Thursday, March 10, 2011
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
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