During my travels abroad, I was able to visit five asian countries: India, Myanmar, Vietnam, and China. Each country was very different. Each experience was unique. Each country taught me something new!
India
The Taj Mahal
Well duh! The Taj Mahal and the Ganges River are probably the first attractions people think of when thinking about India. The Taj Mahal is an enormous mausoleum complex commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the remains of his beloved wife. It is an architectural marvel and is known as one of the “7 Wonders of the World.” I was truly stunned by its symmetrical beauty as well as its intricate detail and design.
India’s culture today is communal. The family is very important and India’s society is still segregated into a caste system. The caste system was most apparent when my group was outside the gates to the Taj Mahal. Children kept coming up to us trying to sell hand drawn postcards. Our tour guide very quickly told us to stay away and to not touch them. For more information click the photo.
Myanmar (Burma)
Ballooning in Bagan
Waking up at 4:30 am was so worth experiencing the best sunrise and view I have every experienced! We got to watch the hot air balloons get blown up, climb into the basket, and float above thousands of Bagan’s famous pagodas. It was a spiritual experience, one that I will never forget! It never felt real, not even for a second. I actually had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming the whole thing. It is so quiet and peaceful to just float and drift with the wind. I really believe that I will never see another sunrise that breath taking. I highly recommend that this balloon trip be added to your travel bucket list!For more information click this photo.
Vietnam
War Remnants Mueseum in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
I am usually not someone that gets triggered by museums but the emotions triggered by the War Remnants Museum’s artifacts came at me hard and fast. Very soon after entering the sweltering hot building I started to feel nauseous. The photos were graphic, uncensored, and the captions reported in a straight forward and factual manner. There were both American and Vietnamese artifacts including metals, photos, uniforms, aircrafts, and propaganda posters just to name a few. While it is not a comfortable museum to walk through, especially for some Americans, it truly is the most compelling museum I have visited. As I roamed through one exhibit to the next I met a Vietnam War veteran. He was very emotional. Although I have conflicting feelings towards the Vietnam War I went up to him and thanked him for his service. This made him very frustrated so I doctored my comment and thanked him for his loyalty to his country. He collapsed into me and We hugged for a good while. He did not wish to share his experience so did not push him to do so, but it was clear he was not happy with the facts of what happened. He did tell me that when he was in service he acted on the sole basis of surviving, which gave me a lot of perspective about what the life of a soldier.
Although it is emotional, it is factual and relies on the curated artifacts to tell the story not opinionated words. If you are curious or confused by the events of the Vietnam War this museum is perfect for you! For more information click this photo.
The People’s Republic of China
Shanghai: Pearl Tower
The Pearl tower is the second tallest TV and radio tower in China measuring to be 468 meters (1,536 feet) tall. Each observation deck has different interactive activities:
351m (1,152ft): Space Capsule Sightseeing Floor
267m (876ft): Revolving Restaurant
263m (863ft): Main Sightseeing Floor
259m (850ft): Glass Floor
90m & 98m (295ft & 322ft): Game City including an indoor roller coaster
78m (256ft): Dynamic Ring Multimedia Show
The Pearl tower is a must see attraction in Shanghai! It is fun for all ages! There are signs in multiple languages as there are all over Shanghai. I found it very easy to navigate and I had a blast taking silly pictures on the glass floor observation deck. The rollercoaster is a virtual reality ride so who wear VR goggles as you twist and turn around the tracks. The Dynamic Ring Multimedia Show is something you can not miss! It gives you a glimpse into Shanghai’s efforts to become a more sustainable city while also working to advance technology such as hover cars which they hope to accomplish within the next 100 years.
These sites are the home of some of my favorite memories from my time abroad! They are special in their own right as well as the happiness and knowledge they brought me. I highly encourage you to add these attractions to your bucket list! For more information click this photo.
Need to compile your bucket list in one place? Well there’s an app for that! Its called SOON. SOON allows you to pinpoint cities, places, cafes, bar & clubs, restaurants and countless other categories you wishes may fall under! It is accessible on any smart phone and very easy to use! I used SOON to keep take of all of the cities, places, and restaurants I wanted to try while abroad.
For Additional Reading…
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shanghai/oriental_pearl.htm
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