China

If you’ve been following my twitter account (@perpetualvoyage), you probably noticed I’ve been doing quite a bit of traveling recently.  I just returned from two weeks in Southeast Asia: Cambodia, with a layover visit to Shanghai.  It was a work trip, and didn’t fully come together until the last minute, so my days prior to departure were a bit of a whirlwind: securing a visa, getting my flight booked, making various travel plans, and of course, everyone’s favorite, packing.  So despite the best of intentions, I didn’t get a chance to blog about my trip in advance, but now that I’m back I’m excited to share the highlights of my Asian adventure!  Just a brief teaser below….more to come.

Shanghai

Shanghai is a city I’d long been curious to visit.  I figured I’d check it out as part of an eventual China trip, but when a flight option popped up with a fifteen-hour layover in the city, I jumped at it.  I’d never been to China, and was excited at the opportunity to explore a place that had always interested me en route to my destination.

I enjoyed my time in Shanghai, but definitely felt I only scratched the surface (that’s a layover for you!)  My main tourist activity was going to the Bund to see the Shanghai skyline along the waterfront.  It’s definitely an impressive vista, but unfortunately I was there on a grey and rainy day which took away from the magic, but just a bit.  More disappointing was my attempt to visit the nearby Shanghai Museum, a free(!) showcase for Chinese art, sculpture, and civilization.  After walking a good half-hour from the Bund, I got in line and was told when I arrived inside that I’d have to leave my laptop at the check-in area as it wasn’t permitted inside.  Understandable I suppose, but given that this was my work laptop which I was going to need on my trip, I didn’t feel comfortable being separated from it for even a few hours, just in case.  So I sadly turned around and left without seeing any of the wonders of the museum, and made my way to lunch before returning to the airport for my flight to Phnom Penh. Disappointing, but on the bright side, it gives me a good reason to return to Shanghai someday, and I suspect that I will; there’s still plenty more to explore in the city on a future (non-work-related) visit!

Angkor Wat at sunrise.

Cambodia

Cambodia was the main focus of my Southeast Asian journey.  I was there for nearly two weeks, and got to see several different parts of the country: Phnom Penh, the capital; Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor; and the countryside of Preah Vihear, off the standard tourist track, where I was working for the first part of my trip.

I’ll write more about the details in future posts, but suffice it to say Cambodia was a profound and memorable experience for me.  It’s a country I’d long thought about visiting, but I was fortunate to get to stay as long as I did and have time off of work to explore as a tourist on top of that.  I got to experience the country at a fairly leisurely pace, and that was a welcome change from how my travel life usually functions.

As much as I really enjoyed Phnom Penh, and as impressive as the temples are, I have to say that what impacted me most about Cambodia, and what really defined my time there in my memory, was the people.  Every single person I met was friendly, kind, and generous, without exception.  I learned a great deal from talking with them about their lives, their country, and the history of Cambodia—often dark and turbulent, which makes the resilience of its people all the more remarkable and impressive.

If you get a chance to visit Cambodia, I really, really encourage you to go; it’s an incredible, fascinating country that’s friendly, accessible, inexpensive, and greatly rewards exploration.  Go, and stay as long as you can and see as much as you’re able.  You won’t regret it.

Have you ever been to Cambodia?  Visited Shanghai?  What were your thoughts and impressions?