Tomorrow is the last day of my yoga course in Nong Khai and on completion I will begin my journey back to Melbourne. It feels like years ago that I packed my bags and headed off to the airport. So much has happened, I couldn't have imagined it being any better.
When I set out I deliberately tried not to have too many expectations. I didn't book my flights in between countries so that I would have the freedom to go where I wanted when the time seemed right. This was the best choice I could have made. It meant I could savor the relaxing moments. At the same time, if I didn't feel like I was getting a good vibe, I could move on.
Here I am going to get all [insert word here] on it and express some realizations I have made. Personal insights, if you will:
Firstly, that I love the company of friends and family. It was around the forth week that I actually started feeling a little homesick. For Melbourne and NZ. I realised I really missed the company of people I love and intimate moments. Mia, a traveling companion in Laos, had purchased a little bib for her niece and the person that had made it had hand-sewn the word 'Laos' onto it. Only the s was backwards. It made me laugh, rather a lot. After I laughed I noticed it was the first time I'd laughed in weeks. Which brings me to number two on my list of 'personal travel insights' - that's PTI's.
Laughing. I love it. Who doesn't? You'd have to be pretty crazy not to. It is, indeed, the best medicine. That's one thing I love about being in the company of friends and family. So much laughter. Without it I feel incomplete.
Three on my list of PTI's is renewed acknowledgement and appreciation of home country. I come from one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I have been told on numerous occasions by travelers that NZ is their favourite country. Us New Zealanders get told it all the time. But we tend to forget, or take it for granted. It's really easy to become so familiar with the lakes and the mountains and the glaciers that you don't actually see it - even though it's right there. One thing I for one never even thought about was the population. Traveling around Southeast Asia is beautiful. It is also densely populated. New Zealand is huge, and hardly anyone lives there. I mean ... (let's just keep it quiet aye? Don't want everyone jumping the ditch now).
My forth PTI is closely linked with number three and concerns the worlds top cities. Well, I have a new found appreciation of the town I couldn't wait to leave. Wellington, while small, is one damn cool city. It is a vibrant, happening and stunning place. It remains the beat city I've ever seen - on a good day. Haha. For those of you who are from Wellington you will understand this joke. You see, there is a saying that goes 'can't beat Wellington on a good day'. Pity that in terms of weather, it has about three good days a year. BUT, weather aside, it rules.
I think that may be it on the PTI's. Well, on the ones I am willing to share on a blog. Interesting that it seems to be the things I have loved most about this trip - namely, the beautiful people I've met and places i've seen - that has reminded me of what I already have. I only have to open my eyes properly and see that which is right in front of me.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
International traveller. By train is best.
Several nights ago I took the overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Nong Khai, a town on the border of Thailand and Laos. For me, the sleeper train was like being rocked to sleep in a cot. I find traveling on trains extremely therapeutic and relaxing and always have.
Some of my favorite train journeys took place when I was at high school. Every Friday after school, I used to travel by train for an hour. The journey was from Masterton to Waterloo where Dad would be waiting to pick me up in the car. We'd then head to Eastbourne for my piano lesson with Bea (my Grandmother), sometimes stopping off for a sausy roll or chippies to get us through. I loved those afternoons.
Traveling by train then is something I look forward to. In fact, I would rather travel by train than car or bus any. Just sitting and having countryside whizzing by. Lovely.
That's all I've got for today folks. I'm on day three of a 7 day yoga course and feeling very relaxed and somewhat tired. I just attempted to go to a sculpture park, but turned back after being groped by man on a motorbike and then followed. The guy was trying to break my yoga zen. No such luck. Bit creepy though. So instead I'm sitting back reading my book overlooking the Mekong and listening to 'Longtime' by Salmonella Dub. Great song.
Not bad at all.
Some of my favorite train journeys took place when I was at high school. Every Friday after school, I used to travel by train for an hour. The journey was from Masterton to Waterloo where Dad would be waiting to pick me up in the car. We'd then head to Eastbourne for my piano lesson with Bea (my Grandmother), sometimes stopping off for a sausy roll or chippies to get us through. I loved those afternoons.
Traveling by train then is something I look forward to. In fact, I would rather travel by train than car or bus any. Just sitting and having countryside whizzing by. Lovely.
That's all I've got for today folks. I'm on day three of a 7 day yoga course and feeling very relaxed and somewhat tired. I just attempted to go to a sculpture park, but turned back after being groped by man on a motorbike and then followed. The guy was trying to break my yoga zen. No such luck. Bit creepy though. So instead I'm sitting back reading my book overlooking the Mekong and listening to 'Longtime' by Salmonella Dub. Great song.
Not bad at all.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Letter to Bangkok
Back in Thailand, the land of pop music. The fact that I know the words to Bruno Mars 'the lazy song', may be an indication that I have heard it one too many times since being in Thailand (although, I do have a talent for storing useless pieces of information for a very long time).
Its good to be back. Spent a day in Bangkok and thought I'd write a letter to the city, just for something different.
Dear Bangkok,
I spent half a day in Bangkok and looking back on that day, it's interesting that the one thing that stood out was the traffic. More specifically, the traffic control and their use of whistles. I mean really, what is this about? They stand at the end of a driveway/ intersection/road/ or just at random with their arms out blowing a whistle. Constantly. Unremittingly. But, let's not be fooled. There is absolutely no method to the madness whatsoever. I couldn't help but wonder whether it would be just as efficient, and sufficiently less piercing, if the whistles were removed altogether. Or - just to be really out there - I wonder what would happen if we removed these personal altogether? Probably not much. The traffic would still move at a crawl, and several people would lose some jobs. We don't want that. So just lose the whistles yeah?
Yours peacefully,
Tess
Its good to be back. Spent a day in Bangkok and thought I'd write a letter to the city, just for something different.
Dear Bangkok,
I spent half a day in Bangkok and looking back on that day, it's interesting that the one thing that stood out was the traffic. More specifically, the traffic control and their use of whistles. I mean really, what is this about? They stand at the end of a driveway/ intersection/road/ or just at random with their arms out blowing a whistle. Constantly. Unremittingly. But, let's not be fooled. There is absolutely no method to the madness whatsoever. I couldn't help but wonder whether it would be just as efficient, and sufficiently less piercing, if the whistles were removed altogether. Or - just to be really out there - I wonder what would happen if we removed these personal altogether? Probably not much. The traffic would still move at a crawl, and several people would lose some jobs. We don't want that. So just lose the whistles yeah?
Yours peacefully,
Tess
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Luang Prabang? For me it's the textiles.
Luang Prabang is a city with a good vibe. You must give it a couple of days, and then you will be able to find your feet. It's a really interesting city architecturally, with a mixture of traditional Lao wooden houses and those of European influence - reminders of when Laos was part of the French colony of Indochine. The city is known for the large number of Wats (monestary temples) that are dotted with their gold roofs throughout the city centre. The three main streets are bordered by the Nam Khan river and the Mekong, meaning there are countless offers of boatrides as you take to the streets.
The first morning here I was woken at 5 am to the soft beat of monks drumming. Following this I got myself up out of bed, like every other tourist in Luang Prabang, in order to see the daily procession of monks through the city for the alms giving ceremony. In which monks collect their daily offerings from the towns people. It is a beautiful sight to see. Kind of. I bet it used to be, when they did it unobserved. What I found almost more intriguing, however, was the people with cameras lining the streets. Soon it will be something that is paid for. I am guilty in that I took some pictures. Yes I did. My bad.
The last few days I have really enjoyed mooching about, so to speak. Yesterday I went to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology centre which was so interesting. One of the things I was looking forward to the most about visiting Southeast Asia was the textiles and fabrics. I have a quiet obsession. The centre had on display a whole range of clothing, weaving and implements used by Lao people throughout history. Some of the garments are incredible! Handsewn and with so much detail. I especially like the headpieces with an immense array of coins and fabrics. In some villages the headpiece is seen as a sign of status and wealth for a women, where it is added to over the years, worn on most occassions. At night some of the villagers come into Luang Prabang and sell their local crafts at the night market. There are rows and rows of scarves, silk, bags, clothing and jewelry. I had to stop myself from buying EVERYTHING. At first some of the prices seem rather expensive. Until you take into consideration the amount of work that has gone into each piece - some silk scarves take a week or more to make.
My fascination with textiles saw me enroling in a dying and weaving class at Ok Pop Tok. I was amazed to learn that wood, leaves, turmeric, tamarind, Indigo and rusty nails are some of the things used to dye silk. If you're an ignoramus like me, you'll be thinking 'No!' But I assure you, those are some of the things used to dye our lovely scarves. I got to crush up some turmeric in a mortar and pestle, while Helen did the same to indigo leaves. We then put these in some boiling water, stirred it for a bit, added the silk, rinsed it, dried it and before you could say Bobs your uncle we have some blue, yellow and pink silk. I was stunned.
We then went and spun the silk, learning from our skilled and very efficient Lao teachers. Weaving and dying have been passed down through generations of Lao women. Mothers teaching their daughters how to do basic weaving at an early age and later teaching them more intricate designs. These often depict aspects of nature, such as plants and animals. Our teachers were gorgeous. The entire afternoon, while overlooking our weaving, they chatted away to each other in their gentle Lao banter. It was actually quite comforting. My teacher smelt like soap. Made me want to hug my grandparents and ask them about their crafts. We wove (sp?!) into the afternoon, and several hours later, had hand-woven a nice pink silk piece (I'd call it a scarf, but it's not that big, more of a ... Wall Thingy). It was a really interesting and rewarding course to take part in. Now I'm even more intrigued by textiles!
Tomorrow I leave this quaint town. It may come as a surprise to most that I am heading back to Thailand. Vietnam is now on the cards for next year (who is going to come with me?!) as I feel I am low on time and want to give it my full attention. Instead, I am on route to Nong Khai to do a week long yoga course. Ahhhhhh yoga, how I love thee.
Few last random facts and doings: Last night Mia, Kate and I happened upon the local hip hop crew. They put on a performance at the bar we were at. I love random little gigs like that. The last thing I would have ever expected was to see a hip hop performance in Laos. Haha. Good times indeed. Also, the restaurant I am in is playing Neil Young. For those that know me well, know the power Neil Young has over me. It just brightened my mood remarkably. And in Laos.
The first morning here I was woken at 5 am to the soft beat of monks drumming. Following this I got myself up out of bed, like every other tourist in Luang Prabang, in order to see the daily procession of monks through the city for the alms giving ceremony. In which monks collect their daily offerings from the towns people. It is a beautiful sight to see. Kind of. I bet it used to be, when they did it unobserved. What I found almost more intriguing, however, was the people with cameras lining the streets. Soon it will be something that is paid for. I am guilty in that I took some pictures. Yes I did. My bad.
The last few days I have really enjoyed mooching about, so to speak. Yesterday I went to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology centre which was so interesting. One of the things I was looking forward to the most about visiting Southeast Asia was the textiles and fabrics. I have a quiet obsession. The centre had on display a whole range of clothing, weaving and implements used by Lao people throughout history. Some of the garments are incredible! Handsewn and with so much detail. I especially like the headpieces with an immense array of coins and fabrics. In some villages the headpiece is seen as a sign of status and wealth for a women, where it is added to over the years, worn on most occassions. At night some of the villagers come into Luang Prabang and sell their local crafts at the night market. There are rows and rows of scarves, silk, bags, clothing and jewelry. I had to stop myself from buying EVERYTHING. At first some of the prices seem rather expensive. Until you take into consideration the amount of work that has gone into each piece - some silk scarves take a week or more to make.
My fascination with textiles saw me enroling in a dying and weaving class at Ok Pop Tok. I was amazed to learn that wood, leaves, turmeric, tamarind, Indigo and rusty nails are some of the things used to dye silk. If you're an ignoramus like me, you'll be thinking 'No!' But I assure you, those are some of the things used to dye our lovely scarves. I got to crush up some turmeric in a mortar and pestle, while Helen did the same to indigo leaves. We then put these in some boiling water, stirred it for a bit, added the silk, rinsed it, dried it and before you could say Bobs your uncle we have some blue, yellow and pink silk. I was stunned.
We then went and spun the silk, learning from our skilled and very efficient Lao teachers. Weaving and dying have been passed down through generations of Lao women. Mothers teaching their daughters how to do basic weaving at an early age and later teaching them more intricate designs. These often depict aspects of nature, such as plants and animals. Our teachers were gorgeous. The entire afternoon, while overlooking our weaving, they chatted away to each other in their gentle Lao banter. It was actually quite comforting. My teacher smelt like soap. Made me want to hug my grandparents and ask them about their crafts. We wove (sp?!) into the afternoon, and several hours later, had hand-woven a nice pink silk piece (I'd call it a scarf, but it's not that big, more of a ... Wall Thingy). It was a really interesting and rewarding course to take part in. Now I'm even more intrigued by textiles!
Tomorrow I leave this quaint town. It may come as a surprise to most that I am heading back to Thailand. Vietnam is now on the cards for next year (who is going to come with me?!) as I feel I am low on time and want to give it my full attention. Instead, I am on route to Nong Khai to do a week long yoga course. Ahhhhhh yoga, how I love thee.
Few last random facts and doings: Last night Mia, Kate and I happened upon the local hip hop crew. They put on a performance at the bar we were at. I love random little gigs like that. The last thing I would have ever expected was to see a hip hop performance in Laos. Haha. Good times indeed. Also, the restaurant I am in is playing Neil Young. For those that know me well, know the power Neil Young has over me. It just brightened my mood remarkably. And in Laos.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoy ... what an adventure.
Nong Khiaw is a little town about three hours drive north of Luang Prabang. I was fortunate enough to sit next to Christopher, a lovely chap from Austria, on the drive there. We managed to pass the time talking and he talked at length about mantak chia and lots of very interesting information regarding the human body, our organs and the links with emotions and energy.
We arrived in Nong Khiaw and lugged our packs along the streets, where chickens and children seemed to be the overwhelming presence. We found some nice little bungalows next to the Mekong river and then headed out to explore. Up we went past the local temple, where kids tried to get money out of us. Children always seem to approach me. I think I may look like an easy target. "Money kip", they said, with their hands outstretched. They didn't get my money this time.
Past the temple we could see a dirt road heading up the hill so we took to it. Round the hillside we went and came out at the top overlooking Nong Khiaw and it was quite a spectacular view. The Mekong river sweeping through the village and under the bridge with mountains and valleys as far as the eye could see. All of a sudden there was the most impressive thunder clap I have ever heard and it started to rain, so we made our way back down the hill.
That night we stood on the amazing bridge that connects one side of the village with the other and met another lone traveler by the name of Ben. We all just chatted on the bridge for a couple of hours taking in the beautiful scenery. It was an enjoyable way to pass the time.
The next day Ben and I jumped on a boat and headed further up the Mekong to a remote village called Muang Ngoy. Christopher headed back to Luang Prabang to start his long journey over the border to Vietnam. On the boat I met two lovely Australians, Kate and Mia, and we all found a cute little bungalow with a hammock overlooking the Mekong.
That afternoon I was taking a walk around the village. Which is super cute I might add. The children in this part of Laos are possibly the cutest children I have ever seen and they all say "Sabaidee!!" and have the cutest little smiles. I was walking along and a local man comes up and asks where I'm heading, where I'm from and all the rest. We decide to go and look at the cave which was used in the war as a hide out by the local people, when America was bombing the heck out of Laos. I thought we were heading on a little walk. Turns out it was more of a trek, and I was in jandles. We climb up this mountain and I keep thinking "hmmm I wonder how far...should I turn back?" but decide to trust Kaw so we get to this cave and it is absolutely amazing. Several hundred locals had hidden in there and he had a torch and showed me where they had slept and the fires they'd lit to cook. Outside the cave there were bullets and other gun paraphernalia. It was all very surreal. Then, for some strange reason, I thought it was a good idea to head further up the mountain to reach the summit where we could look out over the village. This was even MORE of a climb and I arrived at the summit, hot, sweaty, muddy, but somewhat victorious. The view was incredible. Kaw informed me that the population of Muang Ngoy was around 850. Very small and intimate.
Kaw tells me we can reach the bottom by going another way, down the other side of the mountain - where there is no track. We start down and more than once I was thinking 'what the hell am I doing?" As well as "I'm not so sure about this". But then I remembered how Jon once told me I was like Chucky from rugrats (which was true). So I thought "Harden up. It's an adventure!" I'm lucky that I found the whole thing amusing and was laughing. Otherwise, the trees stabbing me, the ripped pants, the unknown jungle around us, the slippery mountain slope, and the fact that I was trusting somewhat I had known for all of an hour may have resulted in a tantrum. But we reached the bottom safe and sound. Thank God.
Later that afternoon Kate, Mia and I were lucky enough to stumble across the local soccer match which Kaw had informed me of. It involved two teams of three and a volleyball net. It was kind of like volleyball, but using your feet and a woven bamboo ball. They were incredibly good! The children spectators were possibly my favourite part. Goosing about on a bench and riding their bikes. It was a nice afternoon.
The next day I headed back to Luang Prabang with Kate and Mia. We thought we were getting a bus from Nong Khiaw. Turns out we are in a tuk tuk. A tuk tuk that is meant to sit 15 and instead is seating 25! Yes. Not ideal. Now I know what it feels like to be cattle. Herded from one village to the next over extremely bumpy and windy roads. Two men were even standing at the back of the tuk tuk at one point, with two sitting behind the driver in the cab with their knees up around their heads.
All in all, the journey north was quite an adventure from start to finsih. It is nice to be back in civilisation.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Valleys, both real and imagined and the concept of danger
The drive from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang was possibly the best drive I've ever had. Coming in a close second was driving up to Gisbourne with Si, Stefan and Samson because that was super fun. This drive, on the other hand, was the most breathtaking 7 hours of my life. Around every corner I was seeing a way of living that is so completely different to my own. People living off the land and using what they have to survive. Building homes from materials collected in the jungle and these houses were the most beautifully crafted houses I've ever seen. It really overwhelmed me. I think it has something to do with my love of barns and treehouses and wood.
It reminds me of making a miniature village as a child. Sarah and I made it with Kerry and Judy's children (I forget their names) at the Oahu out of sticks and wood and straw we'd collected from the forest. Then there was Troll Valley. Our next door neighbors, the Stevens, had a massive pile of dirt in their backyard (sounds delightful doesn't it?). We all thought it was a perfect opportunity to a) get dirty and b) get creative. So we began constructing our own little valley with houses, lakes, roads, waterfalls and it was amazing!! Then Rupert and James came along with their toy trucks and destroyed it. Almost imitates real life when you think about it. Wow, that was an aside if ever I had one. I'm definitely not trying to compare Troll Valley with the villages I passed yesterday. Far from it. I just had so much appreciation for all the villages we passed and think humans are incredible, the way we adapt to our surroundings.
At one point the van stopped and there was a landslide up ahead. Several people jumped out and the locals were sitting beside their houses on the side of the road watching the action, and watching us. While we were simultaneously watching the action and watching them. As we drove past the slip I could see that it had done some damage to some houses and I really felt for the families that now had a lot of work ahead of them.
Coming through a village some chickens ran out on the road and the driver just ran over them. I gasped. The driver smiled, shook his head and looked very unperturbed. Couldn't help but think 'I'm glad that wasn't a human'. I then became quite conscious of all the kids and babies playing on the road and started thinking about the concept of danger.
Our understanding of danger seems to be completely shaped by our surroundings and by what we learn from people around us. Is it nature? Is it nurture? Is it both? For instance, in Laos it is commonplace to see an infant or baby perched at the front of a motorbike looking very at ease. This is what they are used to. For them it is normal and so very little thought probably goes into thinking about the dangers involved. It also requires some kind of awareness by both parties to avoid danger and to have some common sense. It seems to me that while it is important for children to understand the concept of danger, the Western world seems to have gone beyond this and has taken away that which is learned. For example, when I started primary school the slide at my school was the highest, longest thing you've ever seen. Made out of some sort of metal that probably had bits sticking out. When I left school, all the playground equipment was plastic and about knee height. Thus removing any likelihood of danger. But also removing a child's opportunity to learn and make decisions concerning their own safety. Here I am debating danger. Why? Why?! That's what my brain gets up to when left to its own devices. I'm not saying w should all be carrying our babies on our motorbikes and dancing in front of cars, I just think that there is only so much cotton wool you can apply before we all turn into fuddy duddy scaredy cats. Or is that just me? Thoughts and opinions on this welcome.
I have spent the day in Luang Prabang and it is a lovely city. Heading to Nong Khiew tomorrow to do some trekking.
Also, I am aware that I spelt observant wrong. There is one thing in this life that I have accepted I will never be, and that is a good speller. Is it an a or an e? Is it a double l or a single l? I am unsure.
Goodnight.
Lily pop
It reminds me of making a miniature village as a child. Sarah and I made it with Kerry and Judy's children (I forget their names) at the Oahu out of sticks and wood and straw we'd collected from the forest. Then there was Troll Valley. Our next door neighbors, the Stevens, had a massive pile of dirt in their backyard (sounds delightful doesn't it?). We all thought it was a perfect opportunity to a) get dirty and b) get creative. So we began constructing our own little valley with houses, lakes, roads, waterfalls and it was amazing!! Then Rupert and James came along with their toy trucks and destroyed it. Almost imitates real life when you think about it. Wow, that was an aside if ever I had one. I'm definitely not trying to compare Troll Valley with the villages I passed yesterday. Far from it. I just had so much appreciation for all the villages we passed and think humans are incredible, the way we adapt to our surroundings.
At one point the van stopped and there was a landslide up ahead. Several people jumped out and the locals were sitting beside their houses on the side of the road watching the action, and watching us. While we were simultaneously watching the action and watching them. As we drove past the slip I could see that it had done some damage to some houses and I really felt for the families that now had a lot of work ahead of them.
Coming through a village some chickens ran out on the road and the driver just ran over them. I gasped. The driver smiled, shook his head and looked very unperturbed. Couldn't help but think 'I'm glad that wasn't a human'. I then became quite conscious of all the kids and babies playing on the road and started thinking about the concept of danger.
Our understanding of danger seems to be completely shaped by our surroundings and by what we learn from people around us. Is it nature? Is it nurture? Is it both? For instance, in Laos it is commonplace to see an infant or baby perched at the front of a motorbike looking very at ease. This is what they are used to. For them it is normal and so very little thought probably goes into thinking about the dangers involved. It also requires some kind of awareness by both parties to avoid danger and to have some common sense. It seems to me that while it is important for children to understand the concept of danger, the Western world seems to have gone beyond this and has taken away that which is learned. For example, when I started primary school the slide at my school was the highest, longest thing you've ever seen. Made out of some sort of metal that probably had bits sticking out. When I left school, all the playground equipment was plastic and about knee height. Thus removing any likelihood of danger. But also removing a child's opportunity to learn and make decisions concerning their own safety. Here I am debating danger. Why? Why?! That's what my brain gets up to when left to its own devices. I'm not saying w should all be carrying our babies on our motorbikes and dancing in front of cars, I just think that there is only so much cotton wool you can apply before we all turn into fuddy duddy scaredy cats. Or is that just me? Thoughts and opinions on this welcome.
I have spent the day in Luang Prabang and it is a lovely city. Heading to Nong Khiew tomorrow to do some trekking.
Also, I am aware that I spelt observant wrong. There is one thing in this life that I have accepted I will never be, and that is a good speller. Is it an a or an e? Is it a double l or a single l? I am unsure.
Goodnight.
Lily pop
Moments in time, from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang
Leaving Vang Vieng.
Novices riding their bikes.
A streak of bright orange, contrasted against the green fields and mountains.
Two young girls.
They could be sisters, or friends.
Walking along the road sharing a moment.
Their arms wrapped around each other.
Cows aimlessly plodding.
The bells around their necks make a melody,
of sorts.
Women and children walk in pairs, carrying baskets to and from home.
The baskets are handwoven and sit on their backs, dangling from straps that run across their foreheads,
like headbands.
They make it look effortless.
A young woman washing her clothes.
Outside.
Next to a mountain.
From a bucket,
and under a tap.
Men squat on the ground making cement.
One man holding each side of a giant sieve, sifting the sand, as houses are slowly erected and buildings repaired.
Everything done carefully, meticulously. By hand.
Workers in their cotton shirts, and their floppy hats drive by on mopeds.
Turn the corner and a man stands alone in the rain.
Watching out over the fields from the road, under a blue umbrella.
Smiling.
Beautifully constructed houses, precariously perched on mountain sides.
Straw, bamboo, wood and cement.
With chickens, goats, cows and pigs all roaming free.
A child walks along the dirt road.
She has a bottle in each hand.
Water for her family, collected from the nearest waterfall.
Mountains line the roads,
disappearing into the clouds.
Meanwhile,
the Mekong casually floats alongside their lives.
A quiet observer, often going unnoticed.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Few photos from Chiang Mai
The first few photos are of the Wat I went to in Chiang Mai and wrote about several posts back.
These last photos are of the jungle flight I did in Chiang Mai. Very fun times indeed.
More to come. Me and photo uploading are not having a good time at the moment. At all.
These last photos are of the jungle flight I did in Chiang Mai. Very fun times indeed.
More to come. Me and photo uploading are not having a good time at the moment. At all.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Observations from Vang Vieng
My 24 hour bus trip to Vang Vieng was ... Interesting. I think I slept for about an hour, tops, and spent the rest of the time bumping up and down. Kind of like Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura When Nature Calls. The beauty of this country is breathtaking. Green fields, rice paddy fields, and mountains. Towering mountains. The last bus we took between Vientiane and Vang Vieng kept on breaking down and I thought it was pretty hilarious that the clock up the front was stuck on 11.50. We started out late and even though we were breaking down all the time, it was still 11.50. Who cares what the time is right? That was my first observation. My second was that from what I can gather people in Laos drive on the right side of the road. Unless they can't be bothered, and then they drive wherever they like.
Third observation is that amidst all the paddy fields, of which there are many, there always seems to be one lone straw hut. Just one. I was wondering what this hut was for, as I never seemed to see anything, nor anyone in it. I concluded it must have been for the workers and this was veriified when the next hut we passed had a bunch of men lying in it.
My final observation was regarding tourism. A large majority of people in Laos are living in conditions that are something I could never really comprehend. As we drove through villages I noticed the houses made out of bamboo, straw and clay and inside them there was very little. Just the basic necessities, no more, no less. Enough to survive. It struck me that they must look at these buses driving past filled with people and wonder why we are coming to pay money to look at their country, and more so, at them. I felt like I was invading their lives, which I think tourism does to a large extinct. I have tried very hard on this journey to be conscious of where I go and what I take part in for this very reason, as I believe people have a right to their own privacy and to have their own customs without their lives being encroached upon.
I just had one more observation. I am sitting in a place called Oh La La and it is true, Vang Vieng love to play reruns of friends and family guy on TVs. That wasn't the observation, this is: it is PISSING down. Bucketing. I am lazing inside on a sofa with my book and not planning on moving for a while yet.
From Vang Vieng
Observent
Third observation is that amidst all the paddy fields, of which there are many, there always seems to be one lone straw hut. Just one. I was wondering what this hut was for, as I never seemed to see anything, nor anyone in it. I concluded it must have been for the workers and this was veriified when the next hut we passed had a bunch of men lying in it.
My final observation was regarding tourism. A large majority of people in Laos are living in conditions that are something I could never really comprehend. As we drove through villages I noticed the houses made out of bamboo, straw and clay and inside them there was very little. Just the basic necessities, no more, no less. Enough to survive. It struck me that they must look at these buses driving past filled with people and wonder why we are coming to pay money to look at their country, and more so, at them. I felt like I was invading their lives, which I think tourism does to a large extinct. I have tried very hard on this journey to be conscious of where I go and what I take part in for this very reason, as I believe people have a right to their own privacy and to have their own customs without their lives being encroached upon.
I just had one more observation. I am sitting in a place called Oh La La and it is true, Vang Vieng love to play reruns of friends and family guy on TVs. That wasn't the observation, this is: it is PISSING down. Bucketing. I am lazing inside on a sofa with my book and not planning on moving for a while yet.
From Vang Vieng
Observent
Monday, August 8, 2011
My My Pai
Nestled in the mountains several hours north of Chiang Mai is the beautiful village Pai. On Saturday I decided to take part in a cooking course and work out why Thai food is so good! I chose a little course by the name of 'Tase of Pai' that was taken by Pinpaa (most likely I have spelt that wrong, apologies). There were four of us enrolled in the course and spent the first few hours at the market, where Pinpaa showed us all the different vegetables, herbs and spices that are used in Thai cooking. Then we were off back to the school to cook 6 (yes 6!!) meals. I cooked Pad Thai, Spicey Tom Yum prawn soup, stirfried vegetables with ginger, sticky rice with mango, penang curry paste, and penang curry. It was really cool to be able to learn how to make the curry paste from scratch. Oh yes and Papaya salad, which was definitely my favourite. We used the coolest mortar and pestle I have ever seen. It was made of wood and it was used to crush the young papaya, chilli, tomato and beans. Spicy, fresh and delicious!!!! (Photos to come, now I have misplaced my sd thingamejig). All in all the day was a huge success and I left feeling extremely full and optimistic about my thai cooking skills.
On Sunday me and our little Pai pack all took off on our mopeds to visit some waterfalls. The gang consisted of Cherise and Tracey are South African girls who were kind enough to befriend me on my first day. Chris who is English and traveling with them. And Bengi, a kiwi/Australian/London lad who arrived in Pai a couple of days before me and liked it so much he got himself a job at a resort for a couple of months. Score. All wonderful companions to have. The first waterfall we went to was called Pam Bok and was incredible. We all had a little dip and then headed off again on our bikes through the rice fields and amazing countryside. I have never seen green this shade. It is really quite magical. Mountains all around and cute little bamboo bungalows, in a way it reminded me of being in the Wairarapa, only greener Thai style. The second waterfall was fantastic and you could see it was a popular swimming spot for the locals. Very picturesque indeed.
Pai is such a nice little town and again I have been blown away by the friendly people that live in the town. Many, like Phi Phi, seem to have come and not wanted to leave. Sign of a good town. At this point I decided I had better book my ticket out of there or I would never leave my new friends and relaxing atmosphere.
As a result I am currently sitting in Vientiane, Laos, after traveling on an overnight bus from Pai. I have had very little sleep and am on my way to Vang Vieng to see what is in store for me next.
Will post photos soon. People are yelling at me in Thai. Got to Go!!!
On Sunday me and our little Pai pack all took off on our mopeds to visit some waterfalls. The gang consisted of Cherise and Tracey are South African girls who were kind enough to befriend me on my first day. Chris who is English and traveling with them. And Bengi, a kiwi/Australian/London lad who arrived in Pai a couple of days before me and liked it so much he got himself a job at a resort for a couple of months. Score. All wonderful companions to have. The first waterfall we went to was called Pam Bok and was incredible. We all had a little dip and then headed off again on our bikes through the rice fields and amazing countryside. I have never seen green this shade. It is really quite magical. Mountains all around and cute little bamboo bungalows, in a way it reminded me of being in the Wairarapa, only greener Thai style. The second waterfall was fantastic and you could see it was a popular swimming spot for the locals. Very picturesque indeed.
Pai is such a nice little town and again I have been blown away by the friendly people that live in the town. Many, like Phi Phi, seem to have come and not wanted to leave. Sign of a good town. At this point I decided I had better book my ticket out of there or I would never leave my new friends and relaxing atmosphere.
As a result I am currently sitting in Vientiane, Laos, after traveling on an overnight bus from Pai. I have had very little sleep and am on my way to Vang Vieng to see what is in store for me next.
Will post photos soon. People are yelling at me in Thai. Got to Go!!!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Pai: A town above the rest, with smiley happy people
Three, possibly four, days ago I arrived in Chiang Mai. I spent a day cruising the very cool city looking at the Wats and generally being a tourist. The most impressive Wat I have been to was Wat Chediluang Varaviharn (I think). Built in the 15th century the stupa was enlarged by King Tilokarat to the size of 56 by 56 meters in width and 80 meters in height. In 1545 there was a very big earthquake and it collapsed as it is today. Still massive, but somewhat demolished. There is a Buddhist school at this Wat where you can go and talk to monks. So I had a chat with a man about being a monk and practicing Buddhism. How I understood it is that one can become a novice at 7 with around 200 rules. At 20, one (well, actually only men) can either stay a novice or become a monk with around 470 rules. Women are Buddhist nuns with 8 rules (go figure) and these include no lying, stealing, sex, um I forget the rest apart from no comfy bed. Gotta keep it simple. Being a monk is about getting through the day with only what you need. You take what you can, you meditate, you stay in the day and you don't accumulate things. That was some of the information I got. I'm sure there is more to being a monk than not sleeping in comfy beds, but I'll leave that to you to research.
Day two in Chiang Mai involved me going on a 'jungle flight'. This was up in the rainforest and was pretty amazing. We had 30 stations with ziPlines and abseiling and the like. The longest zipline was 300 meters long and had the most incredible view ever! Mountains, mountains and more mountains. The highest one was 180 meters and the highest abseil was 40 meters. The abseiling freaked me out. It consisted of sitting out over a drop and the guides dropping you. Heart beat was going for it!! Falling is something I do not like, this is what my nightmares involve. The guides were hilarious. They were all Thai men and the main guide kept singing a soundtrack to suit the occasion. 'I'm free, free fallen!' and 'evrything I do, I do it for you'. Kept me amused that's for sure.
Yesterday I jumped on a mini bus and headed north to Pai, a little mountain town. The drive here was possibly one of the worst drives ever. Here I need to digress to another car story. Seems to be a running theme on this blog. Back in the day I used to hitchike around NZ with my buddies. Most of the time it was sweet. There was the time that a puppy peed on my friend Sarah, that was kinda funny. Then there was the time that my friend Kate and I fell asleep in the back of a car because we were really hungover. That was not funny, that was stupid. Then there was the guy with the shifty eyes...mmmmmmyes. Then, and this brings me nearer to the point, there was Tonya.
It was about five years ago and Preston and I were hitching up north of NZ somewhere. We ended up in this car with a girl named Tonya. Preston was in the back seat wedged beside Tonya's life and under her TV. I was in the front seat and Tonya decided I was her new best friend. She started telling us her life story and doing everything she could, besides drive. Putting on her makeup, eating herbal highs (like legal speed), playing with the radio, looking in the back seat, the list goes on. Meanwhile telling us how much she hates bad drivers and especially those that tailgate. She tailgated every car she could and at one point pulled out to pass a truck on a blind corner with rain lashing the windshield and I was preparing myself to die. Seriously. When we finally got out of the car and we had fleed Tonya Tailgator I vowed never to give control of vehicle to someone as completely insane as Tonya. Which brings me to my point. The minibus ride was more of the same. Why do people insist on being shut drivers?! Beats me.
I arrived in Pai safe and sound and it is the cutest town ever. I ended up in lounge bar or ting tong reading my book and found some more lovely traveling companions. As well as meeting more smiley, friendly and oh so generous Thai locals. One man named Bank has the biggest smile ever. Always. And he has an Afro and dances to disco. Go Thailand.
Song of the holiday so far that I've heard at least once every few days 'don't worry be happy'. It's pretty much Thailand's soundtrack.
Day two in Chiang Mai involved me going on a 'jungle flight'. This was up in the rainforest and was pretty amazing. We had 30 stations with ziPlines and abseiling and the like. The longest zipline was 300 meters long and had the most incredible view ever! Mountains, mountains and more mountains. The highest one was 180 meters and the highest abseil was 40 meters. The abseiling freaked me out. It consisted of sitting out over a drop and the guides dropping you. Heart beat was going for it!! Falling is something I do not like, this is what my nightmares involve. The guides were hilarious. They were all Thai men and the main guide kept singing a soundtrack to suit the occasion. 'I'm free, free fallen!' and 'evrything I do, I do it for you'. Kept me amused that's for sure.
Yesterday I jumped on a mini bus and headed north to Pai, a little mountain town. The drive here was possibly one of the worst drives ever. Here I need to digress to another car story. Seems to be a running theme on this blog. Back in the day I used to hitchike around NZ with my buddies. Most of the time it was sweet. There was the time that a puppy peed on my friend Sarah, that was kinda funny. Then there was the time that my friend Kate and I fell asleep in the back of a car because we were really hungover. That was not funny, that was stupid. Then there was the guy with the shifty eyes...mmmmmmyes. Then, and this brings me nearer to the point, there was Tonya.
It was about five years ago and Preston and I were hitching up north of NZ somewhere. We ended up in this car with a girl named Tonya. Preston was in the back seat wedged beside Tonya's life and under her TV. I was in the front seat and Tonya decided I was her new best friend. She started telling us her life story and doing everything she could, besides drive. Putting on her makeup, eating herbal highs (like legal speed), playing with the radio, looking in the back seat, the list goes on. Meanwhile telling us how much she hates bad drivers and especially those that tailgate. She tailgated every car she could and at one point pulled out to pass a truck on a blind corner with rain lashing the windshield and I was preparing myself to die. Seriously. When we finally got out of the car and we had fleed Tonya Tailgator I vowed never to give control of vehicle to someone as completely insane as Tonya. Which brings me to my point. The minibus ride was more of the same. Why do people insist on being shut drivers?! Beats me.
I arrived in Pai safe and sound and it is the cutest town ever. I ended up in lounge bar or ting tong reading my book and found some more lovely traveling companions. As well as meeting more smiley, friendly and oh so generous Thai locals. One man named Bank has the biggest smile ever. Always. And he has an Afro and dances to disco. Go Thailand.
Song of the holiday so far that I've heard at least once every few days 'don't worry be happy'. It's pretty much Thailand's soundtrack.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The wonderful world of scuba.
I thought I would backtrack somewhat just to explain the awesomeness that is scuba diving. Being somebody that gets a little panicky in certain situations, I was a little apprehensive going 16 metres under water to look at the fishies. But, let me tell whoever's out there listening slash reading that whatever fear or phobia you may have...walk through that fear my friends. It is so worth it.
I was lucky enough to have a very close friend - Chris - instructing me and just waiting patiently under the water with me to overcome certain obstacles (like swallowing sea water! Not fun). Once I had passed all the little tests and done a few dives I was able to relax and just enjoy the amazing marine life around Phi Phi. We saw so much it was just incredible. We were all discussing diving and it came up that everyone has their 'thing' that they are into down in the deep blue sea. I was very suprised to find that my 'thing' was the coral. It was absolutely beautiful and I could have stayed down there all day looking at it as it swayed with the current, except I would have run out of air and died. So good thing I didn't. I just thought the colours were really amazing. To me it looked a bit like trees swaying the breeze, but pink and purple and white trees. A whole new world. So to anyone out there that is wondering whether they would like to dive, I highly recommend it. In the words of PADI "Meet people, go places, see things!!" hahaha
I have posted some photos on my Google+ account because I couldn't sign in to Flickr for some weird reason. So feel free to have a look there.
I have been flying in the rainforest today, but more on that later....
I was lucky enough to have a very close friend - Chris - instructing me and just waiting patiently under the water with me to overcome certain obstacles (like swallowing sea water! Not fun). Once I had passed all the little tests and done a few dives I was able to relax and just enjoy the amazing marine life around Phi Phi. We saw so much it was just incredible. We were all discussing diving and it came up that everyone has their 'thing' that they are into down in the deep blue sea. I was very suprised to find that my 'thing' was the coral. It was absolutely beautiful and I could have stayed down there all day looking at it as it swayed with the current, except I would have run out of air and died. So good thing I didn't. I just thought the colours were really amazing. To me it looked a bit like trees swaying the breeze, but pink and purple and white trees. A whole new world. So to anyone out there that is wondering whether they would like to dive, I highly recommend it. In the words of PADI "Meet people, go places, see things!!" hahaha
I have posted some photos on my Google+ account because I couldn't sign in to Flickr for some weird reason. So feel free to have a look there.
I have been flying in the rainforest today, but more on that later....
Note from my phone
'I am really going to miss Phi Phi. The paved streets busy with people, bikes and carts and the human 'beep beep beep' as those pushing the carts get a run up to make it up the hill, often getting a helping hand from a friendly local or tourist. I will miss the cute young woman with the donut stand saying, 'donut, donut, anyone want donut?' and Shon who has the fruit cart piled high with Ngor, dragonfruit, pink apple, pineapple and papaya. I will miss all the tattoo parlors where tattooed Thai men sit back, relax and share their tattoo stories. And the leather stalls with amazing bags, shoes and wallets. Most of all I will miss the ocean and the simplicity of life.'
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Farewell Phi Phi
Monday, August 1, 2011
To just 'be'
Apologies, having a few technological problems! The photo bellow
apoologies, am having a few technological errors.
The photo below was where I enjoyed my morning cuppa.
Yesterday I was looking through all my photos and realised about 90% of them are of boats. Lachlan, a lovely fellow traveller laughed at my boat fetish. The longtails are just such beautiful things. Simple and wooden. Give me one of those over a flash speedboat any day. Yesterday Charlotte, Gabe and Jonti (two lovely New Zealanders living in Melbourne much like myself) and Lachlan and Dustin (brothers from Melbourne on holiday) all went out on a longtail to Maya Bay. This is the beach that is famous from 'the beach', but to be honest, I was happy to just sit in the boat! We got to the beach and it was all a bit hectic. Boats everywhere scraping along the coral and so many people. Beautiful scenery though. Amazing rock formations.
One thing that struck me about people in Thailand, and on Phi Phi in particular is they keep it simple. In Melbourne it is so easy to get caught up with doing things. Where do I have to go? What should I be doing? What could I be doing? What do I need to be doing? You get my drift. Here, people are content just to be. Present in the moment. It has opened my eyes to the simplicity of life and that people need very little to be happy.
When I am next at a computer I will upload my Phi Phi photos and especially some of the boats :)
Farewell to you Phi Phi Don, khap khun kaa, it has been a pleasure.
apoologies, am having a few technological errors.
The photo below was where I enjoyed my morning cuppa.
Yesterday I was looking through all my photos and realised about 90% of them are of boats. Lachlan, a lovely fellow traveller laughed at my boat fetish. The longtails are just such beautiful things. Simple and wooden. Give me one of those over a flash speedboat any day. Yesterday Charlotte, Gabe and Jonti (two lovely New Zealanders living in Melbourne much like myself) and Lachlan and Dustin (brothers from Melbourne on holiday) all went out on a longtail to Maya Bay. This is the beach that is famous from 'the beach', but to be honest, I was happy to just sit in the boat! We got to the beach and it was all a bit hectic. Boats everywhere scraping along the coral and so many people. Beautiful scenery though. Amazing rock formations.
One thing that struck me about people in Thailand, and on Phi Phi in particular is they keep it simple. In Melbourne it is so easy to get caught up with doing things. Where do I have to go? What should I be doing? What could I be doing? What do I need to be doing? You get my drift. Here, people are content just to be. Present in the moment. It has opened my eyes to the simplicity of life and that people need very little to be happy.
When I am next at a computer I will upload my Phi Phi photos and especially some of the boats :)
Farewell to you Phi Phi Don, khap khun kaa, it has been a pleasure.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Phi Phi Don. Love.
Today I have done what it is great to do when you are on holiday, and that is pretty much nothing. Oh, I did pass my Open Water Certificate which is a sneaky bonus. Today It's raining on Phi Phi Don so I wondered around the market and went to lunch at Thankyou, a very nice restaurant on Phi Phi. Samee, the owner - or Mr. Soda as he is called on the island - was rescued from the Tsunami in 2004 from under a building. He thought he was going to die and now thanks to Buddha he is very thankful. He is thankful that he has his shop and as Chris said 'He has his Zen back'. I like. Yesterday afternoon I was wandering along the beach which is lined with bars that all come alive in the evening. During the day they are somewhat more subdued and one in particular caught my attention. You see, before coming to Thailand I had been listening quite regularly to a reggae mix tape Chris had made a while back. It is a bangin mix. I'm not ashamed to say, that I like to bop my head to the reggae beats mon! I had envisaged myself on a beach in Thailand listening to reggae. Back to the story though. Bamboo bar was playing some Bob (Marley) and so I sat down and chilled to the reggae beats for a few hours watching the boats and the people and the sea and the sun. Content indeed.
Monday, July 25, 2011
An island in the sun
After a somewhat intense first day in Thailand, packing a little too much action into one day I woke up yesterday with a different plan of attack. Do one thing a day. I have five weeks after all. So yesterday's mission was a ferry trip to Phi Phi Island, a popular tourist destination in Thailand and known for it's amazing marine life and scuba diving (and partying, but that is so 2010).
I arrived at the ferry and as I passed my pack to the man on the ferry who was storing the luggage by simply piling all the bags on top of each other I wondered "hmmm I wonder how this is going to work at the other end". Well, it didn't work at the other end. In fact, it was a shit fight. But rather amusing all the same.
The main reason for me including Phi Phi in my travel plans is that I have two lovely friends who live on the island. Chris and Charlotte welcomed me with open arms and today Chris has started training me in my open diving cert. He is a very skilled and patient teacher and I can't wait to get going on day two. They both speak Thai and are slowly teaching me to say a few phrases like Hello, Thank you, and please no MSG haha that's an important one.
The island itself is really cute and the people here are so friendly and chilled out. I will add some photos at a later date. All in all, I am having a lovely time on Phi Phi and look forward to day two of scuba diving. Bring on the sharks.
I arrived at the ferry and as I passed my pack to the man on the ferry who was storing the luggage by simply piling all the bags on top of each other I wondered "hmmm I wonder how this is going to work at the other end". Well, it didn't work at the other end. In fact, it was a shit fight. But rather amusing all the same.
The main reason for me including Phi Phi in my travel plans is that I have two lovely friends who live on the island. Chris and Charlotte welcomed me with open arms and today Chris has started training me in my open diving cert. He is a very skilled and patient teacher and I can't wait to get going on day two. They both speak Thai and are slowly teaching me to say a few phrases like Hello, Thank you, and please no MSG haha that's an important one.
The island itself is really cute and the people here are so friendly and chilled out. I will add some photos at a later date. All in all, I am having a lovely time on Phi Phi and look forward to day two of scuba diving. Bring on the sharks.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Buddha and co
This was in the biggest of the temples of Wat Chalong.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Dedicated to Natty the elephant
Yesterday was my first full day in Phuket and I was offered a tour around the island by Manit, my friendly guesthouse owner. After a breakfast of Ngor and coconut yoghurt we were on our way. FYI: Ngor is a fruit otherwise known as rambutan and kind of looks like an alien. It's spiky and you open it with your fingernails to reveal a sticky inner fruit with a seed inside. I would attach a photo here, only I can't seem to figure out how to do this from my iPhone. Watch this space. Where was I? Oh yeah, 'the tour'.
We drove south and looked at somebody the beaches and I soon picked up on Manit's love of fishing, an cars. He showed my his cute little - pink - fishing boat and I marvelled at the size of Phuket. It's a lot bigger than I was expecting. Mid morning we arrived at Wat Chalong, Phuket's largest monestary. It was breathtaking. Just to be in and around such beautiful sacred surroundings really was quite exceptional. After about half an hour of wondering I noticed that loud explosions seemed to be going off every ten minutes or so. This was coming from a man who was entering, what looked like, a large chimney and laying out rounds of gunpowder and then lighting it. I learned later from Manit that the loud noise was supposed to bring good luck. I sure don't think it's going to bring much good luck to the man who is lighting it, he's probably going to be deaf in a week.
At this point I will say that before going to Thailand I had vowed to myself that I wouldn't do anything that supported the use and abuse of animals. One such thing was riding an elephant. Well, Manit, he talked me into it. I need to learn to be more assertive dammit! It makes me sad to see such beautiful intelligent creatures being treated like shite. The minute I was on top of the elephant I knew it was wrong. It started pissing down with rain, I got a sinking feeling in my gut, and I looked over my right shoulder to see something I would rather not have. An 'elephant rider' was atop an elephant sitting on his head and the elephant was swaying from side to side - doing what elephants do - so he yelled something in Thai and got his bull hook and swing it and whaked the elephants head. There was a gleaming red stain in the middle of the elephants head and I felt like crying. Instead I had another 30 minutes to endure. I was reminded of a conversation I'd had with Mum about driving once upon a time. She had told me a story about being in the passenger seat while Pop was driving erratically and she'd asked him to stop the car so she could get out. Mum had said to me 'If you're ever in a car and don't feel safe, ask the driver to stop and just get out'. Well sitting high up there I wanted to scream 'abort! Abort!' Only I couldn't. I was locked in. So I promised myself, and my lovely 30 year old elephant by the name of Natalie that I would do my best to never do something of the sort again. If you have a gut feeling. Go with it.
We drove south and looked at somebody the beaches and I soon picked up on Manit's love of fishing, an cars. He showed my his cute little - pink - fishing boat and I marvelled at the size of Phuket. It's a lot bigger than I was expecting. Mid morning we arrived at Wat Chalong, Phuket's largest monestary. It was breathtaking. Just to be in and around such beautiful sacred surroundings really was quite exceptional. After about half an hour of wondering I noticed that loud explosions seemed to be going off every ten minutes or so. This was coming from a man who was entering, what looked like, a large chimney and laying out rounds of gunpowder and then lighting it. I learned later from Manit that the loud noise was supposed to bring good luck. I sure don't think it's going to bring much good luck to the man who is lighting it, he's probably going to be deaf in a week.
At this point I will say that before going to Thailand I had vowed to myself that I wouldn't do anything that supported the use and abuse of animals. One such thing was riding an elephant. Well, Manit, he talked me into it. I need to learn to be more assertive dammit! It makes me sad to see such beautiful intelligent creatures being treated like shite. The minute I was on top of the elephant I knew it was wrong. It started pissing down with rain, I got a sinking feeling in my gut, and I looked over my right shoulder to see something I would rather not have. An 'elephant rider' was atop an elephant sitting on his head and the elephant was swaying from side to side - doing what elephants do - so he yelled something in Thai and got his bull hook and swing it and whaked the elephants head. There was a gleaming red stain in the middle of the elephants head and I felt like crying. Instead I had another 30 minutes to endure. I was reminded of a conversation I'd had with Mum about driving once upon a time. She had told me a story about being in the passenger seat while Pop was driving erratically and she'd asked him to stop the car so she could get out. Mum had said to me 'If you're ever in a car and don't feel safe, ask the driver to stop and just get out'. Well sitting high up there I wanted to scream 'abort! Abort!' Only I couldn't. I was locked in. So I promised myself, and my lovely 30 year old elephant by the name of Natalie that I would do my best to never do something of the sort again. If you have a gut feeling. Go with it.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Blogger begins journey. Well, almost.
It was about a year ago that I was sitting in my friend Chris' house pondering whether or not to book flights to Thailand. It seems like such a long time ago that we were "umming" and "ahhhing" about which flights to take and whether I should book one way or return. Well, in actual fact, Chris wasn't doing anything of the sort. He was chanting "do it" "Do It!" (pretty much) next to me, while I was being the indecisive one. Surprised? Anyway, I did book that ticket and after several postponements the time has finally arrived (as of next Friday) for me to jump on board that plane to Phuket.
An important note to consider when reading this here blog. I would never claim to be a "blogger". In fact, I have never written a blog in my life and have often wondered how it is one becomes a "professional blogger". Anyway, this is beside the point. I do have a desire to keep my family and friends in the loop about my happenings in Southeast Asia and if this fits the description of a blog, then so be it. I am indeed a blogger.
An important note to consider when reading this here blog. I would never claim to be a "blogger". In fact, I have never written a blog in my life and have often wondered how it is one becomes a "professional blogger". Anyway, this is beside the point. I do have a desire to keep my family and friends in the loop about my happenings in Southeast Asia and if this fits the description of a blog, then so be it. I am indeed a blogger.
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