I just met your brother...and now I eat you

Yesterday, after Tracy, Jennifer and I went for a spa day (2 hour Thai massage: $11, speaking stilted English to a Thai woman who mainly knows the phrase "if you pain, you tell me": priceless), we met up with some of Jennifer and Iain's peace corps friends for dinner and drinks.

We arrived at the dock to meet our ride to dinner (another boat we were afraid our fat American asses would destroy) just in time for sunset:

On our boat (by the way, the random Thai guy sitting next to Iain is the driver we hired for the night, who we dragged along to dinner- not sure how much he enjoyed hanging out with 7 Americans for 6 hours, but he came along anyway):

We took our boat to our restaurant for the evening, a soft shell crab restaurant on a soft shell crab farm. No, they don't plant them...instead there are these rows of boxes in water, with the crabs chilling in them until they shed their shells. As soon as their shells are shed, if I recall correctly, within 4-6 hours they kill them to prepare for food.

The farm:

We met the people who worked here, which involved 24 hours a day of manual labor (people worked 4 hours a day, crouched on wooden boards, an hour off, then 4 more hours) which also included a few little girls who stared at us, terrified of our glowing white skin, holding large knives (look closely at the little girl's hand in the second picture):
While there, Iain learned everything he could about how the whole operation works, so if you want to see an entire conversation in Thai, check out my video:

The dinner was amazing, and I even think Tracy enjoyed it (although she repeatedly lets us know that she thinks "fish tastes like crotch"). We ended up hanging out late into the night with Iain and Jen's friends, so our initial plan of hiking a mountain today kind of got scrapped. Instead, we had a lazy day at Iain and Jennifer's, then went for another amazing meal at the restaurant next door to their house. It was the spiciest meal I've had since landing in Thailand, so I cried a little through the meal, but it was really good and I always enjoy their cheap rum:

Tomorrow we have QUITE the unique experience planned, but I don't want to give anything away...but I'll tell you now, it's good. Small hint: it involves bird spit. We'll let you know all about it when it's over!

Weru or Welu Wetlands?

On Friday we were invited to visit the Weru Wetlands (incorrectly translated on every sign and pamphlet here as WeLu Wetlands) with a large group of top politicians in Chantaburi. They are trying to create an ecotrek for visitors to come and learn about environmental issues in protecting wetlands. This was the initial voyage and we were so lucky to be included.

Again we were on the news, in fact the news crew would not dare leave our side the entire day:


We took these boats:

I absolutely love being on water and the boat trips are always cool, but we sometimes feel as if our fat american asses are going to crash through the series of tiny wooden boards everywhere!

On the river and learned about Mangrove trees which provide protection against erosion and offer essential shelter for the wildlife.

We then watched Red Hawks feed. They were amazing, dozens of them flying and swooping into the river for fish, then flying happily away munching on their bounty.

Families live along the Weru River and have been there for centuries. They technically do not own the land (water? can you own water?) but the government seems to leave them alone as they are successful fishermen providing the for the town.

We watched the sunset on the way back:

Then we had dinner and they gave many many speaches as Thai people so like to do. They even asked Iain up to speak. Jen translated to Katie and I as Iain spoke of how they could perhaps get corporate sponsorship from large companies overseas to help fund the project.

We were so afraid the speaches would turn into karaokee as it most often does in Thailand, at bars, at restaurants, peoples homes, in peoples yards even on the buses for christ sake! Thankfully it did not and we all headed home.

See you tomorrow!

Thai schools are fun fun

Yesterday I spent the day teaching with Iain and Jennifer as Katie was travelling back to Thailand from Cambodia.

It was P.E. Day so right away after lunch we took Iains and Jens class to the gym to play a vicious game of "knock the hoola hoops down".

Here's Iain and Jen organizing their teams:

The object of the game was to use basketballs to knock over a series of hoola hoops set up in the shape of an orb. This bascially means 60+ children hurling balls at one another top speed, children crying after getting hit in the face, and generally having the best time ever.

Iain's class after winning the first two games:

Jen's class was soon winning and she gave them a pep speach:

One of their best english speaking students "Non" giving his version of sports commentary:

I then went to Iain's english lesson in his classroom where we sang Patsy Cline songs and the children asked me a million questions via microphone. They were absolutely adorable.

Such a drastic difference from American schools where you are taught to line up single file, not breathe a word and basically remain completely stoic. These children are allowed so much freedom, and its amazing how they dont abuse it. They are so self reliant and resiliant and very respectful.

I actually survived the separation

So yes, as Tracy mentioned, I did decide to go to Cambodia by myself. At the beginning of our travels, when she mentioned that as a possibility, I laughed, then cried a little bit, and told her that was not an option. However, the honeymoon is apparently over (just kidding, Tracy, love you forever and ever in a not gay way!) and I was excited to attempt a border crossing on my own.

As I discovered quickly, traveling on your own in this part of the world never actually means traveling alone. There are so many people on their own, and you meet people so quickly, that traveling on your own just means that you're traveling with people you've only just met. I left Tracy in Bangkok, but before I even hit the Cambodian border, I was meeting the people I would be spending quite a bit of time with over the next few days- Damian from NZ, and three Brits- Jack and Drew (traveling together, and on their gap year before starting University, which made me officially an Old Woman) and Will, who, though he looks quite young, is actually 22 and made for a very nice traveling companion (as I would discover, my main traveling companion for the following 3 days):

The four of us traveled together over the Cambodian border, which Tracy had warned me about, but nothing can prepare you for Cambodia. I'm not going to say that Cambodia was beautiful. I think if I were to say it was beautiful, it would be patronizing- Cambodia is devastating, and humbling, and eye-opening, and barren, but it is not beautiful. We drove for 4 hours on a completely unpaved road, knocking our heads against the ceiling and many times driving without any sight due to the dirt being kicked up on the road:

But I did meet great people with fantastic stories, including Kyoko Ito from Japan, who I shared breakfast with the next morning:

After that, I set out for the day exploring Angkor Wat and the surrounding Wats.

Angkor Wat:

Then I discovered that the package I purchased actually included a personal tour guide, who brought me to Ta Phrom, Sa Srom, Banteay Kdei, and the temples of Angkor Thom- specifically, Bayon and Baphuon and the Royal Palace. Ta Phrom, by the way, is the one with the trees, featured in Tomb Raider, so you may recognize it:

I did climb this, which was a precarious view from the top, if you can imagine. Climbing up? Not a problem. Climbing down, with sweaty flip-flops? Imagining the horrible headlines back home about tourists not preparing themselves properly:

Bayon:

It's not often that you get to experience one of the seven wonders of the world, so I did enjoy myself quite a bit- of course, after spending all day with my personalized Cambodian tour guide and spending more time asking him questions about the Cambodian people than I did about the temples, all I want to do is throw money at the country for the rest of my life. Seriously, I know Tracy and I are trying our best to have a humorous blog for you to check out when you're bored or whatever, but I've never been so affected by a location in my life.

While I truly enjoyed the new people I met, and was amazed by Angkor Wat, what I will take away most from my trip to Cambodia is the effect the drive along Road 6 and time spent with my Cambodian tour guide influenced me- since we're leaving for New Zealand next Tuesday, this may be the last serious moment I have on this blog, but I really wish everyone knew the full history of Cambodia- it's not something I remember being taught in school, it's something I've had to pick up on my own since I've been here, and it's something I'm embarassed that I didn't know more about before landing in Southeast Asia. They have an incredibly horrific history- this is a country that acknowledges the fact that they have active land mines possibly feet from their main road- and when you talk to a Cambodian, even if they've had years of contact with foreigners, they can't imagine anything outside of what they've grown up with. Everyone they know over the age of 30 is likely dead or still seeking refuge in a foreign country (my tour guide's 2 uncles have been in Canada since the Cambodian civil war, and haven't been back since). Small children play naked in piles of dirt as you drive to Siem Reap.

I could go on for ages, because I saw some things in Cambodia that may haunt me for a long time that I'd rather not go in to, but I know the reason why you're all reading this blog is not for a downer, so I'll cut myself off here. I did arrive safely back in Bangkok from Cambodia along with my new friend Will- along with an older couple that kept us laughing the whole time, John and Caroline (who I thought were hippies in the 60's but turns out they're still hippes at the moment, though they're older than my parents), and Will and I luckily found very nice hostel rooms despite the Tet holiday. Will was nice enough to hang out with me all of today as well, finding a replacement camera that isn't made from devil horns and sadness, which was cool because I basically got to pretend like I've been traveling alone when in reality I've had someone with me since the beginning. Thanks, Will! And I'm so glad we didn't see Chocolate, even if it did involve Kung Fu!

Tomorrow we have a day that's apparently filled with red hawks and lightning bugs, though, so I should probably head to bed- but seriously (really, this should be the last "seriously"), if you're not familiar with Cambodia's history, especially over the last 50 years, please look into it.

And on that uplifting note, talk to you soon!

Bangkok to Chantaburi

After Savannakhet Katie and I returned to Bangkok in order to meet up with Iain and Jen and all the Scottish relatives who are on their way to see my cousin Annie in New Zealand.

Pictures would be nice at this point, to illustrate just how much fun we had... dinners in open air markets, shopping on Kao San Road, my cousin Callum getting a Thai tattoo that either means "Peace, Prosperity and Good Fortune" or "I came to Thailand and got a shitty tattoo". But alas, Katie's camera has failed completely. We traded cameras when we parted ways.

She left Bangkok early to visit Cambodia on her own, having been there last year I chose to stay behind and hang with Iain and Jen and the Scotts. I was worried for about 3 minutes but when we heard from her the next night via the cell phone borrowed from Iain everything was fine. She is due to arrive back in Chantaburi tomorrow.

Today Iain and Jen had to teach until about 3pm, which was nice, I was able to do laundry and check the internet. Its an amazing feeling to have clean clothes after 5 days of travelling in dirty clothes on a series of filthy buses.

This afternoon Iain and Jen and I visited Wat Khao Sukim just 20 kilometers from their town. It was beautiful, amazing mountain views and a very cool sunset.

We took a little trolly car with some Monks to the top of the mountain:




Iain and I on top of the Wat:




Jen and I unfortunately dressed very similar today, which means Iain looked even more like a Mormon husband from Utah with more than one wife:


I took a picture of Iain and Jen with the Chester Village Newspaper who prints peoples pictures from around the world. Are you happy now Mom?

The Wat was being restored and we were able to make a donation and write our names along with other family members names on the roof tiles they will use. They were blessed by the head Monk right in front of us, very cool that this will be there forever.

We ended the night with dinner next door to Iain's house, Lek's Restaurant. We called ahead and they had so many dishes waiting for us, fish, rice, a pork dish called Larb, and some amazing lemon soup.

It already feels like the end of this part of our journey which is so sad. Everyday here seems like a month, we get to experience so much, but at the same time it has gone so quickly that I am heart broken to leave.

There's always next year! Or as Iain says, move here now! Who knows....

- Posted by Tracy

Savannakhet, Lao Lao

Savannakhet has to be one of the most chilled out towns I have ever visited. We arrived safely after the many, many, many hours on several "buses". The last bit from Dong Ha in Vietnam over to the Lao Bao border into Laos was a beautiful ride, picturesque mountainous views on winding country roads. We tried to take pictures but barreling down mountain roads at 80 miles an hour in a rusty old van that Fred Sanford wouldn’t even drive is not conducive to scenic photography. Also Katie was scared of the fingerless woman spitting on her the whole way.

Our current location:

We found a hostel after a short Tuk Tuk ride. Side note: everywhere we've been the taxi drivers take you to the hotel of their choosing; no matter how insistent you are that you have a specific destination in mind. But it seems to work out well everywhere we go. Our hostel was $10 a night and very fancy in comparison to what we've become accustomed to. Big beds, albeit hard as rocks, a warm shower and massive bathroom.

Our street:

The funniest thing about Laos has to be their translating abilities for posting signs. On the back of our hotel door was this sign, (highlights below):

Attentions:
1) Migal activities are not allowed in the hotel. (Illegal activities maybe?)

2) Visitors will not be cooked or laundered in rooms.(Guests will not be served food or laundry services? Either that or cannibalistic hostels are an option in Savannakhet.)

4) All forms of gambling are not prohibited in the hotel (double negative which means they ARE, sweet) migal (illegal?) articles, I.C.U. sex, and I.C.U. prostique. (No clue about that one, obviously no prostitutes or sex but what the hell is I.C.U.?)

The tourist office had many warnings and pictures of what not to do in Laos including dressing inappropriately and using drugs of any kind. They included very hilarious cartoon pictures:

Our first night, after much needed showers, we walked along the Mekong river just opposite Thailand and had a traditional Lao dinner sitting on the sidewalk on mats eating soup and drinking beer. It was incredibly romantic, at least for Katie.

The next day we rushed to the tourist office to book our jungle trek and home stay for the following day. That night we had another dinner at a fancier place on the Mekong. Katie surprised me and ordered dried buffalo skin as the main course. Dried buffalo skin is similar to shoe. Seriously we were eating someone’s shoe. We ended up throwing it in the Mekong when the waiter was not looking.

Later we saw another Falang (foreigner in Lao) that we recognized from the tourist office. Dayush is half Israeli half English. Turns out he was signed up for our trek the next day as well. We went with him to the "Club" across the street from our hotel. We danced with some insane Lao people who are so friendly and absolutely love foreigners. Many pictures were taken that night but Katie's camera circa 1991 is too shitty to retrieve pictures from at the moment.

The next day we woke at the crack of dawn to begin our jungle trek that would last two days. 7 other foreigners where with us. A young quiet Isralie couple, 3 enormously tall blond Dutch people, Dayush the Isralie Englishman, and an Irish woman who has been in NY for the past 12 years, and in of all places Mt Vernon! We soon discovered that we had taken the same train at the same time into the city everyday for a year. Small world!

Our guide Khamphat, pronounced "Campact" was appropriately named given his stature of about 4'7. Standing next to the Dutch people he looked about 5 years old. Here he is with a map of our jungle trek:

Khamphat spoke English fairly well and translatted for the other jungle guide who accompanied the group. This man was amazing, truly was born and raised in a jungle. Throughout our two day trek he would quickly grab a nearby twig or bush and point out the most amazing insect or plant that we would have never noticed otherwise.

We arrived at the small Lao village in the early evening and were welcomed with the traditional drink called Lao Lao, which is basically ethel alcohol. It gave Katie flashbacks of some bad college frat parties, to me it tasted of finger nail polish remover.

Our host family consisted of an elderly couple, their two daughters and several grandchildren. We were given a dinner and ceremony that included all the elders in the village. Each one came up to us after dinner and said a prayer while tying a white bracelet to our wrists.

But the most appealing aspect of Laos has to be the people. Everyone is so happy, always laughing and smiling. The children just play outside all day and giggle as we passby, loving when we take photos of them.

Laos is ultimately an untapped destination. It remains nearly isolated from foreign influence and is therefore an amazing glimpse of traditional southeast asian life. We were very sad to leave and plan to return one day and stay for much longer.

-Posted by Tracy