They get jobs, find a home, get their pets back and add another one, buy cars, and start living life again. Yes, you can leave it all behind and come home and get back to normal if that’s what you’re after. It can happen and it does happen and we’re (along with lots of other people) living proof. Since we’ve been reflecting on our adventure as our 1 year anniversary has come and gone, we thought we would share “a one year later” update for anyone thinking about a great adventure of their own and curious about what happens when it’s all over.

welcome home

We landed in the United States after 10 months of travel 1 year and 2 weeks ago. Before we left we heard a lot of “you’ll be unemployable after taking a year off”, “it’s a bad economy, jobs will be hard to find when you come back”, “you could use this money to buy a house”, “it’s going to take you a long time to get back to where you are now”, etc. But we didn’t allow the negativity or uncertainty to sway us. I can’t say returning home was without it’s challenges, because it wasn’t, but leaving for a year is not nearly as terrifying or life-destoying as it is frequently made out to be. Whether spontaneous, or well-planned, you can take the chance and still come “home” and re-start the life you had (if that’s what you want…you might find you don’t want to come home!). And we are by no means alone; we met people all along the way in every country and hostel we stayed in at all ages and stages of life doing the same thing- and sometimes not for the first time!

Nick and I started planning our trip a year before we left and began seriously planning about 6 months before we took off. We knew how much money we felt comfortable saving, we timed it for when our lease would expire on our house, and made the necessary arrangements to have our pets cared for. We also semi-planned for our return home- we knew we’d need to have a little money left to not only get back home but to live off of for a few months, and we arranged to live at Nick’s parents’ house until we were employed. But that’s as far as the planning went and if you are able to plan further ahead than that, then you are fortunate and should feel even more comfortable about leaving. We didn’t know where’d we work, what we’d drive, where we’d live- we didn’t even know for sure if we’d come back to South Florida- but we had to believe we’d figure it out and in the end we’d be ok.

During the last month or so of our trip, Nick began communicating with his previous employer and he also opened the lines of communication with potential future employers. As a pilot in private aviation, finding a job was a different experience for him than for me. Private aviation is a fairly informal and small world and jobs are often found by word of mouth, by rekindling relationships, or making informal connections. With this in mind, he was able to get a bit of a jump start before we returned home, whereas I followed a more traditional path of job hunting. I decided not to start looking while we were away for a couple of reasons- mainly that I wouldn’t be available for interviews even by phone, I wanted to polish my resume, I needed to network, and I needed to touch base with references. And to be honest, I wouldn’t have been mentally or emotionally ready for a job as soon as we returned home and knew even at that time that I would need to adjust.

Ten months might not seem all that long, but when those 10 months were spent backpacking through mainly developing countries- returning to the United States was a sometimes difficult transition. It’s hard to put it into words the feeling of coming back to a place that’s so familiar yet feels so unfamiliar at the same time. It’s not like we forgot how to behave like Americans or use a smartphone or drive a car, but it’s amazing how you adjust to your environment, even in the short term. It was odd to hear English without an accent all around us at JFK airport. When you’ve been an outsider for so long, all the sudden being an insider doesn’t make sense. We were still outsiders though because we had to use a payphone to call our hotel from the airport. Luckily JFK airport still has them!

a little tired but happy to be back in the USA

After we landed in JFK we spent the next couple of months adjusting and re-acclimating to our unfamliar familiar environment. We were fortunate to have a place to live until we found jobs and could afford to rent our own home, and my family lent us a vehicle. Our initial few months at home was definitely a major adjustment from always being on the go, meeting new people, traveling to new destinations, the learning experiences and everyday challenges, eating new foods- all of the constant mental and physical stimulation you experience as a traveler- to spending most of our days at home, job hunting on a laptop and trying to spend as little as possible until we were earning paychecks again.

After a few months re-adjusting to life in the US, polishing our resumes, networking with former colleagues, job hunting and going on interviews, we were both employed by the end of August. And not only did Nick and I find employment, we found jobs in fields we wanted and jobs we were proud to secure. I think for both of us, the time away allowed us breathing room to think about our careers and what we wanted for the future. It can be very difficult to do this while you are working and absorbed in your current responsibilities. Obviously this is a luxury not everyone can take advantage of, but if you are thinking about making a change- whether it’s a completely new career path or simply changing fields or employers- taking some time away can be just what the doctor ordered.

And our career break did not appear to have negatively impacted our employability to any noticeable degree. Some interviewers barely mentioned my time away while others praised the trip. I do think it helps in a cover letter or in the interview to assure the employer to the best of your ability that this trip was once in a lifetime and you aren’t planning to take off this amount of time off again.

Two weeks after we started work, we bought cars and a month later we rented a house.

yay for new car day!

moving day

what our new place lacked in furniture it made up for in charm

Thankfully were able to bring our dog Indy home as soon as we returned to the US and after only a couple of hours of being with her, it was like we had never parted. This was such a huge relief for me and was one of things I worried most about while we traveled- that our dog that we loved so very much would not remember us or worse, would be afraid of us. However, we had to wait until we had our own place to bring the cats home because Nick’s dad is allergic.

So exactly a week after moving in, I flew up to South Carolina where the cats were to bring them home.  I was so terrified they had forgotten me, but as soon as I walked up to their suite they rubbed against the door and meowed at me and I knew it was going to be ok. Ten hours later we arrived home in Florida.

Sundance checking out the rear view

It was like those 13 months apart were 13 days. I cannot express enough how much leaving our pets behind was source of anxiety for me the entire time we were traveling, so I hope this is of some comfort to anyone hoping to travel for an extended period of time but worry about their pets forgetting them. Don’t be afraid -pets are resilient and their long term memory is pretty amazing. A couple months after moving in we added another member to the family by adopting Sasha.

Sasha

Indy & her new sister Sasha

A year and 2 weeks later, life is pretty much the same on the outside as it was when we left. We may have different jobs, live in a new house in a new city, have 4 pets instead of 3, have two new cars and two new phones, more open minds and a whole lot more life experience, but otherwise life has returned to “normal”. For now, we’re looking forward to the next adventure…who knows what the future holds? If you’re thinking about taking the plunge, don’t let fear and uncertainty hold you back! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If you still crave more round the world adventures and advice, follow our friend Mayra as she starts her exciting RTW adventure here.

People often say it’s “back to reality” for us, but it truly feels like our trip was reality, and this is not. This feels devoid of reality, for many reasons. We spent 10 months traveling in mostly Third World countries, so the US feels very sterile, homogeneous, and lackluster compared to the hustle bustle and colorful worlds we were immersed in. We felt more like participants than observers, whereas now we feel very passive and disconnected. I certainly don’t miss the garbage, filth, pollution, and chaos but it definitely made us feel more alive while we were in it. Life was tangible, it had a heartbeat. The feelings are a little bit tricky to describe because they are very conflicting.

While we were traveling, everyday was an adventure, even if we didn’t go to a historical site or do a trek or visit an ancient ruin, even if we were simply walking around the town and shopping in the market, it was an adventure. Every day was unpredictable and always a learning experience. We were constantly meeting new people, learning, exploring, planning, and enjoying. Some days it was really hard and very stressful, and other days were total bliss and I would look over at Nick and say “Can you believe we’re sitting here right now? It is so beautiful. I will never forget it. I just can’t believe we’re here.” It’s not easy to go from eating lunch on the banks of the Luangwa river in Zambia, listening to the hippos laugh, to sitting on a couch applying for jobs all day. It’s a big change and sometimes it bubbles up inside of me and I get emotional, but mostly we take it day by day, trying to focus on the present and our goals for the future. I still can’t watch a travel show or movie about a place we’ve been without feeling sad, but I’m sure with time those nostalgic feelings will start to fade. Even now, with it still being so fresh, I sometimes feel like the trip was ages ago. It’s interesting how quickly you adjust, but the same goes for our adjustment to backpacking- it happens really quickly when you have no other choice. It’s a survival mechanism I guess.

Part of the struggle right now is not having jobs, our own home, all of our pets, our stuff, etc. It is a big contributing factor to the “limbo” state we’re experiencing at the moment. I think when we are gainfully employed and move into our own place and start living life like normal people again we’ll feel like we never left. I have had a few interviews so far, and it has really helped me to be positive about coming back. I enjoyed the feeling of purpose and being a productive citizen again.

This post also comes at an apropos time, as we celebrated America’s Independence this week. The day got me thinking about our country and certainly made me feel appreciative. For 10 months we didn’t fit in anywhere, we were always the foreigner, the stranger, the outsider, so it was a really energizing to feel like we belonged again.

Celebrating the 4th Florida style

this land was made for you and me

Delray Beach fireworks 

Though our country is far from perfect it’s a pretty great place to be, which we were reminded of everyday while we were gone. It’s good to be home again, though the memories and experiences from our journey will always be with us, every day. I’m already looking forward to our next adventure. There’s an incredible world out there just waiting to be explored and to change your life!

For a glimpse of the Mediterranean, check out our photos on flickr!

I’d always thought returning home would be just like any other day for me, and this seemed true…at first. I remembered where most everything was in town, the street names are the same, and the same type of cars race along the roads. The weather is just as great as I remembered, and the beaches are still beautiful. We run errands around town, and have had some wonderful evenings out with family and friends, however the farther we sink into our old lives the more foreign we feel sometimes.

South Florida is a very nice place to live. Palm trees line the streets, buildings are always new-looking, and the latest and greatest in fashion, art, and anything money can buy is displayed in most store windows, and the dining is superb. Sometimes this can all feel very superficial compared to our simple lives that were intimately submerged in the cultures of the world. It can seem fake some days. It wasn’t too long ago that we were sharing buses with locals in Africa, walking through local markets in India, and helping residents in Southeast Asia practice their English through random conversations. It seems it will take a little longer to adjust to being home. However, there is always the possibility we’ll start a new home somewhere else in the future.

There is a wonderful exciting feeling to starting over in life and traveling has a way of bringing about clarity. Before leaving on our journey we were just working and climbing the ladder in our respective industry, not truly understanding where we were climbing or why. Being away from it all has brought new light to what we want to do, what we want to accomplish, and how to do it. Now everything and anything seems possible.

It is also the first time we truly understand that we have no idea where life will lead us, and no clue what is in store for us. It is a really amazing feeling that has a twist of terror. Lets face it, if you know what something is going to be like, what is the point of going through with it?! The unknown is what is full of excitement and memories. It is what makes you who you are and it is foolish to expect anything for certain.

This will most likely be my last post. I’ve said all that I wanted to say, and shared all that I wanted to share. It has been an epic trip, life changing even. We’re better off after this trip in every possible way. Many people we speak to express their desire to embark on a trip like ours because they want to take a break from life. Well, we say why not go? We did! And you’ll quickly see that it isn’t taking a break from life, it is living a more fullfiling life than you could have ever dreamed!

As said in the movie I Love You Man, “I’ll see you then, or I’ll see you at another time.”

…If anyone is considering taking a journey like ours, feel free to write me and I will answer any questions you have!

The single greatest part of our cruise was being with Rachel’s parents. Even though we had each other during our journey, there still was a feeling of loneliness from being apart from family and friends. We had our blog and email to share our experiences with everyone, but nothing can take the place of conversation in person, face to face, especially over dinner and wine. I was so excited to be around familiar faces that it feels like I personally didn’t stop talking for the entire trip.

Like I said, our time in Europe started in Barcelona. We were extremely lucky to fly business class on Royal Jordanian Airlines by using the last of my reward miles. This made the 12 hour and 1 layover trip…how can I put it…AWESOME! The service was of the highest caliber, we had many movies to watch on demand and all the food and drink we could ask for. I wanted to savor every moment of it and didn’t sleep a minute.

On landing in Spain, the first thing we noticed was the total lack of security at the airport and with Customs & Immigration. It sounds strange, but our experiences have shown us that third world countries seem to have the highest level of security, almost to the point of obnoxiousness, and first world countries only show the illusion of security. When Rachel and I went through Customs & Immigration in Barcelona, our passports were never scanned or even entered into a computer- we simply received a stamp and were on our way. No official even gave us a glance. In India, you can’t even enter the airport terminal without a passport and your ticket in hand, are searched not only through the normal checkpoints, but also at the gate and the entrance to the plane, and every little detail is scrutinized by armed military personnel. Note: if you are fugitive or don’t want to be found, go to Europe!

The second thing we noticed was the cleanliness. The sky was blue with no pollution in the air, the cars were new and clean, the streets had sidewalks and were swept clean, and there were no hawkers begging us for business. It was the complete opposite from what we were used to! We looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief…ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Barcelona

Most hostels we’d been staying in in Asia were inexpensive private rooms with a large assortment of amenities. Not so in Barcelona. Even though we wanted only to stay near the port, most hostels did not have private rooms and the cheapest hotel we could find was for about $65, and did not have internet or any other amenities you would expect at that price. It is mind-boggling that in an advanced society such as Spain provide so little for so much.

We awoke in the morning to meet Rachel’s parents who were flying in from Miami. What a reunion it was! We were excited and they were full of smiles. It never felt so good to see familar faces. After a round of hugs, we went to the port, checked into the cruise, and boarded the modern Goliath of luxury, the Celebrity Solstice. This was to be our “home” for 12 straight days; the longest stretch we have had of staying in one place at a time in a while.

The cruise was the perfect re-introduction to the Western world. We ate fine food, drank incredible wine, spent time in the gym and spa, and spent time ashore at the various ports. The cruise stopped at Naples, Venice, Dubrovnik (Croatia), Rome, Florence, Corsica, Toulon (France), and Barcelona. At each port we did a historical walking tour of the city with a guide, sampled local cuisine, and did some shopping. Almost every tour guide was great in their own way and made us laugh. In particular, our guide in Napoli made me crack up by talking about the invention of pizza in Napoli. In his strong italian accent he said, “I now KNOW it is POSSIBLE…to eat the pizza ALL OVER THE WORLD.” The best tour guides we’ve had were definitely in Europe with the cruise line. You get what you pay for, as the saying goes!

the ruins of Pompeii, Italy

fresh mozzarella cheese in Sorrento, Italy

gondola ride, Venice

Rachel & her dad, Ajaccio, Corsica

Our favorite port was Dubrovnik, Croatia, because it was our first time in Eastern Europe and though very similar to the rest of the Mediterranean, the architecture and the people definitely felt different. As fun and luxurious as cruises are, the major downside is how little time you have in the ports. For some people this is preferred method of travel, but it felt like a tease in many ways and left us hungry for more of Croatia. We will definitely be back (and to the rest of Eastern Europe)! It was also nice to be in Rome again- Rome is a magnificent city and worth visiting over and over.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik old town

Roman Colosseum

Speaking of having little time, I want to add that if you are thinking of doing a European cruise, I would only recommend this if you have already been to Europe at least once. It is really difficult to get a sense of Europe traveling by cruise. Europe is all about exploring the cities and villages, and they really need to be explored for days at a time not in a few hours. There is so much history in Europe it’s mind-blowing and I think it would be really hard to appreciate it and process it all if this was the only way you got to experience it. It’s also difficult to see the cultural differences in such a short time- in a few hours they might all seem very similar, but the reality is that the cultures are all very unique.

dinner in Venice

Ajaccio, Corsica

spices in Ajaccio market

After the cruise returned to Barcelona, we spent a few days exploring the city and experiencing what Europe is all about: eating, drinking, and…eating and drinking. Oh, and a little history and architecture too. For architecture and design fans, Barcelona is the place to be. There are some incredible architectural sites in Barcelona, like those of Antony Gaudi- which you will not see anywhere else in the world.

Barcelona bike tour

Gaudi’s Parc Guell, Barcelona

Gaudi “bones” house, Barcelona

Sadly, the dream had to end and we boarded our flight on AirBerlin to JFK via Dusseldorf. It was a really long travel day (with a 6 hour layover in Dusseldorf) but we were happy to be returning home. Our last flight (from Delhi to Barcelona) on Royal Jordanian was really great, but AirBerlin was disappointing. No tv’s, crappy food, and less than friendly flight attendants- but it was the cheapest so we had no choice.

We did not experience much culture shock when we arrived in New York, probably because we had been in Europe for more than 2 weeks and had been on a cruise. It was comforting to be able to communicate with everyone and to be in familiar territory again. We had to stay overnight in New York because our flight got in so late, and the Howard Johnson by JFK was probably the worst hotel we’ve stayed in in all of our travels. Not the welcome home we were hoping for, but your options are both expensive and limited near the airport so we sucked it up and made it through one more night on the road.

The next day we flew to Charlotte, NC to visit with my mom in Lake Toxaway and pick up our dog Indy before driving down to Florida. She was overwhelmed when we arrived and began trembling, but eventually she warmed up and now things are back to normal. We were so happy she remembered us, as this was a big fear of Rachel’s. Unfortunately we couldn’t pick the cats up yet, since we’re staying at my parent’s house for now and my dad is severely allergic. When we start working and can move into our own place, we’ll be able to bring them home.

Indy

It has been so wonderful getting to see our old friends and family again and to take advantage of all the things we missed (free refills!). The downside is we are unemployed, sharing one car, and don’t have a home of our own but the price we paid was worth it. We wouldn’t trade this temporary obstacle for the world (pun intended). We are the same people but we have also been profoundly changed by our experience. It isn’t possible to visit 22 countries and not be changed by what you see and the people you meet. I think Rachel and I are both adjusting in different ways, which we each will write about soon.

View photos from our colorful journey through India on flickr. We suggest you view the photos from the India set in the Asia collection, so you can view them in chronological order. Have fun!

Our first experience in Delhi was pretty good. We were there for less than a day, in transit between Goa and Dharamsala. On our way back from Dharamsala, we had to spend another night and full day in Delhi. We had had a pretty awful overnight bus ride from Dharamsala and arrived at 5:30am exhausted and ready to get to the hotel. We hopped into a cab at the bus stop, agreed to a price of 600 rupees (approx $12 & probably about 4 times too much), while very tired and not in the mood to haggle. Well when we arrived at our hotel, the driver demanded 600 rupees per person! That’s about eight times the normal fare. Unfortunately the combination of tiredness and not having exact change meant Nick agreed to pay the driver 800 rupees, a fantastic ripoff. But wait! There’s more…

We decided to stay in a different hotel this time, in order to see a different part of Delhi. Our previous hotel was very pleasant and we should have just returned. When you find a hotel you like you should probably stick to it, especially in a country where good hotels can be hard to find. We had emailed our hotel to let them know we’d be arriving early and to check whether a room would be ready. They said they couldn’t guarantee it, but were “happy to provide early check in if a room is available”. We arrived at 6:30, were shown a room and promptly passed out until we woke up to a knock at the door at 1pm, informing us that we would have to pay for a day and a half since we checked in early.

An argument ensued, seeing that they had two separate opportunities to inform us of this extra charge but instead never said a word. When Nick explained that we’d emailed ahead of time and were not told about the charge, the man claimed no knowledge of the email. When Nick asked why the receptionist didn’t tell us we’d be charged extra, he had no response. This is the kind of behavior people warn you about but we’d been lucky enough not to encounter so far. We felt like the hotel intentionally deceived us to make some extra cash. Needless to say, these two events were not a good start to our return to this part of India.

Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi

At 5:30 am the next morning, off we went on the train to Jaipur, stewing over our most recent experience in Delhi. Luckily, we had a/c chair class, which meant a comfy individual chair in an air-conditioned coach. We were even served a light breakfast and bottle of water. Overall it was a very pleasant 4.5 hour trip, especially compared to the horrific bus ride between Delhi and Dharamsala. However, once we exited the Jaipur station, the peace abruptly ended and was replaced with chaos. In Jaipur, as soon as you step out of the train station, hotel, restaurant, a monument, train station, shop, whatever, you are immediately confronted with touts trying to sell you post cards, kama sutra books, bracelets, taxis, tours, etc, etc, etc. It was an in-your-face welcome to say the least.

Jaipur’s Pink City

Thankfully, our hotel in Jaipur was wonderful and complete with an excellent roof top restaurant. It was like an oasis in the middle of insanity. Jaipur is crowded, polluted, dirty, noisy, overwhelming, and hot as the dickens. The guidebook was not exaggerating when it said that in May temperatures sky rocket and practically the entire country becomes an oven. Surprisingly, these are not the reasons we chose to come to Jaipur in the Rajasthan province. We chose to make a stop in eastern Rajasthan because it is the former kingdom of the Maharajas and Maharanis. When you imagine the India of the past, with Maharajas draped in ornate gold and silk robes with jeweled turbans atop Arabian horses in dazzling armor, this is that India. Jaipur plays host to magnificent palaces, forts, cities, and tombs of a by-gone era. Despite the crushing heat, we mustered the strength to visit a few palaces and walk around the Pink City- the old walled city of Jaipur.

streets of Jaipur

anyone need a camel taxi?

listening to an audio guide in Jaipur’s City Palace

By this point in the trip, I have to admit our enthusiasm was starting to wane. India was beginning to wear us down, and by the end of everyday we were exhausted by it. We were also getting closer to meeting my parents in Barcelona for a Mediterranean cruise, which was certainly having an impact on our tolerance. It was starting to become all we could think about and was making it harder to put up with small, hot hotel rooms, noise & air pollution, and aggressive touts.

City Palace “guard”

By the time we arrived in Agra, our enthusiasm was at about a 1 on a scale of 10, with the chance to see the Taj Mahal the only thing holding our interest. Our train ride from Jaipur to Agra was an experience, though nearly as bad as I was anticipating. We had 2nd class seats since the a/c chair cars were full at the time we booked, and I have to admit I was dreading it. I had seen the 2nd class cars go by in the rail stations, and they did not look appealing. They were usually bursting at the seams, with people literally hanging out the doorways and I could just imagine sitting on a bench seat with 10 people sweating to death for 5 hours (actually 6.5 since the train ran late). We had experienced worse in our travels for sure, but it had been a long time since we’d been crammed in a hot minibus braving the potholed roads of Africa, and we were getting used to better travel conditions. But it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting and we managed to get seats that we didn’t have to fight for. It reminded us that taking the “local way” is an important part of the independent travel experience.

Amber Fort, Jaipur

I am happy to report that the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, held up to the hype and we were glad we’d stuck it out and made the trip. Before we’d visited the Taj, I thought it was a palace, but it’s actually a Muslim mausoleum. Shah Jahan was a Mughal emperor who built the tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died while giving birth to their 14th child. He was so broken hearted over her death, he built her the “Jewel of India”, and a jewel it is. Made entirely of white marble and inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones, it is truly magnificent. It took 20,000 craftsmen nearly 20 years to build and is definitely the most well preserved monument that we saw in India.

Taj Mahal, Agra

Nick’s happy to see the Taj

From Agra we once again rode 2nd class for the 3 hour ride back to Delhi. We learned our lesson the last time we were in Delhi, and returned to our original hotel where we were treated respectfully and not cheated out of our money. Our enthusiasm was now officially at zero and all we managed to do on our last day in India was eat lunch at Pizza Hut and watch The Avengers in 3D. Our 10 month adventure was a rope that was rapidly fraying and we were holding on by a thread, counting the days and minutes till we got to meet my parents in Barcelona. When we landed in Barcelona it was as if we had entered another world. A quiet world, devoid of crowds, smells, garbage, street vendors, and stray dogs. It felt like a fake city- as if everyone and everything was hiding. It was both refreshing and extremely odd at the same time; the sense of adventure had completely dissipated.

Now we are on the ship, relishing the time with my parents and the ridiculously easy life of a cruise ship traveler. No more figuring out how we’re going to get from a-to-b, where we’re going to stay, what we’re going to eat (and if it’s safe to eat), or who to trust. The cruise will take us from Barcelona to Naples, Venice, Dubrovnik (Croatia), Rome, Florence, Ajaccio (Corsica), and Provence (France). Originally we had planned to backpack through Eastern Europe, having been to parts of Western Europe already, but my parents wanted to meet up in Europe and decided on a cruise. After the cruise we will probably fly home, officially making India our last destination of independent travel!

shop in Jaipur

We will do a cruise post as well as when we get home, to talk about what it’s like to return to the U.S. after 10 months backpacking around the world.

In the meantime, here are our stats from Asia:

Countries: 6

Cities: 22

Hotels: 26

Taxis: 64

Buses: 27

Ferries: 6

Flights: 5

Trains: 25

Favorite countries: Laos; Cambodia

Favorite cities: Luang Prabang, Laos; Dharamsala, India; Hanoi, Vietnam

Favorite towns/beaches: Koh Samui, Thailand; Hoi An, Vietnam

Favorite beers: Kingfisher (India); Tiger (Singapore)

Favorite foods: Indian dahl (lentil) fry & garlic naan; Thai green curry chicken

Favorite drinks: sweet lime soda (India); banana shake (all over Asia)

Favorite tours: Killing Fields, Cambodia; Tibetan Museum, India; Taj Mahal, India; Sapa trekking, Vietnam

In my opinion, the world has many walls. These walls are built by negative aspects such as bad smells, poverty, pollution, congested traffic, scam artists, unfamiliarity, extreme temperatures, and so forth. These are the things which keep people from visiting specific places; you have to see through all these details to the other side of the wall in order to see the true beauty and wonder of a place. Nowhere does this hold more truth than India and cannot be overstated.

Rachel and I have mentioned before the extremes of India: the smell of urine on the streets and national monuments such as royal palaces and temples, the trash that floods the streets, the mass amount of poverty-stricken people, the continuous honking amongst the congested traffic, enough polluted air to make your eyes burn. Many travelers get overloaded by all  these aspects and leave India despising it and never wishing to return; yet we have had an enjoyable experience so far. There is a rich culture full of exotic wonders beneath all the turmoil. We have experienced great kindness from many people, most of the food has been shockingly great, and many of the sites – markets, palaces, temples, forts – have been beautiful. I’m not going to deny that the extremes I mentioned do not bother us- at times they very much do. But we have made a successful attempt to see through it all, and enjoy our visit. In doing so we have found some amazing places like the one I am about to describe.

Local Man Playing Drums For A Donation

Rachel and I decided to take a 12 hour overnight bus from the hot and crowded capital of New Delhi to the relaxed and enjoyable mountain town of Dharamsala: an area located in the mountainous northern region of India. Dharamsala literally means an “inn attached to a temple”. It is composed of several small villages rooted along the Dhauladhar Range of the Himalaya mountains. The upper area of Dharamsala, known more commonly as McLeod Ganj, is home to the Dalai Lama in exile from Tibet and to many Tibetan refugees. The few streets that make up this small town are lined with small “free Tibet” cafes, stalls which sell Tibetan made merchandise, and cozy guesthouses. Trekking, yoga classes, cooking classes, lectures on Buddhism and Tibetan history, meditation classes, and photography lessons are some of the many activities that are advertised via flyers in the town. There is also the Dalai Lama Complex, Tibetan Museum, and the Tsuglagkhang Temple which has no shortage of information on the Tiberian struggle against the Chinese for independence.

The Streets of McLeod Ganj

We stayed at a really great place, the Hotel Annex ,which was our base for some chill-axin’. But like I said, there is much to do in town. We spent a few days perusing the town while soaking up the cool air (about 50-60 degrees F) and checked out a few shops. You can find authentic locally handmade oriental rugs for inexpensive prices – we picked one out for family and got one for ourselves. There is also no shortage of handmade scarves, cashmere clothing, Free Tibet merchandise, and Buddhist souvenirs – all for great prices. To our family and friends who would like a real oriental rug for a great price, I kept the information of the shop for you.

Rachel with McLeod Ganj in the Background

Touring the Tsuglagkhang Temple in the Dalai Lama Complex (the most sacred Tibetan temple where the Dalai Lama gives lectures) and the Tibetan Museum was one of my favorite sites. The museum did an incredible job at explaining the atrocities committed by the Chinese while occupying Tibet in the past and present. The Chinese have taken control of Tibet since 1950 claiming that Tibet was once part of China, and using this claim to justify their military occupation. This claim is false: at no time in history has Tibet ever been part of China. Tibet has actually had 1300 years of independence from China. Since 1950, the Chinese have violated laws against humanity by unlawful imprisonment of many Tibetans, taking part in the death of 1.2 million Tibetans, and destroying the environment through deforestation and using the land as a nuclear waste dump site. According to international law, this military occupation is illegal under Article 2(4) of the United Nations. The Chinese government has also admited to currently holding several political prisoners who are important religious figures to the Tibetans without cause. Looking back at recent history there was significant international action against Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait, Russia’s military campaign in Afghanistan, and the USA’s military campaign in Vietnam. Yet there is very little political pressure from the world against China in Tibet. This is very shocking to learn.  If you would like to learn more, please visit FreeTibet.org and the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. 

Inside the Tibet Museum

Monk inside the Dalai Lama Complex Spinning Prayer Wheels. Each Turn of the Wheel is Equal to Speaking One Mantra

Since Rachel and I enjoy hiking, we hired a guide for a full day  7 1/2 mile round trip trek up the mountains….clearly we had no idea where we were going, hence the guide and this was no easy hike! It was the 2nd hardest hike we have ever undertaken after our hike up Table Mountain in South Africa. Along the way we were greeted from time to time by shepherds herding their goats and a few other hikers taking the same path as us. Every hour or so there would also be a chai shop to rest and have a cup of tea. After 3 hours we reached the top, and were greeted with a spectacular view of the snow-capped Himalayas. A bowl of noodles and vegetables with a cup of chai was served for lunch under the shelter of a small shop away from the gusty ice-cold wind. Unfortunately, what goes up must come down. So off we were back down the mountain. When our trek was finished our legs and knees where quite tired and painful, but that is the price you pay for trekking. Going to watch a movie that night was all we could muster up to do.

Making Freinds with the Locals While Trekking

Chai Shop At the Top of Our Trek

View of the Himalayas

There is a small lake up in the mountains about 4 kilometers from McLeod Ganj named Dal Lake. It is sacred to the Buddhists and was supposed to be a peaceful place to take a hike. So one late morning we ventured up to the lake only to be disappointed on arrival. The lake had some trash around it, there was a concrete wall supporting one side, the water was a dirty green color, and there were locals washing dishes in the lake. Guess it isn’t held sacred by all. There seems to be a trend in India: if it is important or sacred, it is still acceptable to ruin it.

Washing Dishes in the “Sacred” Dal Lake

There is a small neighboring town named Bhagsu 2 kilometers from McLeod Ganj. This town is known for a Hindu temple named Bhagsu Nag and a waterfall just outside the town that originates from a freshwater spring. We made our way over to Bhagsu, walked through the town, had a nice lunch, and went up to the waterfall. Along the way, a few locals asked to take pictures with us. This is a very odd event that takes place a lot to Caucasian travellers in India and I have yet to figure out why. There was also a local middle-class Indian man who said hello with a huge smile on his face and said he was very “delighted” that we were visiting his country. I shook his hand and thanked him. During the walk down we saw him again and he told me, again, how happy he was that I was visiting his country, and then he said “I love you”. I didn’t know whether to be grateful for his kindness (remember we are in a peaceful Buddhist settlement) or to run and hide out of fear of being attacked. We couldn’t stop laughing about this the rest of the walk down; so far India has had the greatest amount of random moments during our journey.

Rachel at the Waterfall Outside Bhagsu

Some travelers spend several months to a year in McLeod Ganj; others spend a few days like us. Although we would have liked to stay much longer, five days was all we could spare since there are more places to visit in India on our agenda – such as the chaotic and scorching hot Jaipur and Agra. I strongly suggest visiting McLeod Ganj if you come to India. Enjoy the lush green surrounding forests, have some local Tibetan cuisine, enjoy a cup of chai, and learn about the richness and traditions of Tibetan culture that is soon to be wiped off the face of the Earth if the Chinese continue to get their way. Who knows, maybe someone will “love you” too.

To be continued with the city of Jaipur and the Taj Mahal in Agra…..

Our driver informed us that traffic eventually calms down at midnight, as we sat fully awake after our 10 hour journey from Bangkok now that our senses had been assaulted with the sounds of Mumbai. What they say is true: India is loud, dirty, and pushy, which we saw first hand as we made our way to our hotel which was practically underneath a highway overpass. However, we didn’t mind because that’s what we were here to see- India in all it’s pushy, dirty, loud glory.  Despite the surroundings, the hotel was decent except for the dirty sheets and paper thin walls. I have to admit I was stressed that first night, coming from SE Asia where we had been staying in rather nice rooms for $20/night, to Mumbai where we paid $43 for an “executive” hotel with dirty sheets. I tried to keep my chin up however and tell myself that it was one night and things would be better tomorrow, and be thankful I had a sleeping bag.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum, Mumbai

Turns out, I was right and the next day we took a taxi an hour and a half into the city and found a little international hotel on a quiet tree lined street run by a very kind and hospitable Indian family. The room was even more expensive than our hotel by the airport, but the guidebooks warned us that Mumbai was exceptionally expensive for India. The sheets were clean and the a/c worked so we were happy. Mumbai turned out to be a nice couple of days. It was really hot, but the Colaba district had plenty of attractions to satisfy us for a few days. The architecture left over from the British is stunning, and the people of Mumbai are quite friendly.

Colaba district, Mumbai (notice the old school British taxis)

We had our first taste of excellent vegetarian food in Mumbai, on a recommendation from our hotel, and Nick was beside himself as since visiting South Africa & Malaysia, Indian has become his new favorite cuisine. India is a vegetarian’s dream as pretty much every restaurant (we have yet to visit one that doesn’t) has veg and non-veg dishes.

vegetarian thali (sampler platter) $3!

After a few days of sightseeing, we took the overnight train from Mumbai’s central station to Goa. Just visiting the train station was an experience- it was PACKED with people. The Indian Railway system carries 30 million passengers and 2.8 million tons of freight daily. 

Mumbai central train station

To be honest, the train was very uncomfortable and I barely slept at all because the berth was rock hard and the train rocked from side to side all night. It was like trying to sleep while having a seizure. Thankfully it was only about 12 hours and ran pretty much on time.

From the main station in Goa, we took a cab to Patnem Beach, about 1 hour from central Goa. It is a misconception that Goa is small, as you hear many people say. Goa is a region not a town itself, but the towns within the region are pretty small. Patnem Beach is in south Goa and was a lovely little oasis next door to Palolem Beach, which has a little more action if you need it. Patnem and Palolem, though on the hippie trail, are not the trance filled, drugged out Goan towns you hear about; for that you must go north.

Patnem Beach at night

Patnem Beach

Palolem and Patnem were quite ramshackle in the sense that most everything is made of wood and can be taken down and put back up every monsoon season (usually June-Oct). This is actually required by law in Palolem & Patnem, but it gives the beaches a really laid-back unpretentious feel and we liked it. The vibe in Goa is very different than the rest of India, even the locals will tell you “this is Goa, not India.”

yoga, yoga, everywhere

While in Patnem we took a day trip to Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary in the hopes of seeing some of India’s native wildlife, but no dice. The sanctuary seemed devoid of anything but a few monkeys, so it ended up a quick nature hike instead of wildlife spotting. You can actually stay in a cottage in the sanctuary for really cheap ($8-$15), and had I known this I would have liked to have spent the night and taken an early morning hike when wildlife viewing is at it’s best.

Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary

After 5 days in Goa, we hopped a flight to Delhi and braced ourselves once again. We were prepared to be overwhelmed as we’d heard from many travelers that there wasn’t much to like about Delhi. Once again, we were surprised as Delhi was actually enjoyable for the day that we spent there. Yes, it is extremely busy and crowded and very dirty. In fact, Old Delhi, were we stayed, smells like urine and garbage, but it really wasn’t as bad as we were expecting. I think if we’d had arrived in Delhi straight from the states we may have been shocked and a little disgusted, but we have been traveling for 9 months now and not much shocks us anymore. If you can get past the negatives, and focus on taking in the unique sights and sounds, it’s quite possible to enjoy yourself.

We stayed really close to the Red Fort area, a major tourist attraction in Old Delhi. We spent the day exploring the fort and the surrounding palaces, which were beautiful and very well maintained.

outside the Red Fort, Delhi

We also visit the Jama Masjid Mosque, the principle mosque of Delhi and the largest and best known in India. Truth be told, it was a really awkward and uncomfortable visit. Both of us had never been inside a mosque before, and were unsure of what to expect- would we be welcomed as non-Muslims? Are we dressed appropriately? It is a big tourist site so non-Muslims are allowed in, but only foreign tourists not Hindus, which I thought was strange. They provided a lovely mu-mu for me and a sarong for Nick so we could cover up and enter the mosque.

Jama Masjid mosque

It was very pretty and felt so exotic to us, but unfortunately we didn’t get to really look around freely because we were dragged around on a “tour” by the man who sold us our entry tickets. He then demanded $10 as a “tip”, and Nick reluctantly gave him $6. This type of con is typical- before you know it you are being whisked around and they’re taking photos of you and then asking for money when you never asked for a tour nor did you agree to pay anything. This has happened to us many times, not just in India. The visit was also awkward because we felt like intruders interrupting prayers and religious reflection. Muslim women stayed in a separate part of the mosque, except for me being a foreign tourist, which made me really uncomfortable. Clearly, they did not want women in that part of the mosque and here I was as some exception to the rule. On top of that, people were filming us and taking our photos, this had been happening all day actually, but it felt even weirder at the mosque. One group of visitors kindly asked to take a photo of me with their young daughter and our “guide” admonished us? them? (not too sure, we were confused) because they were Kashmiri…needless to say it was a strange visit.

Jama Masjid bazaar, Delhi

As you can tell from this post, we had been told and read so many things about India and though some of them turned out to be true, many of the negative things we heard were not. We’ve learned that you can’t let naysayers scare you- you have to see for yourself and make your own judgements. People have been much kinder than we expected, and the touts and hawkers haven’t been any worse than anywhere else (so far). We do get a lot of attention here- in 9 months this was the first time people have taken my photo with or without my permission, video taped me, and just outright stared (however this was mostly in Delhi and not so much in other places). That has taken some getting used to, but hey, it’s not hurting us so we let it go. We take pictures of people all the time so I guess it’s only fair. So far, India has been a feast for the senses and thankfully we are enjoying ourselves or these 25 days would be going by very slowly.

India has such rich culture and history it’s almost overwhelming. The Lonely Planet guidebook is 1,232 pages long if that gives you an idea of how much there is to see, and we’re probably seeing less than 5%. India is a cultural and religious melting pot- Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Arabs, Tibetan refugees, you name it.  It truly is Incredible India, as their tourism slogan says.

Delhi traffic

Stay tuned for our next post from Dharamsala- home to a Tibetan refugee colony, the Dalai Lama, and the beautiful Himalayan mountains.

Freeman Fun Fact:

Everywhere we’ve been there has been some sort of black market. I have come to understand that when need/greed meets control, a black market is created. India use to have one of the biggest black markets for passports and US dollars. Because Indian visas used to be granted for a 6 month stay and obtaining an extension from the government was very difficult, a need for fake visas was created for travelers desiring to stay longer. But the market also needed real passports to make the fake visas look as authentic as possible; genuine passports were either stolen or sold on the streets. The sellers of these passports eventually would need a new one when it came time to depart the country, so this made the scheme go round and round.

US dollars were another huge market. The government used to limited the amount of rupees a businessman could exhange for dollars per year when leaving the country for business. They then had to report to the government how much was exhanged, but the amount was insuffient. With the Indian economy booming over the last 20 years, they needed more dollars. So dollars were bought on the street for a price higher than the offical bank rate, which made the seller happy (usually a tourist) and made the businessmen happy for they did not need to declare this in their yearly report. However, due to new global markets, the internet, and a faster flow of information, these black markets have desolved for the most part in India.

Every country has an unique history, and Cambodia is no different. Unfortunately, it is not all celebration and joy: Cambodia’s past is one of the cruelest accounts in human existence. By the numbers it was called genocide, and by percentage it was the largest annihilation of a country’s population that I know of. What makes their history all the more saddening is that Cambodians have one of the kindest and peaceful cultures Rachel and I have experienced so far. 

Our trip into Cambodia started in Chau Doc, Vietnam. This dirty border town isn’t much to speak of although some forums online say it is worth a night or two stay- we arrived in the evening and didn’t have much choice of staying anyways. Rachel and I hoped to cross into Cambodia the following day by boat. There is a 6 hour speedboat ride which leaves every morning from Chau Doc to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh (for future travelers, at this time you cannot book the boat online, but your hotel can do it for you), but the boat was sold out, and we were forced to take an hour van ride to the border, and then a few hour bus ride on the other side to Phnom Penh. We were disappointed thinking the boat would have been fun but as it turned out, the bus was a better choice.

A group of Vietnamese men were on the bus, and they were a lively bunch starting early in the morning, laughing and giggling like school boys. After we crossed from Vietnam into Cambodia, they made their way to the back of the bus and gestured for me to join them. I politely said no mainly because I had no clue what was going on since they did not speak any English. Rachel eventually understood they wanted me to join them for a drink, and after some convincing from her, I caved (as you can tell by previous posts, I normally succumb to her wishes). The drink was homemade whiskey in a 5 gallon dirty gasoline jug and some pork pate and cucumbers for snacks. Not exactly a healthy breakfast at 9:30 am. To be polite I drank whiskey with them using the cut off top of a plastic water bottle as a shot glass. But let me point out that I wasn’t the only one- Rachel joined in too. Boy did these guys love it! They seemed so excited to be drinking on a bus with two American backpackers at 10 in the morning. The only bit of information Rachel and I could understand from them was that they were heading to Cambodia to gamble at the casinos- kind of like a “boy’s weekend”. Even though you might not be able to communicate, having a drink is a universal gesture of friendship. And as quickly as that bizarre and interesting event started, it ended, and we disembarked the bus in Phnom Penh.

Having drinks with some random Vietnamese guys on a random bus at a random time of day

Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, is actually a very like-able city. It has Asian charm, a sense of culture, and a lack of skyscrapers: I like that. There are many Buddhist temples, called Wats, to visit, and a number of street stalls to eat a snack or have a drink. The streets are busy with tuk-tuks but not too congested which makes walking enjoyable (unlike Hanoi). Even though Cambodia is one of the poorest countries, we did notice a fair share of Range Rovers and Mercedes on the road- still not sure why- and the people are extremely nice. They are always smiling, calm, generous, and very polite. When it is time to say goodbye to someone, they usually shake your hand with two of theirs and bow. It is a sign of respect, and will warm any Westerner’s heart every time. They are also very honest since it is very shameful for a practicing Buddhist to lie; I’m sure a few of you might be thinking that I am naive in saying this but if you visit this country, you will understand.

We grabbed a tuk-tuk to our hotel when we arrived in the city since tuk-tuks are very cheap in Cambodia: about $1-3 for a 15 minute ride. Our driver was a very kind man named Sky. He offered to drive us around the following day to visit Phnom Penh’s famous sights, so I negotiated a fair price and told him to pick us up the following morning. If any of you are ever in Phnom Penh give Sky a call to take you on a tour- just email us for his number. The following morning Sky picked us up for our tour, and our first stop was the famous Choeung Ek Memorial/Khmer Rouge Killing Fields.

The definition of Communism is a “revolutionary socialist movement to create a classless, moneyless, and stateless social order structured upon common ownership of the means of production, as well as a social, political, and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of this social order.” When the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia’s communist party led by Pol Pot, took over the country in 1975 everything and anything that was tied to capitalism was destroyed for the belief in communism. City dwellers were relocated to the countryside to work on collective farms, and the cities were torn down because it was believed cities promoted ownership and entrepreneurship. All possessions were taken away from the people except the clothes on their backs and maybe a bowl for rice. Whoever was thought to be against the Khmer Rouge was killed. They were beaten, shot, stabbed, and starved. Women were raped, and children were beaten against trees. All of this occurred at approximately 300 different “killing fields”. This lasted from 1975 to 1979 when approximately 3 million Cambodians were killed out of a total population of 8 million. That is approximately 37.5% of the population. Since the population of the United States is about 313 million, imagine if 117 million (37.5%) Americans were killed within 4 years. Now imagine the person responsible for the killings never being brought to justice, and living to be 82 years old and enjoying his grandchildren. This was the fate of Pol Pot. Why? I do not truly understand.

The most famous killing field is located just outside of Phnom Penh. The tour is absolutely phenomenal, very insightful, and educational. We were given headphones connected to a digital device as our guide throughout the tour. We listened to first hand accounts from people who had survived the oppression, stories from parents who lost their children, music dedicated to the deceased, and descriptions of the various building sights and graves. There was even a narrative from a guard who had killed many women and children. There is a large memorial tower constructed at the center of the the sight where thousands of skulls, bones, and clothing of the dead are housed for people to view. Personally I thought it to be the best tour we have been on thus far.

At the Choeung Ek Killing Fields listening to first hand accounts of the terror

The tree where babies where killed. Truly a gruesome sight

Skulls in the Choeung Ek Memorial

Next we visited the S-21 Tuol Sleng Prison and Museum of Genocide. This structure was an old school before being transformed into a political prison by the Khmer Rouge. The buildings are nothing out of the ordinary, but what lays inside is shocking. It contains prison portraits of many who were executed during their incarceration. Each one is a haunting image that pierces the soul, and there were hundreds of them. There were also photos of the bodies after they had been executed along with paintings of the prisoners being tortured. It’s really hard to describe the horror displayed in the photos, and the depressing feeling I felt viewing them. The only way to understand is for you to visit. I’ll leave it at that.

Photos of the prisoners held captive at the S-21 prison by the Khmer Rouge

The following day we took another bus to the city of Siem Reap. It’s another beautifully peaceful city, much like Phnom Penh but smaller, with many lively markets, restaurants, pubs, and shops, all with a small river running through the city center, and it is surprisingly clean. Siem Reap is famous for being the jumping off point for Angkor Wat, the 1 square kilometer man-made island that houses a very large Hindu & Buddhist temple, a finalist for the Seven Wonders of the World. Actually, the island used to be a city for the ancient inhabitants, but only the temples and walls remain for they were built of durable material out of respect for the gods. The residential and commercial buildings were made of perishable materials and since have been destroyed. The entire area of Angkor Wat is called Angkor. It is huge, and it houses many many temples which takes a good 3-4 full days to see via tuk-tuk. The furthest temple can take up to an hour to drive to. It is possible to purchase a 7 day pass, but Rachel and I opted to take 2 days which turned out to be a good choice. It can get quite hot, tiresome, and repetitive viewing temples all day, but very much worth it. Our second day started at 5 am to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat. It was a slightly disappointing view with high level clouds in the sky, but hey, you’ll never know what the experience will be like until you try. The day was suppose to go on until 4 p.m., but by 11 am we were dragging. I told our driver we had to end it around lunch time. By 1:30 p.m. we were ready for nap time.

Rachel and I at Angkor Wat

Carvings like these line the walls of the various temples of Angkor

Some sights have gigantic trees growing over the ruins. This particular temple was featured in the movie "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider"

We wanted to spend our 3rd full day touring the city, but while walking around the markets, we decided it was “massage-time”. Not only was it “massage-time”, but it was “2 hour massage-time”. I had never received such a long massage before, and just like a good vacation it was over much too soon. Couple’s massages are a great way to relax, especially in Asia since they are so cheap. It was just what the doctor ordered after 2 days of touring Angkor Wat, and gave us the much needed energy to have dinner and drinks with a nice American couple we met back in Laos- they were on our 28 hour bus ride from Laos to Vietnam a few weeks back. When you travel for extended periods of time you’ll run into people from time to time on the same route as you. It’s always fun to make friends with those people, and anyone who knows me knows I’ll talk to anyone and invite them to an outing.

Chocolate Banana Pancakes in Siem Reap! Yea buddy!!!!

The next day we said goodbye to Cambodia and took a bus across the border back to Bangkok where we spent two nights staying at the Millennium Hilton. Again, we were given a large multi-room suite on one of the top floors over looking the river. Thank you Hilton! It gave us the much needed prep time for our next stop: India. We have heard from some travelers that India is magnificent and amazing, while others absolutely hate it. I’m guessing we will be the former, but our next blog post will reveal if I’m right.

While at the Hilton I thought of the type of life we have been living the past 9 months. Living out of a backpack, taking public transportation, eating cheap street food, old hostels with leaking ceilings, bargaining for taxi fares, wearing dirty clothes, living in a way most choose not to. It has given me a new sense of appreciation for when we are able to enjoy aspects that are familiar to our pre-journey life. Sometimes it can be as simple as a good cup of coffee or as grand as a suite at a Hilton. Even though I have always been very grateful for all that I have, the roots of gratitude seem to have dug deeper since leaving home. But it is not possessions that I miss. It is my family, my true friends, and specific aspects of my life that define me as a person. I have learned through experience that the old saying “You don’t know what you have until you lose it” holds more truth and validity when you choose with free will to leave something behind. Only then can you honestly say if it is something you desire in your life or not.

Freeman Fun Fact: Here are a few bits of random information about Cambodia.

1) According to the IMF, Cambodia ranks 101 out of 182 of the world’s poorest countries by GDP.

2) In 2010, the population was 14.1 million people.

3) ATMs in the country dispense US dollars even though their currency is named the Riel.

4) 50 percent of the population is under the age of 15.

5) The life expectancy is 49.7 years old.

6) 1 in 236 Cambodians are disabled making Cambodia the most disabled country on Earth.

7) Due to revolution, turmoil, and wars almost all Cambodians do not know their birthdays. Instead, they remember their age using the Asian New Year which occurs in April and signals the start of the rainy season.