Thursday, March 10, 2011
Almost there
So this week I spent time catching up with friends, relaxing, partying and getting everything set for Burma. That being said, I heard the internet may be the worst ever, so don't expect blog posts, pictures, facebook, tweets, e-mails or the like. I'm stoked on this expereince, teaching kiddos in a military state, etc etc. Talk to you from the other side!
xx
Erin
xx
Erin
This is why people pay somebody to do it....
Today was Embassy day, the only reason I’m in BKK. I wake up early put on a dress and head to the Myanmar embassy. This place made the DMV look like a joy. After getting barked at cause I was in the wrong line, I waited in line when I saw it…somebody with a letter with the same letter head as me. I immediately ask him if hes working for the school I am, and HE IS. And so is another girl. I’m so lucky I found people to make this hellish experience the least bit bearable. It was hectic, and something that in a normal place would take 15 minutes soon took 3.5 hours. We opted for same day, since my day was shot to hell already, and we may as well. So Hannah, the girl I met and went back to Kohsan where I could shower, only to head back out, and pick up my shiny new visa! Go to the doctor to get my gnarly bites looked at, looks like I’ll make it through the day. Doctor was grossed out though….thanks Laos. Abtibiotics to get rid of the nasty infections!
Marketmarketmarket
March 6th,
Today, Sky (yes, that IS his name) and I end up going to the largest market in Seasia! It was ridiculous. 40 acres of anything you can imagine. Souviners? You got it. Puppies? Sure. Butcher cleavers? Hopefully not for the puppies…It was the largest market I’ve ever been to, and it was hectic. I bought a few braclets since I try to get one from everywhere, and mainly just walked around. You couldn’t haggle that well, so that’s sad, but it was wild. Really really neat. But since it was over 100 degrees, there was only so much we could take before the crankiness set in. We got back, I jumped in the shower, and napped since that’s what I do. I went to dinner and chatted with some old guy for a while who loved me cause his dauter’s name is Jessica Erin and went out for a few beers before skyping the trusted council to regal them with tales. Soon, the group comes in, railin’ about how they’re going to a ping pong show, and I jump at the opportunity. The night got crazy, riding in a tuk tuk to patpong, which was insane, meeing up with Denis, watching a woman shoot darts at balloons with her vagina, getting kicked out of said show, Chang thirty, and headed home. Bizzare day to say the least.
THERES ALWAYS MONEY IN THE BANANA STAND!
Today, Sky (yes, that IS his name) and I end up going to the largest market in Seasia! It was ridiculous. 40 acres of anything you can imagine. Souviners? You got it. Puppies? Sure. Butcher cleavers? Hopefully not for the puppies…It was the largest market I’ve ever been to, and it was hectic. I bought a few braclets since I try to get one from everywhere, and mainly just walked around. You couldn’t haggle that well, so that’s sad, but it was wild. Really really neat. But since it was over 100 degrees, there was only so much we could take before the crankiness set in. We got back, I jumped in the shower, and napped since that’s what I do. I went to dinner and chatted with some old guy for a while who loved me cause his dauter’s name is Jessica Erin and went out for a few beers before skyping the trusted council to regal them with tales. Soon, the group comes in, railin’ about how they’re going to a ping pong show, and I jump at the opportunity. The night got crazy, riding in a tuk tuk to patpong, which was insane, meeing up with Denis, watching a woman shoot darts at balloons with her vagina, getting kicked out of said show, Chang thirty, and headed home. Bizzare day to say the least.
THERES ALWAYS MONEY IN THE BANANA STAND!
Back in BKK
View of BKKMarch 5th
Holler,
So made it to Bangkok, my least favorite city in Seasia, but this time around I’m actually having a blast. I get to the hostel at 7am, and can’t check in until 2 so I literally just pass out on the mats they have (I love NapPark hostel!) and chat away when I wake up with random people. I make friends with a few of them, and after a shower we decide to go up to the sky bar, an uber posh bar that gives you amazing views of the city. We’re enjoying ourselves, drinking fancy bevies, lookin’ out on Bangkok and chatting away. We move, and somebody random asks us to take a picture of her and her boyfriend, and I look up and recognize the boyfriend as DENIS from the slow boat to Luang Pra Bang!! It was so exciting and random. We chat away, and decide the 5 of us are going to a different bar, and ended up in an Ice bar, which was refreshing in such a hot city.
We had so much fun toolin off in ice tuk tuks and doing absolute shots, and decided to go back to Koh san, where debochery takes place until the wee hours….
Ajarn!
decided to get on a bus to pakse and start making my journey to Bangkok. On the ride I started devouring “The glass castle” which is a great read, and makes me so thankful for my parents (who best be lovin’ the shout out). We arrived to Pakse at the bus station, and I was too lazy to go into town, so I just booked the bus straight on through to Bangkok. We crossed the border, which was stressful. Got stamped in, and apologized to Thailand for cheating on it. I MISSED YOU THAILANDDDDDDD. I love traveling, cause I could not look more new England now if I tried. Brown Bermuda shorts, red sox t shirt, battered green hat….I get a few stares. I chatted some with the friendly thais in my broken thai and their broken English, and went to the bathroom, where I saw myself in the mirror for the first time in a bit and I am looking rough around the edges. Maybe I’ll just lay low in Bangkok so Myanmar doesn’t think I’m insane……..although I got word today that I won’t be teaching elementary, I get to hang out with the babieeees!! SO HAPPY.
Saibaidee Laos, Its been real!!
Saibaidee Laos, Its been real!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Big barbecue!
March 3rd.
I decied to get off my fat falang ass and do something productive with my time, so I signed up for a kayaking journey down the Mekong. As I enjoy being on the water and kayking, I figure this would be right up my ally. It was so relaxing, just you and the river, making it a lovely voyage for the most part. I hung out with the lao guide who pointed at every animal he saw and yelled barbecue, until we made a game of it (he won). There were some rapids, but nothing too extreme, and we made it down to a rock where we had lunch, as it would have been illegal to land since it was Cambodia. Here we watched rare Irraway dolphins swimming, which was cool. The freshwater fishies are not as cool as bottlenose, but neat none the less.
We swam since it was 3432432 degrees on rock in the sun, and then kayaked a little further down stream where we saw south east asias largest waterfall, which was neat, but whatever. After kayaking home, I resumed hammock time, finishing Room: a novel (which I recommend) Surfing the Hymilias (which I DO NOT recommend) and called it an early night. Things I love about Laos: My killer tan!
I decied to get off my fat falang ass and do something productive with my time, so I signed up for a kayaking journey down the Mekong. As I enjoy being on the water and kayking, I figure this would be right up my ally. It was so relaxing, just you and the river, making it a lovely voyage for the most part. I hung out with the lao guide who pointed at every animal he saw and yelled barbecue, until we made a game of it (he won). There were some rapids, but nothing too extreme, and we made it down to a rock where we had lunch, as it would have been illegal to land since it was Cambodia. Here we watched rare Irraway dolphins swimming, which was cool. The freshwater fishies are not as cool as bottlenose, but neat none the less.
We swam since it was 3432432 degrees on rock in the sun, and then kayaked a little further down stream where we saw south east asias largest waterfall, which was neat, but whatever. After kayaking home, I resumed hammock time, finishing Room: a novel (which I recommend) Surfing the Hymilias (which I DO NOT recommend) and called it an early night. Things I love about Laos: My killer tan!
Been there, Don Det
March 1-2nd, Don Det
Made it to 4000 islands, and after trollin’ around found a bungalow. Now, Bungalows aren’t normally my thing. I like big dorm rooms where I can talk to everybody, make heaps of friends and always have somebody to eat with. But for this week. I really just want to lounge in a hammock, read my book. Watch the sun set and relax. I listened to some girl in the internet café talk about all of the shit shes been doing, and its kind of making me feel like a bad traveler, but at the same time, I don’t really care. Its not like I’m doing nothing, well, right now I am. I’m literally swining in a hammock overlooking my favorite river in the world, the Mekong, in the most laid back place I’ve ever been, and realize I’m living the dream.
I do like doing things, experiencing things and the like, and I try, but if you could imagine me calmed down and relaxed, I am right now. Its epic. Everybody in this town, and I use the word town loosly, is just hanging out in hammocks, not doing anything aside from the occasional dip in the Mekong and you get the sense that this is the way life should be. If there was less money in the world nad more hammocks, the world would be such a great place. It makes you look around, and look up, something you’re not doing, and enjoy the little things, which here, are the only things. Its going to be a smack in the face going back to Bangkok, that’s for sure.
Made it to 4000 islands, and after trollin’ around found a bungalow. Now, Bungalows aren’t normally my thing. I like big dorm rooms where I can talk to everybody, make heaps of friends and always have somebody to eat with. But for this week. I really just want to lounge in a hammock, read my book. Watch the sun set and relax. I listened to some girl in the internet café talk about all of the shit shes been doing, and its kind of making me feel like a bad traveler, but at the same time, I don’t really care. Its not like I’m doing nothing, well, right now I am. I’m literally swining in a hammock overlooking my favorite river in the world, the Mekong, in the most laid back place I’ve ever been, and realize I’m living the dream.
I do like doing things, experiencing things and the like, and I try, but if you could imagine me calmed down and relaxed, I am right now. Its epic. Everybody in this town, and I use the word town loosly, is just hanging out in hammocks, not doing anything aside from the occasional dip in the Mekong and you get the sense that this is the way life should be. If there was less money in the world nad more hammocks, the world would be such a great place. It makes you look around, and look up, something you’re not doing, and enjoy the little things, which here, are the only things. Its going to be a smack in the face going back to Bangkok, that’s for sure.
And what I do? Act more stupidly
Beautiful vang viengSo after Vientiane, I made my way to Vang Vieng,which could quickly see this going blog down hill, so I'll spare you the details. I got to the hostel, and made friends with the people that were staying there. The next morning we head to the river, hang out, drink on the river, do the ziplines and rope swings into the river and things go pear shaped, until that night, when things go reallllly pear shaped.
The next day, to recover from said first day, we go to the blue lagoon to cool off. The water was such a perfect blue, and we spend the day jumping from trees, playing volleyball, and relaxing. The rest of the week was spent on the river, playing flip cup, dancing in the rain, mojito buckets, high jumps, low jumps, swimming for hats, wounds, meeting up with old friends, making new friends and general rowdiness. Its everything I hate in traveling, but at the same time, everything I love.
QbarThe last day we decide to get the tubes, and floated down the river taking in the scenery and chatting. It was generally peaceful and a good way to end my time in Vang Vieng.
Tubing
They shouldn't have to COPE with it
Feb 21st
Woke up early to bike to the Myanmar embassy: Visa DENIED. What a hassle. Now I have to get another letter and/or go to Bangkok instead of spending all of my time in Don Det. BUMMER. After stomping around the city for a while I got on my bike and went to COPE, which is my favorite museum I’ve ever been to.
Little known facts:
The most heavily bombed country in the history of the world is Laos.
1 person/day dies from unexploded bombs that they’re trying to collect for scrap metal.
America needs to come in and clean the fuck up. How can they do this to people?
So COPE builds prosthetics for those that have gotten hit by bombs (and they’re hidden in rice fields, under houses and the like). After watching some documentaries, I honestly wanted to throw up just because I’m American. I really wish I was more trained or could help or anything, because if anybody needs it is the Laotians. America bombed them for NO reason, over 500,000 missions with over 100 bombs dropped per mission, there is a lot of UXO (unexploded ordinance) in this country. The museum in Phnom Phen made me upset, but this is distressing because a) people are still dying daily (most of them children who mistake the bombies for toys) and b) because Its AMERICANS that ravaged this country. How dare they think they could do this to a group of people don’t deserve it. And now they’re turning a blind eye, which is disgusting. In a documentary I watched a child at the end said “They aren’t ours. I want them to take it back”
Learn more or donate to the cause
COPElaos.org
So on that depressing tangent, I continued biking, went to the arc de triumph of vientaine, climbed it, wasn’t impressed and spent the afternoon reading on the Mekong with a beer
Vertical Runway?
Woke up early to bike to the Myanmar embassy: Visa DENIED. What a hassle. Now I have to get another letter and/or go to Bangkok instead of spending all of my time in Don Det. BUMMER. After stomping around the city for a while I got on my bike and went to COPE, which is my favorite museum I’ve ever been to.
Little known facts:
The most heavily bombed country in the history of the world is Laos.
1 person/day dies from unexploded bombs that they’re trying to collect for scrap metal.
America needs to come in and clean the fuck up. How can they do this to people?
So COPE builds prosthetics for those that have gotten hit by bombs (and they’re hidden in rice fields, under houses and the like). After watching some documentaries, I honestly wanted to throw up just because I’m American. I really wish I was more trained or could help or anything, because if anybody needs it is the Laotians. America bombed them for NO reason, over 500,000 missions with over 100 bombs dropped per mission, there is a lot of UXO (unexploded ordinance) in this country. The museum in Phnom Phen made me upset, but this is distressing because a) people are still dying daily (most of them children who mistake the bombies for toys) and b) because Its AMERICANS that ravaged this country. How dare they think they could do this to a group of people don’t deserve it. And now they’re turning a blind eye, which is disgusting. In a documentary I watched a child at the end said “They aren’t ours. I want them to take it back”
Learn more or donate to the cause
COPElaos.org
So on that depressing tangent, I continued biking, went to the arc de triumph of vientaine, climbed it, wasn’t impressed and spent the afternoon reading on the Mekong with a beer
Vertical Runway?
Buddah buddah buddah rockin' everywhere
Feb 20th
Woke up and munched on some breakfast with the other folk from the guesthouse till we dcided we were going to Buddah park, which is a cool place (not literally, its still 12432 degrees in this country). It has hindi and buddah statues all in one happy medly, and it was one of the more unique things I’ve ever seen. I walked around the city some, relaxed and got an ICE CREAM SUNDAE WITH HOT FUDGE (little things people) and really just hung out. Vientiane is about the size of New London, and when its hot out, theres not a lot one would feel inspired to do.
Woke up and munched on some breakfast with the other folk from the guesthouse till we dcided we were going to Buddah park, which is a cool place (not literally, its still 12432 degrees in this country). It has hindi and buddah statues all in one happy medly, and it was one of the more unique things I’ve ever seen. I walked around the city some, relaxed and got an ICE CREAM SUNDAE WITH HOT FUDGE (little things people) and really just hung out. Vientiane is about the size of New London, and when its hot out, theres not a lot one would feel inspired to do.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
unbeatable
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley
Capital of what?
I finally found and checked into a guesthouse at approx 10:30 am (read, I had been on the road since 7:30am the previous day!) and got some business taken care of, like printing my invitation letter from burma, getting passport photos done and general putzing around until I took a death nap. Upon waking up, I did something EPs never ever do, and went and got a massage. After 2 days of extreme trekking and a 25+ hour bus ride, I was all sorts of sore in places that I didn’t know it was possible to be in pain. Laos massage>>>> any other massages out there. Since Vientiane is such a laid back city, there isn’t a whole lot going on here, or if there is, I just couldn’t be asked to seek it today. Something about Vientiane, its HOT.
Hell on wheels 2.0
Feb 18th.
So Im on the bus to vientiene, and at least its not a mini van. Oh no, itsa bus full of Laotians with blasting Laotian music. Good thing pharmacies in the country sell you anything cheap and over the counter…… and my ipods charged.
A 21 hour bus ride quickly turned into a 26 hour one, but alls well that ends well, I’m in Vientiane!
So Im on the bus to vientiene, and at least its not a mini van. Oh no, itsa bus full of Laotians with blasting Laotian music. Good thing pharmacies in the country sell you anything cheap and over the counter…… and my ipods charged.
A 21 hour bus ride quickly turned into a 26 hour one, but alls well that ends well, I’m in Vientiane!
PANGLES! WERE LOST
Feb 17
We woke up the next morning to Breakfast, and started our 17km trek down the other side of the mountain. The trek wasn’t really hard, but I was a) the youngest and b) the non-smoker (which I will always be thankful of when I do things like this and scuba diving) so I was cruising up and down the mountain.
Neat jungle tree
One of the girls we went with literally packed everything she owned (roooookie) so was pretty far behind. It was a long haul, but manageable, even in the heat. It was a cool trek, through the Laotian rain forest, underneath the banana trees and the like, and I enjoyed it. That being said, I was really excited to get back to town and get a shower, and use a toilet and the like. I’d like to do more trekking, I just don’t think I expected it to be quite so intense. I really enjoyed getting out of a city, and it was kind of a nice detox for a few days.
Rice paddies
That night we ate dinner and chatted over some Beerlao (best beer in Asia!) and wine, before calling it a night. We decided to leave the next day, Matt to Chiang Mai, and I booked a 24 hour bus to Vientiane, Laos’ capital to get my visa for Myanmar sussed out. I’m not in a rush through Laos since I have 3 more weeks, but theres so much I want to see, and after being lazy through Thailand, I want to get to see most the country.
PANGLES and machete!
We woke up the next morning to Breakfast, and started our 17km trek down the other side of the mountain. The trek wasn’t really hard, but I was a) the youngest and b) the non-smoker (which I will always be thankful of when I do things like this and scuba diving) so I was cruising up and down the mountain.
Neat jungle treeOne of the girls we went with literally packed everything she owned (roooookie) so was pretty far behind. It was a long haul, but manageable, even in the heat. It was a cool trek, through the Laotian rain forest, underneath the banana trees and the like, and I enjoyed it. That being said, I was really excited to get back to town and get a shower, and use a toilet and the like. I’d like to do more trekking, I just don’t think I expected it to be quite so intense. I really enjoyed getting out of a city, and it was kind of a nice detox for a few days.
Rice paddies That night we ate dinner and chatted over some Beerlao (best beer in Asia!) and wine, before calling it a night. We decided to leave the next day, Matt to Chiang Mai, and I booked a 24 hour bus to Vientiane, Laos’ capital to get my visa for Myanmar sussed out. I’m not in a rush through Laos since I have 3 more weeks, but theres so much I want to see, and after being lazy through Thailand, I want to get to see most the country.
PANGLES and machete!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Beatin' Paths
Feb 16th.
We wake up early to start our journey and met the guide. We jumped in a mini van (Cause I haven’t had enough of THOSE) and headed to the night market, where you could buy anything you want. Frogs, Bamboo, raw meat, freshwater seaweed, the works. Matt and I found the SADDEST puppy ever, and I tried a tamarind which is a yummy fruit. We were summoned to start the trek, and we drove to a small village and met the chief, who would be coming with us. We affectionately named him Pengles Bo-Jangles, and he was the funniest man I have ever met, which is saying a lot because he couldn’t speak English. We walked up the mountain, where Pangles, Matt and I were in front because I’m apparently good at hiking? And watched Pang machete trees for no reason and cruise around in is Havana flip flops. Ridiculous. We hiked for about 7km in a few hours, which was no big thing, stopping for lunch of sticky rice and seaweed (I love seaweed) and bamboo shoots.
Mcdonalds in the Jungle
Peculiar, yet delicious. We finally made it to the village for the Lahu people, a group of people who came down from Tibet in the 16th century and HAVENT CHANGED SINCE. They don’t even speak Laotian. There are a few buildings, and lots of pigs, chickens, roosters and dogs (and some very cute puppies).
We roll up into this town and sit down and all of the village kids are just staring at up. They were so cute and so funny! We would take their picture, and they would demand to see it on playback. As they got more curious and more comfortable, they would start pointing at the camera. So I would let them use it to take pictures of each other (with me holding it of course) and they thought it was the best thing ever. Some of the pictures are so funny as well.
Boys will be boys
We saw a house where 4 families stayed in a house maybe the size of my Parent’s downstairs tv room and blue room put together (so maybe enough for 2 people, but not 12!) The food was good as everything was fresh and cooked over fire, but the people didn’t have plumbing, so that was gross. They didn’t even have an outhouse. It was a special few days. Once the sun went down we (the foreigners) chatted with the light of the moon, and looked at the stars. Since there was no lights, we coudlnt’ do anything, no cards, no reading, nothing, and just went to bed around 9. This was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen, easily. It makes me really thankful to be born in America, but these people didn’t seem to care that that’s how they lived. They know nothing else, other than living on top of a mountain in the middle of a national park. It was kind of like something you see in a movie, but don’t spend a night in, and in my last year of travel, this is going to be one of the experiences I really remember, and really treasure.
Views from NamHa state park
We wake up early to start our journey and met the guide. We jumped in a mini van (Cause I haven’t had enough of THOSE) and headed to the night market, where you could buy anything you want. Frogs, Bamboo, raw meat, freshwater seaweed, the works. Matt and I found the SADDEST puppy ever, and I tried a tamarind which is a yummy fruit. We were summoned to start the trek, and we drove to a small village and met the chief, who would be coming with us. We affectionately named him Pengles Bo-Jangles, and he was the funniest man I have ever met, which is saying a lot because he couldn’t speak English. We walked up the mountain, where Pangles, Matt and I were in front because I’m apparently good at hiking? And watched Pang machete trees for no reason and cruise around in is Havana flip flops. Ridiculous. We hiked for about 7km in a few hours, which was no big thing, stopping for lunch of sticky rice and seaweed (I love seaweed) and bamboo shoots.
Mcdonalds in the JunglePeculiar, yet delicious. We finally made it to the village for the Lahu people, a group of people who came down from Tibet in the 16th century and HAVENT CHANGED SINCE. They don’t even speak Laotian. There are a few buildings, and lots of pigs, chickens, roosters and dogs (and some very cute puppies).
We roll up into this town and sit down and all of the village kids are just staring at up. They were so cute and so funny! We would take their picture, and they would demand to see it on playback. As they got more curious and more comfortable, they would start pointing at the camera. So I would let them use it to take pictures of each other (with me holding it of course) and they thought it was the best thing ever. Some of the pictures are so funny as well.
Boys will be boysWe saw a house where 4 families stayed in a house maybe the size of my Parent’s downstairs tv room and blue room put together (so maybe enough for 2 people, but not 12!) The food was good as everything was fresh and cooked over fire, but the people didn’t have plumbing, so that was gross. They didn’t even have an outhouse. It was a special few days. Once the sun went down we (the foreigners) chatted with the light of the moon, and looked at the stars. Since there was no lights, we coudlnt’ do anything, no cards, no reading, nothing, and just went to bed around 9. This was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen, easily. It makes me really thankful to be born in America, but these people didn’t seem to care that that’s how they lived. They know nothing else, other than living on top of a mountain in the middle of a national park. It was kind of like something you see in a movie, but don’t spend a night in, and in my last year of travel, this is going to be one of the experiences I really remember, and really treasure.
Views from NamHa state park
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Hell on wheels
Feb 15th.
So today Matt and I, along with 9 other travelers took off for the North of Laos, Namtha. This is the “eco-tourism” capital of Laos, and I was excited to get out of a city for a few days. Namtha is situated on Nam Ha NPA (National protected area). The bus ride was supposed to be 7 hours, but since this IS Laos, it took at least 10. Hellish. Hours. Let me tell you about Laos’ major highway. It is a)through mountains, so curvy and up and down and not a pleasant road and b) UN. PAVED most of the way. That’s right people. We’re on a dirt path through the mountains for far too long. We got to Namtha though, checked into a hotel and went for dinner in a tiny market in a town that makes Norwich look poppin’. Curfew: 10:30. Things to do after 9? Nonexistent. We debated what to do before running into a girl on the bus who suggested we get our asses in gear and sign up for a trek. We picked the “lahu authentic experience” from Jungle Eco-adventures, and tried to recruit others, as the more people on the trek, the cheaper it is. This is mainly unsuccessful, save one other girl from the bus. Happy with our choices we went to bed as there was nothing else to do. Welcome to Laos.
Things I like about Namtha: Coconut Sticky Rice in Bamboo. Simply Delish!
So today Matt and I, along with 9 other travelers took off for the North of Laos, Namtha. This is the “eco-tourism” capital of Laos, and I was excited to get out of a city for a few days. Namtha is situated on Nam Ha NPA (National protected area). The bus ride was supposed to be 7 hours, but since this IS Laos, it took at least 10. Hellish. Hours. Let me tell you about Laos’ major highway. It is a)through mountains, so curvy and up and down and not a pleasant road and b) UN. PAVED most of the way. That’s right people. We’re on a dirt path through the mountains for far too long. We got to Namtha though, checked into a hotel and went for dinner in a tiny market in a town that makes Norwich look poppin’. Curfew: 10:30. Things to do after 9? Nonexistent. We debated what to do before running into a girl on the bus who suggested we get our asses in gear and sign up for a trek. We picked the “lahu authentic experience” from Jungle Eco-adventures, and tried to recruit others, as the more people on the trek, the cheaper it is. This is mainly unsuccessful, save one other girl from the bus. Happy with our choices we went to bed as there was nothing else to do. Welcome to Laos.
Things I like about Namtha: Coconut Sticky Rice in Bamboo. Simply Delish!
Prangin' Luang
Neato TempleAll of my friends left fairly early, which left me to my own devices. After making friends with an American named Matt, we learned that we both wanted to go up north, to Luang Namtha, so we walked around, got lunch (Koh Soy is ultra delcious) and booked Bus tickets out of Luang Prabang. I then wandered to Wat Xian *maybe* Thong, which was actually a beautiful temple. I’m not going to lie, I’m a little over temples, but this one I enjoyed. There was nothing to make it ultra special but it was beautiful with mirrors, and murals, and gold work and the like. I enjoyed it. Good for you, Laos. That night I ate at the night market, picked up a few pairs of SE asia pants since they’re super comfy, watched a movie in the hostel, and hung out with the “baby brits” who were the boys in my hostel (7 18 year old boys?) who called me mamma bear. Since LPB is ultra laid back, there wasn't anything else to do, so it was a chill night. All in all it was time to bid adeu to Luang Prabang.
Pretty buildings in LPB
Thursday, March 3, 2011
On Homesickness
I know, I know, proper blog posts soon, as soon as I can get into a country that has proper photo-uploading capabilities (IE, Bangkok this week)
One of the questions I get asked most as a backpacker is if I ever get homesick. Each time I say confidently, after your first christmas away, its no big thing. And I realize now, that thats kind of a lie, but its not a constant homesickness, more of a random thing. Like today, when a guide handed me half of a watermelon, all I could think of as I was sitting on a rock on the Mekong is how my mom used to buy heaps of fruit in the summer, and much to her dismay, my father (This is true people) cuts out bite size portions, stabs them with the knife and then eats them. And I was sitting on the rock, after kayaking forever to get to it, I realized it was a day my fater would have enjoyed (even though there was no spear for his watermelon) and I was kind of sad to not be home.
But Home is where the heart is, and my heart is on the road <3
One of the questions I get asked most as a backpacker is if I ever get homesick. Each time I say confidently, after your first christmas away, its no big thing. And I realize now, that thats kind of a lie, but its not a constant homesickness, more of a random thing. Like today, when a guide handed me half of a watermelon, all I could think of as I was sitting on a rock on the Mekong is how my mom used to buy heaps of fruit in the summer, and much to her dismay, my father (This is true people) cuts out bite size portions, stabs them with the knife and then eats them. And I was sitting on the rock, after kayaking forever to get to it, I realized it was a day my fater would have enjoyed (even though there was no spear for his watermelon) and I was kind of sad to not be home.
But Home is where the heart is, and my heart is on the road <3
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