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| Alumni Profile - Max Blumenthal Travel bug sends Max on 3-month journey to Southeast Asia |
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Name: Max Blumenthal
Semester Abroad: February - June 2004
Host Uni: University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ
Home Uni: University of Colorado at Boulder
Academic Major: News Editorial Journalism
Graduation Date: December 2005 Max recently traveled through SE Asia from February to April 2006.
MAX's TRAVEL BLOG: http://gonzofire-asia.blogspot.com
Photo Gallery
Check out a sampling of photos from Max's recent travels.
Summarize your latest travel adventures to SE Asia.
I started off in Bangkok, Thailand and immediately went down south. Spent two weeks on the islands and southern coast and then headed north where I met up with a friend in Khon Kaen.
After spending a few days on the Mekong river border I crossed into Vientiane, Laos. I traveled through the north of Laos making my through Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, Phonsavan, and some smaller towns that I forget the names of.
After three and a half weeks in Laos, I finally crossed into Vinh, Vietnam where the week extension on my visa from Laos had expired three days before - Apparently the busses from Phonsavan to Vietnam don’t run very often. From Vinh I went to Hanoi and then to Halong Bay .
The cold weather caught me off guard and after a week in the north I caught a plane to Ho Chi Minh City (formally Saigon). From there I defiantly went the most moronic way you possibly could (a direct result of our complete lack of planning) through Southern Vietnam, Cambodia and back and forth.
I went north for a week to Na Trang, turned around and came back to Ho Chi Minh so I could fly out and meet my friend’s parents in Siem Reap, Cambodia. We spent three days at Ankor Wat and then followed his parents back through Ho Chi Minh City – again - to Hue, Vietnam. After leaving my friends parents I slowly made my way back down south and inevitably ended up in Ho Chi Minh City for a fourth time. (If you have any question about HCMC I can answer them).
From there I crossed back into Cambodia making my way from the west to the east, back to Thailand where I spent a week in Chiang Mai and the northeast. The last few days of my trip I spent in Bangkok during the Songkran or Thai New Year Festival which were five of the most insane and wet days of my life.
The whole trip took three months. It was originally suppose to be two, but after a month and a half I had only made it to the middle of Laos. So I extended it for an extra month
What was your overall impression of SE Asia?
Southeast Asia was defiantly one of the most interesting places I have ever seen. There are areas of unbelievable beauty and remarkable culture and areas that are horribly impoverished, overly touristy or environmentally destroyed – all are worth seeing.
My favorite places were scattered throughout the region. In the south of Thailand there is a small beach called Ton Sai where enormous limestone cliffs dominate the horizon wherever you look - from the teal ocean in front to the dense jungles behind. From your breakfast table you can watch some of the world’s best climbers making their way up the cliffs while dipping your feet in the ocean. When you’re finished, you can climb the easier pitches scattered throughout the area.
I loved Khon Kean and the surrounding villages where people practically forced you into their homes to share whatever they had. When we stumbled across this enormous festival one night, the people were so honored that Farong (Westerners) had shown up, they brought us up to the front row of the celebration, stopped the party, and announced our presence to the thousands of people in attendance. We were treated like royalty the whole night.
Laos was my favorite country. Time there ceases to exist and with a little effort you can easily be the only Westerner for miles. The people are really laid back and their attitude rubs off on the travelers. So everyone you meet is friendly. It was also really interesting and sad to see how devastated some of the western parts of the country are by the remnants of unexploded ordinances (UXOs) from the Vietnam War. The bombs litter the area and still explode from time to time. We had the unfortunate experience of attending a funeral of three kids who picked up the wrong toy.
From there to Vietnam, where the pages of my old history books look nothing like what the economically thriving, yet still “Communist” country has become. Educationally Vietnam was defiantly my favorite place. It was so amazing to fill in the blanks of one of the most dominant themes of so many of my history classes.
Even with the overwhelming presence of tourists, Ankor Wat in Cambodia was one of the most remarkable places I have ever seen. The largest religious structure in the world is only a small part of the thousands of ruins scattered throughout the region. Make sure to get up for sunrise – it’s one you will never forget
And finally the Songkran or the Thai New Year festival is one of the most outrageous events I have ever taken part of. The original custom of washing the Buddha statues for good luck has evolved into city wide water fights where the Thais flood the streets armed with water guns and water bottles – drenching everything in sight. The actual days of the festival are from April 13 to 15, but if you want to stay dry you shouldn’t leave your hotel room for at least two days before and after.
How did your study abroad experience affect your decision to later travel to SE Asia?
Studying abroad in New Zealand was such an important influence for my trip to Southeast Asia. From the day I got home from studying abroad, I began planning where I was going next. I had never had such an amazing opportunity to meet new people, learn new cultures, and live outside of my normal routine. The experience opened my door to the rest of the world. It gave me incredible confidence. And most important it seeded the travel bug inside of me – something for which there is no cure but to travel.
My roommate from New Zealand had traveled to Thailand on his way home from Abroad. He had unbelievable stories beautiful beaches and new cultures that all sounded so exotic. His experience was really what pushed me to go to Southeast Asia.
Two and a half years after studying abroad, the people I met in New Zealand are still that influential in my life.
What travel advice do you have for those that want to travel through SE Asia?
Southeast Asia is a great place to travel. You can make your way around very inexpensively and if you start planning early enough, the plane ticket won’t set you back too much either. Once you’re there, busses, boats and trains run almost everywhere you can think of. And if those options aren’t available, there’s always a motor bike.
If you take the local transportation you can defiantly keep your budget way down and plus you get a great opportunity to meet local people. Also make sure to shop around before you decide on a place to stay. A place two minutes outside of the city can cost a third of the price as a place in town.
And finally, as with any trip, keep an open mind. There are beliefs, practices, foods, religions and a variety of other things foreign beyond imagination. With an open mind, those differences can be the best part of any traveling experience.
What do you love most about traveling?
It’s hard to say exactly what my favorite part of traveling is. Even the bad parts of my trips create stories. The people I’ve meet have always stood out in my memories. Everywhere I’ve been I always meet the most incredible people with the most unique stories. My favorite is when you meet someone who speaks a different language than you, but somehow you’re still able to communicate with them. This happened all the time in Southeast Asia. Some of these people from my traveling experiences are still great friends.
I also love seeing new things – The enormous landscapes of New Zealand, the intricate temples of Southeast Asia. The beauty of new places makes however far you’ve traveled well worth the trip. The new things, even the tiny new things, are also where you learn the most. Traveling is an education you can never get in a classroom.
What is your favorite memory from studying in New Zealand?
My favorite memory from studying abroad was easily the surfing classes I took: Even if my home university wouldn’t give me credit for them. We camped out on a sheep farm next to the ocean for five days, and spent six hours a day in the water. In between surfing we would cook our meals, play guitar, sit around the campfire, and be so exhausted that we would pass out by eight. Our teacher was an amazingly knowledgeable guy who constantly had stories of surfing, survival and traveling the world. And the people I met on those trips are still some of my best friends from abroad.
My trip to Australia over Easter holiday also stands out. I spent a week in Byron Bay with seven of my closest friends from abroad at the Blues and Roots Festival. The five day festival had some of the best musical performances I’ve seen, including James Brown, North Mississippi Allstars and a bunch of Australian acts like Xavier Rudd and The Cat Empire. During that week I also found paradise in Byron Bay. I love everything about that town; the people, the location between the ocean and mountains, the crazy places to stay and camp, and of course the annual Blues and Roots Festival. It will forever be one of my favorite places on earth.
What's next for you?
As for my plans now, I am actively seeking a career in Journalism. I would love to be writing for a newspaper or magazine. Hopefully I’ll eventually be able to travel for a career and tell the stories of the people I meet along the way. I had the opportunity to keep a blog of my stories while I was in Asia and really enjoyed it. And before I left I was a student and working for the Boulder Daily Camera. |
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