through the structures. How cool!

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm

In touring 2 days through Angkor Archaeological Park, we quickly realized that our tuk tuk driver was a dud. He was 30 minutes late to pick us up from lunch, picked up the WRONG people the next day, and was often hidden from our view when we came out of temples, only to be found snoozing. Well, at least he was cheap….

One of the many times our tuk tuk driver was busy sleeping when we needed a ride…

After our much needed afternoon siesta, we enjoyed the sunset over the rice paddy fields by ATV.

Water Buffalos at sunset

ATV at sunset

Cambodian rice paddies at sunset

Downtown Siem Reap had its fascinations as well. We enjoyed the restaurants, street food, live music, markets, and especially the fish foot spas!

Evan was much more ticklish than me Also, please appreciate the Cambodian English sign behind me.

Fun night out on the town!

Evan is trying to decide which street food option suited his craving

I convinced Evan to wake up for another Angkor Wat sunrise, but after returning to our hotel, we couldn’t last any longer. The heat and many hours of walking had finally caught up to us. We took a 4-5 hour nap and hit the town for one last, late-night fling on Pub Street.

The following day we wished Cambodia farewell, flew to Bangkok, and hopped on an overnight train towards Chiang Mai. The chapter of our Thailand adventure had begun.

Final sunrise at Angkor Wat

2nd class overnight Thai sleeper train

The quick version:

Hanoi

Our first new experience was a business class flight from Christchurch to Singapore and then Singapore to Hanoi. We didn’t plan on flying business class, but there was a booking error with our original itinerary and we got an amazing upgrade onto Singapore Air!

We landed in Hanoi in the morning and spent the day exploring the Old Quarter of the city. If I could describe Hanoi with one word it would be “chaos.” A constant barrage of mopeds, cars, horns, hawkers, power lines, people, and food consumed all our senses. We came as close to being overwhelmed as humanly possible without completely losing it, and had a great time seeing pagodas and the temple of literature.

On our second night in Hanoi, we went on a walking foodie tour. We sampled 8 or 9 local dishes at the same number of restaurants. All the food was very good and we left feeling extremely full.

The dining style in Hanoi is worth mentioning. Many vendors are too small and cannot sit many people, so they place tiny tables and stools on the sidewalk and the road. Grown adults do their best to sit in the chairs as mopeds and cars zip around them as they eat.

We also went to the “Hanoi Hilton,” a prisoner of war camp during the Vietnam War. Before the war, the French used the building to imprison local Vietnamese. The museum explained how conditions were pretty terrible during the French occupation, but then had a pleasant room about how nicely they treated the Americans. We, of course, knew that the Americans were actually tortured. So despite the propaganda, being in the prison was still a pretty chilling experience.

Halong Bay

A few hours from Hanoi is a wonderful place called Halong Bay. When translated, it means “where the dragon descends into the sea.” Hundreds, if not thousands, of limestone cliffs rise up out of the water in a random assortment of awe inspiring shapes. We spent about 24 hours on a boat traveling through the Bay. The food was amazing and the boat was actually in pretty good shape (there are no guarantees of this in Vietnam).

We went on a tour of Sung Sot Cave, or “Amazing Cave”, and it was, in fact, amazing. The cavern was massive, probably the biggest room I’ve ever been in under ground. The only downside is that Amazing Cave was the most crowded place we went on our entire 5 week trip.

We also hiked up to the summit of Ti Top Island and enjoyed panoramic views of the entire bay. It never rained, but in winter there is this interesting haze over everything. Although it meant we couldn’t see as far, it did add a nice layer of mystery to the bay where dragons descend into the sea.

Hue

We hopped on a short plane ride and flew to the city of Hue (Huh-way), right in the middle of Vietnam. Hue was the old capital/imperial city and we spent the day looking at the tombs of past ancient kings. The imperial palace was a bit of a disappointment as it was destroyed by bombs in the Vietnam War. Although they are rebuilding it, progress is very slow and isn’t scheduled to be finished until 2035 (supposing there are no delays).

The tombs, however, were surprisingly interesting. Each one was very unique and featured impressive sculptures, buildings, and nature. The first king could challenge Solomon with his 500 wives and 700 concubines. Few cultural buildings survived the war in Vietnam, but the three tombs we saw escaped bombing and are probably the most impressive example of history still standing.

One other thing worth mentioning is the weather in Hue. Our day of touring was one of the only days we had any rain on our entire trip! Pretty incredible over 5 weeks, and the rain in Hue was really only a drizzle.

We weren’t planning on it, but our tour included a kung fu demonstration. The tour guide described every single act as “very special, very powerful.” Naturally, this became our catch phrase for the rest of the trip.

Motorcycles

Our next destination after Hue was Hoi An. We chose to ride there on motorcycles, and it was amazing! We have absolutely no business driving motorcycles at home, much less on the wild roads of Vietnam, so we opted to ride with a guy named Thang from Hue Brothers Motorcycle tours.

We road along backcountry roads and rice fields, the coast, the largest lagoon in Se Asia, by Bach Ma National Park, and over the mountains through Hai Van Pass. It was a scenic day filled with great sites and the occasional terrifying “thread the needle” truck pass on the road. We stopped for tea and snacks overlooking the ocean and enjoyed so many stunning views.

Hoi An

Our motorcycle tour ended in the small town of Hoi An. This was Morgan’s favorite place in all of Vietnam, and you can see why in the pictures below. A river runs straight through town and each night lanterns shine all around the water. Different shades of purple and orange, red and yellow light up the restaurants and hawkers sell candles that float down the river.

During the day we visited My Son Sanctuary, an ancient collection of Hindu temples. They were made of brick and covered with bits of moss and grass. Despite some carpet bombing in the war, several structures still stand and are worth seeing.

We also went on a nature tour that allowed us to ride a water buffalo. Since riding camels in Australia, Morgan has developed a fetish for riding strange and exotic animals. I can’t say that I was ever comfortable on this 1 ton beast (named Xe), but that may be because his tail kept slapping me in the back.

The nature tour also included a ride in these crazy round bamboo boats.Vietnamese people can fit about 8-10 people in ONE boat! I have my canoeing merit badge and thought it would be easy, but paddling them is a serious challenge. If you don’t paddle properly, you will quickly find yourself spinning in endless circles.

We spent another day on bicycles touring the old city, inspecting some temples, wandering through the market, and experiencing a Vietnamese massage. Hoi An is famous for tailor made clothing shops, so Morgan stopped by and had a couple dresses made.

Compared to the insane hustle and bustle of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, Hoi An was a welcome break and we were sad to leave when we had to catch our flight South.

Ho Chi Minh

It’s not the capital, but Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon) is the largest city in Vietnam. Like Hanoi, there were countless mopeds and cars beeping from every direction. Crossing the street is an interesting test in nerve. There probably won’t be a break in traffic, so you simply need to step out into the street and walk at a constant speed. As you go, try not to look too terrified and the mopeds and cars will weave around you.

The highlight of Ho Chi Minh for me was the Cu Chi tunnels. This 250km (155-mile) network of tunnels housed thousands of Viet Cong on the front door step of the American base. The tunnels were less than 3 feet tall and were dug at three different depth levels. Because they are so far south, the area is always hot (over 90 degrees in the “winter”) and the tunnels were even hotter. We were able to crawl through the tunnels (Morgan made it 100 meters!) and learned about some of the guerrilla warfare tactics they used (which were both brilliant and chilling at the same time).

We also visited the War remnants museum and the reunification palace. Both were interesting, but again, carried tremendous bias against the “Americans who came in like crazy devils” during the war.

Despite the propaganda in museums, we found the people of Vietnam extremely kind. Most were delighted that we were American and had come to visit.

Our last day in Ho Chi Minh was Christmas Eve. We spent the day visiting the Mekong Delta. The Mekong is one of the largest rivers in the world. It starts in Tibet and flows through Asia, ending in Vietnam and the South China Sea. On our trip, we sampled local fruit, learned how to make coconut candy (and eat it too!), wore conical hats, and road in a traditional sampon rowboat. The river area was very pretty and our lunch was awesome.

Once night time rolled around, we decided to walk over to Notre Dame cathedral. Turns out, there is a replica of the French building in town. On our way, there was a Christmas miracle: Morgan found an Auntie Anne’s Pretzels! It is one of her favorite places to eat in the world, and we do not have one in New Zealand.

But the miracles were not finished, because right next to the Notre Dame replica I discovered a Popeye’s! It shined like a beacon in the night and a choir of angels began to sing as I walked into my favorite fast food restaurant (which, of course, does not exist in New Zealand either). I tried to convince Morgan that we should make it a Christmas Eve tradition, but I’m not sure she’s convinced yet.

On Christmas day we woke up and Skyped with our families. We definitely missed them and all our friends during this time, but are still glad we went on this journey. Around noon we hopped on a bus and started making our way to our next country: Cambodia.