URBAN DOMAIN 2024

TLC Temples – Day 2

November 8, 2016

After an early 5:45am start, we began our day with a Muay Thai class (Thai boxing). Our instructor was a very funny man named Dong. He led us through a tough stretching and drills sessions and then he and another very skilled boxer gave us a demonstration; we wouldn’t want to get into a fight with them! Next, we split into 3 smaller groups to learn the basic skills of boxing. One of the three stations was practicing the moves in the air, the second was using those moves on punching bags and the third and final station was intense sparring against the locals and instructors in the ring. Learning some Muay Thai was amazing because it was an aspect of the Thai culture none of us had experienced before, and it felt very raw compared to the other very touristy activities. Even though it was 7:00 in the morning, it was still very hot and we were all sweating a lot by the end of the class.

After heading back to a shower and delicious buffet breakfast, complete with sushi and pancakes, we hopped on a bus for a 2 hour bus trip into the hills around Chiang Mai. After the long hot bus trip, we were eager to get into the rafts and get in to the cool water. Our instructor, named Sun, taught us the basic moves and positions, as well as safety tips for the raft trip ahead. We were split into groups of 5-6 per raft, given our equipment and then we set off down the river. The rapids were amazing; they were very fast and there was definitely a decent number of rocks. And then we reached the biggest rapid of all! By the end, we were all sopping wet but had huge smiles on our faces. After a quick, well-deserved lunch, with an incredible view of the hills and the river, we hopped back on to the buses for the long trip home.

To finish off our day, we headed off to the night markets for dinner and some shopping!!

By Jackson and Greta

China- Day 1 – Chengdu

November 8, 2016

By rtoce

The group has safely arrived at our hotel in Chengdu.

A delicious dinner awaits, followed by a big nights’ sleep!

China 2016 – Day 1

November 8, 2016

By rtoce

Group getting ready to board flight Bangkok to Chengdu.

All is well!

Vietnam Red- Day 2

November 8, 2016

By KScarff

After a well deserved sleep, we were abruptly woken up by the heat. Even though some of us were still tired, we entered the breakfast buffet with smiling faces and enjoyed a variety of Vietnamese breakfast foods, from fried rice to noodles, and interesting local Vietnamese fruits such as Dragon fruit, and some familiar foods like watermelon and pastries. It was definitely strange having these foods for breakfast, but we were all stoked about the day ahead.
Entering the bus with an open mind, we traveled to China Town. We instantly felt the sun on our skin, melting off our sunscreen, and were greeted by an unfamiliar culture and a variety of smells, most of which we had never experienced before. The China Town in Ho Chi Minh City is not how we know it back in Melbourne. Here there was a diversity of items being sold, from Vietnamese food, to clothing and kitchen utensils. The hustle and bustle of the narrow pathways made the environment exciting. Although the heat made the sweat drip down our backs, we loved every moment of this experience and wanted to learn and take as much information in as possible.

We didn’t only visit China town but we also had the opportunity to learn about the religion on a deeper level by going to the Chinese temple.

We were definitely excited to jump on our air conditioned bus to journey to one of the most confronting experiences on this trip so far. We had no idea what was going to be placed in front of our faces as we entered the War Remnants Museum, which was once called the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes. As a group our emotions were running high and after the visit there was significant drop in the mood, as we recalled the images and information that we had witnessed. After visiting the war memorial we had many questions about Vietnams history. The experience was educational and confronting, especially the pictures of the children and adults affected by the Agent Orange chemicals. The bus became quiet on the way back to our hotel as we had a deeper understanding of the history of Vietnam.

Putting together all the knowledge we had previously learned about Ho Chi Minh City after the last two days (especially the traffic- which may we add- is hectic) we were able to split off into groups of four or five to navigate our way to different check points around the city, including the Saigon Skydeck, where we were able to see a three sixty view of the amazing city. Yesterday we thought we were never going to be able to achieve this task as it is a foreign country with many different ways of life.

Vietnam Red is safe and happy and excited for the next 16 ahead! We are already professionals at crossing the road and it’s only been two days! (In Ho Chi Minh City, regardless of the traffic light colour, go!)

Missing you all!!

Signing out -Eve and Danielle

Picture 1: Checking out some local transport on the Great Race around Saigon.

Picture 2: Vietnam Red in front of an American aircraft at the War Remenants museum.

Picture 3: Vietnam Red at the Chinese Temple.