Vietnam

All we knew about Vietnam was the war. But what we found was a country that was very interested in the US, was very kind, and took US dollars! We spent a few days in Hanoi beating the heat with some good beers, buying cheap dvds and silk ties on the street, and planning the next leg of our trip.
We were picked up in a van and transported to HALONG BAY, one of the world heritage sites. We spent the day on a boat, floating between islands and hiking in caves. Then we had dinner on the boat and met some people from MSU!! The next day we kayaked in the water. Pretty amazing.
We took an overnight train to the mountain town of SAPA. After hiking all day in the terraced rice fields, we were quite exhausted (I guess we shouldnt have done it in Teva sandles). We really saw how primitive people live.

The Philippines

When it was "freezing" cold in China, we got out and went to the islands of the Philippines. After the craziness of Manila, we flew to Palawan in the southwest. After getting on a jeepney (a jeep with a bed in the back, where up to 40 locals hang on for deal life), we drove 3.5 hours across the island on dirt roads, all for the cost of about a dollar.
Our home for the week was a thatched-roof hut on the beach. Blue and green waters made up our front yard. We didn't have power part of the night but when meals cost no more than $2, we were living pretty large. Our days consisted of runs on the beach, swims in the ocean, and hikes in the jungle. There was an underground river and wild monkeys, in addition to 6ft monitor lizards.
One night we went to the resort on the beach. A bottle of wine, appetizers, surf & turf, cocktails, and dessert ran $50. That was a pretty good night.
We moved back to Puerto Princesa and went scuba diving with turtles and sharks. Overall, nice and warm and it was dreadful coming back to China and the rain!

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Thailand & Malaysia

Bangkok - One of the hottest, busiest cities in the world. Seeing a real Muy-Thai fight made my trip. Elephants walked the streets and little motos (tuk-tuks) whizzed through the humid air. If that wasn't enough, we moved south to Phuket and rode elephants in the jungle. We risked our lives white-water rafting and ATVing (not recommend in Asia). Sarah and I also go certified to SCUBA dive. We spent time hanging out with a cool couple from England.

Then it was on to Malaysia. After a few days in Kuala Lumpur, we flew over to Borneo and intoone of the most amazing outdoor places in the world. Mountains, rivers, and wildlife, this place has it all! The true benefit was going to the orangutan preserve. Even though the weather didnt cooperate, we crashed an all-staff New Year's Eve party. Sarah sang, we all danced, and being the only white people there was an amazing night. Most of our friends we sick the whole time.

First China Trip

October 2007
We could not have had a better trip in China. We went to the beautiful cities of Guilin and Yangshuo to relax on the Li River, shop, and eat. This town had everything you could want to do each of these.
We attended light shows with 2000 performers. We biked to a giant cave and swam in the mud! Every meal was excellent.

We went on to Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. The walled city was amazing. More polluted than where we are from but the ancient look was worth the trip.

Shekou, China

We live in Shekou, China, a sub-district of Shenzhen, just across the water from Hong Kong. It is a busy city with lots of commercial shopping. Our area is filled with restaurants, bars, stores, and massage parlors (some legit, others not). The weather here is extremely hot and humid in the summer and it rains a lot. Then in the winter, it cools nicely and the palm trees are nice.