August 4 - Bloomfield, NJ

Hi all:

I'm back home now in New Jersey and have just about recoverd from jet lag. What a month! My first instinct is to declare how incredibly fortunate I feel to have experienced such an adventure. From my perch here in Jersey, my trip has the feel of a great dream. Each stop had its special sounds, colors, people, tastes that it would be impossible to describe it with one broad stroke. It's funny, but this trip confirmed for me that I feel most alive when I'm on the road. Every step was a new discovery. Every turn of the corner revealed a fresh face, a mysterious smell, a captivating sight. One of my favorite travel writers, Paul Theroux, titled his adventures by train across Asia in the 70s, "The Great Railway Bizarre." My trip was also a "bizarre" of sorts--different languages, smiling faces, shouting merchants, oppressive heat, culinary delights, explosions of every conceivable color known to man, myriad religions, spirituality, and lifes struggles to survive. My South Asian "bizarre" was exhilarating, humbling, depressing.

Travel is also about meeting people and sharing stories. Here are a few of the people I encountered from Singapore, to Malaysia, through Vietnam and Cambodia.

There was Peter Nelson from outside of Perth, Australia. We traveled up the Mekong River in Vietnam into Cambodia and shared a taxi upon arrival in Phenom Pehn. His hearty laugh still echoes in my ears. He told me his children dismissed his adventurous spirit as a "mid-life crisis." He said he preferred the road less travelled. He also told me that if I got tired of his chattiness, to just tell him to shut up. A cool bloke.

The Mekong River also revealed Philippa--a fifty-something New Zealander teaching in Shangai, China. She confessed her first marriage was a "mistake" and that she had no regrets about her choice of careers. We chatted about teaching philosophies and life from our window seats on the wooden houseboat as the sun faded over the Mekong River. She urged me to consider teaching in China. I smiled, and nestled her business card in my wallet.

There were the random Vietnamese children jumping naked from the banks of the Mekong River screaming "hello!" as they met the brown water. Their shouts will forevever reverberate in my ears.

My "tuk tuk" driver in Phenom Pehn, Cambodia whisked me around to various parts of the city...accepting as payment whatever I deemed fair. He was hard working and carried his gas canister right behind his seat--a troubling fact considering his insanely risky maneuvers on the road.

Litte India in Singapore revealed a slim, middle aged wood worker in the nascent stages of designing a wooden door--meticulously chipping away at his creation with his instrument.

There was the Frantic young French woman who shared our shuttle van to the airport in Kuala Lumpur. Her repeated pleas to the driver of "Come on...Come on..." were hilarious...and seemingly ignored by the driver. No word on whether she made her plane.


With South Asia now behind me, it's time to begin plotting my next adventure. As to where I'm heading, or "Why" I'm going there...stay tuned.

Cheers,
Keith