I wonder as I wander

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

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!

Back in BKK

View of BKK
March 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!!

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!