Erin's Travel Blog

Day 68 I just had a great conversation with Josie . We sat together at lunch and talked about Vietnam . This country has really had an effect on me. Josie and I wondered about the Vietnam war and the things that happened—things that I had never he ard about. We never learned about the Vietnam War in school. Josie mused that it must be because our teachers and parents lived through the war. It was so recent in their minds, that they just took it for granted that we knew about it. So we were never taught. As a result, my generation doesn't know anything unless they sought it out themselves.  I hate to say that I've always been sensitive to the atrocities and unfairness in the world. That sounds narcissistic. I was aware of them, though, and didn't like them. However, I was never aware of all of it. I guess that would be impossible. This trip has opened my eyes in ways I never expected it to. I don't understand why I get so much, why my life is so easy, when ...

Day 68 I'm struggling to keep up with my feelings. This trip has really opened me up. I feel more like myself than I have in years. Actually, I feel like more than myself. My friends on the ship and my experiences in each country have inspired me to really live life more fully.  That may have seemed impossible to me three months ago, but now I've surpassed my previous connectedness to life. I sing more; I dance more; I laugh more. (Not in public places, though; I'm still just as proper and embarrassed.)  At the same time, I'm so torn between my elevated happiness and the heinous unfairness of the world. Or maybe realizing my privilege has made me not take it for granted. I expect that I will seem significantly different to everyone when I get home. I'll probably be annoyingly optimistic and remind everyone of how lucky we all are. But it's true, and we should be reminded of it frequently. Okay, so what brought this all up (well, it's been ...

Day 66 Our last day in Nha Trang. I will miss this jewel of a place. We got up early this morning to visit the Buddhist Pagoda with the largest seated Buddha in Asia (I think?). When the bus pulled up there was a lot of activity. Motorcycles and scooters were zooming around, dropping off or picking up children and worshipers.  There were so many children there. It was either a visiting day (very unlikely) or there is a school connected to the pagoda (probable). So, as the kids were screaming, singing, running around, playing games, selling things and likely pick-pocketing, we talked about the architectural influences of the building. Basically anything along the typhoon trade route has some influence here. No duh. We made our way up the steps to the entrance of the pagoda. There was a worship session going on inside with all female monks. They  were chanting, knealing down, bowing. I took pictures of the shrine at the back of the temple and some chart that showed ...

Day 65 After a breakfast of eggs and Vietnamese coffee the group piled onto the bus and set out for the ferry to the Thúy Cung aquarium. I believe we sat in boats very much like the ones described in Andrew X. Pham's Catfish and Mandala . We sailed underneath the gondola that goes across the bay. As we turned around a corner, what looked like an old, stranded, ship came into view. There were also shark, tropical fish and shrimp statues chilling on the shore. After docking we realized that the sunken ship was the aquarium. This trip seems to have some Ship theme. The building itself was more elaborate than the exhibits. They had basically built home aquariums into the walls. There usually weren't many plants or anything in the tanks with the fish. It was pretty dreary. But the building was cool. In the gift shop Tess almost bought something we had been warned about: tortoise shell jewelry. The Vietnamese kill the turtles just to make jewelry from their shells to sell to t...

Day 64 I had a flight early this morning for my trip to Nha Trang peninsula. The drive from the airport from the hotel was the most beautiful I've ever seen. Even prettier than Pacific Coast Highway to Pepperdine. You could see all the fishing boats out in the water. The sun was rising over islands in the background. Picture perfect. I couldn't ruin it by taking a picture. Plus I was on the wrong side of the bus. At the hotel they greeted us with coconut milk drinks. They were much tastier than my first and only other coconut. From there we went to go see Husband Rock. It is the biggest rock on the peninsula, I guess. The story behind it is that a fisherman got caught out in a storm with big waves. His wife went out to save him, and they both got washed up on shore. Kinda sad, but romantic. The usual stuff. From there we visited a Hindu temple to Shiva and the Devi goddess. It was from the time when Hinduism had just developed out of woodland folklore. It was also very influen...

Day 63 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Good Morning Vietnam! We're here! This morning I am going on a trip to visit a school for deaf children and a disabled children's orphanage. Getting off the boat was an ordeal because there are lots of parents visiting here, and we were trying to get off as they were boarding. There was a welcoming crew on the dock as we walked down the gangway. Several Vietnamese women dressed in traditional clothing were standing holding a sign that said, “Semester at Sea Welcome to Vietnam!” I like when they do things like that. I climbed on the bus and we were on our way. The traffic was pretty bad because it was Monday morning rush hour. Everyone was on their motorcycle. The diplomats said that there are 810 million people in Vietnam and there are 800 million motorcycles. Crossing the street to the school was also a challenge. You have to cross slowly and deliberately. The cars and motorcycles don't stop for you, they flow around you, “like a stream th...

I've decided that this is the easiest way to keep everyone up-to-date with the adventures I'm having. I am going to be studying abroad all of this coming academic year (if all goes according to plan). Starting Aug 29 I am going to be on a Semester at Sea , which is a program through the University of Virginia. Then I will be going to Madrid for a public relations internship program through Boston University. But I still have to apply for that. So far, my schedule for this fall is below. Mom, dad and I are flying to the Bahamas on Wed, but it hasn't really sunk in that this is all happening. I have everything I need, minus an outlet adapter, and my clothes are spread out all over my room. I really just can't believe it though. Wait until we're actually on Paradise Island, then I'll believe it. FALL 2008 SEMESTER AT SEA ITINERARY 29 August to 14 December 2008 NASSAU, BAHAMAS DEPART FRIDAY 29 AUGUST 1700 SALVADOR, BRAZIL ARRIVE SUNDAY 07 SE...