"It's all part of the adventure, mate..."

Location: Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang (Lao)
Date: April 28, 2010



Sabaydee!

“Its all just part of the adventure, mate,” my Australian friend Joel says as we get whipped on our faces by giant jungle bugs and nearly hit a herd of water buffalo as we ride the motorbike under the full moon.

In Vientiane, getting a blessing bracelet.

He’s right. And what an adventure it is. It is hard to see in the dark, though the full moon is providing us with enough light to barely make out the road. The bugs glisten in the headlight of the motorbike, and they seem like Christmas lights in the air- there are millions of them! You can tell the size of them by the impact they have with your skin- “oh, that was a big one…” or “oh, just a little dent, must have been a small bug.” And I love it- every second of it- I try to saturate myself in the moment, feel the cool jungle breeze blowing on my skin as we travel on the curvy Lao roads. But like many adventures, it whirls right past me, and we return to the charming town of Luang Prabang. As much as I try to hold on to the moments they soon become memories and I am left only with pictures and my imagination to recall just how I felt in those times.


Vientiane, before the storm brews...

Lao is incredible. The kind, gentle people, the lush green jungle landscape, the winding Mekong River…I love it here. I crossed the border from Thailand into Vientiane, Lao, about a week ago, and since leaving Thailand, I have felt completely renewed and refreshed, which is just what I needed at this point of my trip. The heat, the business, and the pushiness of Thailand had left me frustrated, and entering Lao was like diving into a cool, deep swimming pool after being brutally burnt by the sun. Forgive me for complaining about Thailand- I just think the chill Lao vibe is much more my style and conducive to my type of adventuring.

Vang Vieng

Getting a flat on the jungle mountain roads!

Sneaking into the temple in Luang Prabang

After my two consecutive overnight buses that were required to leave Thailand, I jumped on a border crossing bus and entered Vientiane, the quiet capital of Lao. You would never guess that this is a capital city- the city is small and feels more like a sleepy town than a city at all. The entire population of Lao is only just above 6 million. Much of the population is comprised of Hmong hill tribes who live outside of the cities. Lao is a country slow to progress, and 4 years ago, they didn’t have a single ATM. I think they have about 6 or 7 now (3 of which I tried and didn’t work!). Education is not highly regarded here, and though I encountered many elementary schools, many of the children did not go to school and helped their parents work instead. Many children are illiterate and very little effort is given to literacy and academics. English is only spoken by people employed in tourism, and even at that, it may be limited. I did, however, stumble upon a center that encourages literacy, which is solely donation based. People (mostly foreigners) can buy books from the center and then donate them to children. Books are available in both English and Lao, but since most kids can’t even read Lao, I decided to donate books teaching basic Lao. There is also an organization here called Big Brother Mouse that lets visitors come in to read English books to the kids. Yet, despite the slow progression of the country, I found myself in one of the warmest, most hospitable places I have been on my entire trip. Every afternoon and suppertime, I share meals Khmer-style with Johge, Saks, and Sou, who are siblings and the employees of the hotel where I am staying. Khmer-style essentially means a giant bucket of sticky rice and 5 or 6 dishes placed in a circle, and you share the dishes and eat with your hands. We share a mutual friend who lives in states, and since I know Bill, they have treated me like a honored guest rather than another tourist even though Bill isn’t here.

Enjoying a family style meal at the Muong Lao Riverside Guesthouse

Speaking of which, I strongly encourage you to check out NatureBag.org and spread the word. Naturebag is a company started by Bill and Sou to help reduce Lao/Khmer poverty by employing workers to use vines from the jungle to build super strong eco friendly bags. Check it out- support them and their cause! http://www.naturebag.org/

With Sou, Johge, and Saks (Sou is half owner of NatureBag)

Joel and I chilling at the Buddha park

So after exploring Vientiane, I headed north to Vang Vieng, a pretty town that is nestled in the mountains, which, sadly, has become a tourist party town. Good for bringing in a profit- bad for every other reason. Basically, drunk, half naked tourists spend hours and tons of money drinking and tubing down the Mekong River and stopping at bars along the way (on their tubes, of course). Now, it doesn’t sound so bad, except it seems to me that the drunkenness of the day extends throughout the night and really permeates the once quiet town in a negative way. There are signs around the town that say, “Please cover up- respect Lao culture…” which means, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! But many of the tourists don’t, and girls continue to walk around in skimpy bikinis and guys with pants around their ankles…so, needless to say, I spent a night and then headed out, up to Luang Prabang.

LPB is a stunningly pretty town. Because of the French influence, many of the buildings look European, and there are many outdoor cafes for sitting and eating along the Mekong River. I got to this little gem after a drawn out 8 hour winding bus ride through the mountains and jungles of Lao, where we blew a flat tire along the way. Along the way, I got the pleasure of meeting and befriending my seatmate, Joel, who is an Australian man who has been living and studying meditation in Thailand for the last 3 months. Upon arrival, I got the pleasure of having Joel as my partner in adventure for the following 2 days.

Monks at the Wat (temple) in LPB

Kids leaving and going to school in the villages outside of LPB

We started off our visit in LPB by diving into the Mekong and watching the sun go down. The current was really strong, and I found myself struggling to go back upstream after one minute of swimming out into the river. After a while, many of the boys from the Hmong village across the river came to swim and bathe in the river, and it was nice to be under the tourist radar in a place that locals came to everyday.

Over the next few days, I got to explore the temple atop the hill and the many Buddha sculptures that are along a pathway on a hill. Since Joel speaks Thai, which is similar to Lao, I got to meet and chat with many locals and market vendors, which was lots of fun. Yesterday, we rented a motorbike and got out of town- drove to a cave 30 km away which we got to by boat, and then through more jungle, windy roads to a pretty waterfall. (I even learned how to drive the motorbike- woohoo!!!)

Joel, Peter (our new buddy from NYC) and I enjoying a Lao coffee

The Mighty Mekong

The pristine beauty of Lao is hard to describe, but the colors here seem more saturated than everywhere else. The greens are brighter, all of the flowers are in bloom, and even the brown Mekong has a certain appeal. Outside of LPB. The roads lead through the jungles, where wild water buffaloes roam, and there are no houses for miles and miles. Though the progress here is slow, I am sure that modern advances will come year by year. My recommendation for those of you interested in Lao is COME NOW- relish in this beauty while it lasts.

Girls outside of the caves

Grabbing a boat to the caves

Buddhas inside the caves

HERD OF WATER BUFFALOES! Look at the pink one!

Tonight I jumped on the back of the motorbike and head to the night market to help Johge pick up dinner…I’m going down to eat now- I have my choice of what to indulge in: water buffalo skin, water buffalo meat, cow brain, snails and sticky rice…

Island Hops

Location: Singapore and Southern Thailand
Date: April 17, 2010

Justin and I in Singapore

Listening to the waves crash from my little hammock on the beach. Finally, all I have is time- this is what I had been craving- time and space just to think and process my adventures. I am literally stranded on the beach right now- with no way to leave this tiny inlet other than if a boat happens to pass by. This place is called The Sanctuary, and every aspect of this tiny village is true to its name. I came here because I was completely exhausted by the endless scamming, pushing, and general unfriendliness of the towns near Phuket. So I took a ferry to Ko Phanghan and then a taxi boat to The Sanctuary, and now I have just what I was seeking. The Sanctuary is a resort/jungle village set on the island of Ko Phanghan, but its setting makes it completely isolated from the rest of the island. Although there is an all vegetarian restaurant here (most amazing food I’ve had in Thailand), this resort is also famous for its “cleansing” sessions….which involve 7 day fasts, shakes that clean out your intestines, yoga and colonics (basically daily colon cleansing)…and at first I was suspect until I talked to the people who had gone through these fasts, and said that they had never felt better. What happens is that the fast clears out all the toxins in your body and your body just basically rejuvenates itself. I’m a huge eater and I love food as much as anyone, but after some reading and consideration, I decided to try a mini fast- maybe 3 days or so- to get rid of all of the toxins that have been harboring in my body for quite some time (just the fasting part for me- no colonics, thank you very much!). We’ll see how it goes- I’m on Day 2 and I’m hungry, but this is a great challenge for my body and self-control and it’ll make that first bite of food even better. I totally understand those of you who think that this is some kind of pitstop on its way to anorexia, but I assure you it’s not- go to the website for The Sanctuary, Ko Phangan, and read the info on cleansing. So I’m getting cleaner by the second!!!!

Royal Palace in Bangkok

In addition to releasing my toxins, I have explored quite a bit since I left Cambodia. Much to my surprise, my older brother Ethan wrote and let me know he was coming for a visit (we haven’t really gotten the chance to spend much time together since high school, so this was a real treat)! So from Cambodia, I flew to Bangkok via Singapore to meet Ethan. Though I only had a few days in Singapore, I got to spend a little time with my Chilean friend Martin, and my Singaporean friend, Justin, who showed me the sights of the city. My expectations for Singapore weren’t high, as I just thought it would be a gigantic metropolis, but the city is gorgeous, laden with tropical flowers and surrounded by water. The apartment buildings are like Club Meds, complete with multiple pools, gymnasiums, and tennis courts that are open at night so you can see the city line while you play. It was quite a change from Cambodia, where electricity and water were errant- in Singapore, everything is automatic- everything- from the sliding glass doors to automatic soap and water in bathrooms- I know I’m a bit behind the times a bit since I’ve been out and about, but I was shocked to see this kind of efficiency. I didn’t have to worry about being cheated or harmed, and a person I met even told me, “Ah- nothing’s going to happen, it’s Singapore,” after forgetting to lock his front door.

Ethan and I in front of the Royal Palace- notice the sweater?

On the train ride to Ayutthaya, we met the sweet family. They didn't speak any English, but we were able to communicate with them anyway.

After my stint in Singapore, I headed back to Bangkok to meet my brother, and we had a blast exploring the Wats, perusing the markets for yummy street food, and wearing sweaters in the 100 degree heat while exploring the Royal Palace (you aren’t allowed to be sleeveless and a sweater was all I had to cover my illicit shoulders!). Over the course of the week, we headed north, then south, and then east to the islands.

Here’s a quick peek at our itinerary:

1. Ayutthaya: An Ankhor Wat- like temple site, with lots of beautiful statues and ruins. The 100+ heat wrecked us and we fled the little town quickly.

2. Phuket: YOWSER. If you go to Thailand, stay away from this part. The beaches are beautiful, but the tourism is abundant, and the service is not always the most friendly. Luckily, we found a quieter beach so we had a bit of time to relax.
We even got to take a day trip to Phan Gan (not the same one where I am now), which is national marine park, full of over 400 mangrove islands. We went to visit a Muslim fishing village and some beautiful Thai islands.
Leaving Phuket was a bit tiresome. When Ethan and I took a bus from Phuket to the ferry, the bus pulled over and stopped for 30 minutes and we had no idea why. When the driver got back on, we realized he had stopped to pick up his take out food!!! We missed our ferry, and had to wait an extra 1.5 hours to leave…

Ethan and I, in front of James Bond Island, where they filmed one of the JB movies

3. Ko Samui: Took a ferry to this island and got away from the crowds, just in time to celebrate the Thai New Year (which is a water festival). The night we arrived, I ran into my friend Cera by chance, who I met in India, and the three of us enjoyed delicious market food as we were intermittently sprayed with water guns.

After Ethan’s departure, Cera and I headed here, and I will leave tomorrow.
All in all, Thailand is a bit disappointing- and confusing for me. There is so much sex tourism, so everywhere you go there are men (old and young) with Thai women who are technically “rented” for a specific amount of time. You see them everywhere, and I can’t quite get over this culture. There is also what is called a third sex known as Ladyboy, which, as I understand it, is a person who was born male but wants to be female. As far as I know, many ladyboys do opt to get surgery to make them feel more feminine. Fascinating, no?
Within the next few days, I will be heading north to Laos, and later on to Vietnam. Believe it or not, I am at month 7- how could that be?
I love this life and all the interesting things it brings, but I have to admit, being on the road definitely makes you appreciate home.