Ode to the Onion...

...by Pablo Neruda

Onion,
luminous flask,
your beauty formed
petal by petal,
crystal scales expanded you
and in the secrecy of the dark earth
your belly grew round with dew.
Under the earth
the miracle
happened
and when your clumsy
green stem appeared,
and your leaves were born
like swords
in the garden,
the earth heaped up her power
showing your naked transparency,
and as the remote sea
in lifting the breasts of Aphrodite
duplicating the magnolia,
so did the earth
make you,
onion
clear as a planet
and destined
to shine,
constant constellation,
round rose of water,
upon
the table
of the poor.

You make us cry without hurting us.
I have praised everything that exists,
but to me, onion, you are
more beautiful than a bird
of dazzling feathers,
heavenly globe, platinum goblet,
unmoving dance
of the snowy anemone

and the fragrance of the earth lives
in your crystalline nature.


well, the level of my onion admiration isn't quite as intense as Neruda's, but it is definitely increasing. I am using onions in my cooking now and eating food even though i know there is onion in it. For those of you who know me well, this is a really big deal. Just thought I'd share.

p.s.- i'm also eating mushrooms now, too!

knotty knotty

I've been meaning to put up pics of the dreads for a while now. It's been about 9 and a half months since I started the whole dread process and I love them more every day!

Day one: Feb 8, 2008. Thank you to Morgan who spent all day working on them for me!!

Day 2: Feb 9, 2008. I think Morgan probably put in about ten hours of work that weekend. Also, thanks to Jinny for coming over to help too!

A long weekend of work, finished! Let's see what happens...

A few days later after the first wash... still looks like curls to me.

Sometime in April in Laos. The shell is an addition I found on the beach in Thailand.

May in Cambodia.

July in Korea. My hair keeps getting shorter and shorter!

Nine months has gone by...November 8, 2008.

worth a thousand words...vietnam

A woman selling fruit on an early morning in Hanoi.

Children coming to investigate the foreigners that wondered into their village.

Happy Buddha! The belly button of this statue also serves as a window to the room inside of Buddha's belly. How can you not smile when you see this image? I love it! I do believe that the "Halo" behind him lights up at night although I've never seen it.

A rain shower rolls over the lake as the sun starts its descent into the horizon.

Worship.

A family plants rice together. The men poke holes in the ground with bamboo sticks and the women drop rice in. The families plant all over the mountainous terrain.

Caught in the rain outside of Hoi An.

I just had to leave you all with an image that makes you smile!
Cheers!

i forgot just how good Wisconsin cheese tastes...

"Attack! Attack!" the little girl screams as she chases her fellow 3 year old classmates across the playground. As I was walking past the YWCA on a beautiful autumn day, I realized how weird it is to actually understand what kids are saying as they play. I've spent the past year, while teaching in Korea, having kids play in my classroom and never understanding the hilarious things they were probably saying! I'm actually kinda bummed that I missed out on that part of teaching kindergarten. The old mantra rings true, "kids say the darnedest things!"

That being said, I've made it back to Wisconsin. I've been back for about 6 weeks now. The time has flown by as I've been busy reuniting with family and friends. I also started working a week after I got home. I got hired back at the restaurant I used to work at, so I'm fortunate that I didn't have to search for employment. My boss at the gym I used to work at was also really excited to have me back, but because I do not have a car I couldn't commit to a job 2o mins away by freeway. I can't hitchhike here like I could in Hawaii! I'm living close to the bus stop so luckily I can jump on one of the city's 6 buses and get to work that way. Being gone for so long made me forget how reliant people are on vehicles around here. Except for grocery shopping, it is so much more convenient to just hop on a bus or the subway and get where you are going. I liked not having to pay for gas or deal with traffic!

I've been going through my moments of reverse culture shock. At first they were moments that brought a smile to my face as I remembered what things I like about living in Wisconsin and being back in the United States. However, as of late, my moments of culture shock leave me a bit depressed and disappointed. My stomach growls as I crave newly discovered foods of other lands. I smile and nod as I talk to people I encounter, rejoicing when someone actually offers up semi-intellectually stimulating topic to chat about. It's as though my brain has been floating through a ton of beautiful information and then all of a sudden that beautiful information dissipates and bam! the brain is on the floor, cold and alone... haha, that may be an exaggeration, but I'm struggling to keep my mind curious.
At the moment I am craving the unhurried, yet passionate, pace of Hawaii and the beautiful people that live there. And although I am insanely jealous that Alexis and Morgan are continuing their travels without me, I am confident that I made the right decision by deciding to make a stop in Hawaii. It was a last minute, spur of the moment idea to visit my cousin Liz in Hawaii. My stay in Hawaii rocked my world and I wouldn't trade that time for anything else in the world!

I have, however, been enjoying the comforts of living in an apartment again. It has given me the chance to experiment with cooking! I got a food processor and have been busy trying out new foods. I've really enjoyed making hummus and fresh fruit smoothies. I found a cute little organic food shop that supports as much local agriculture and food production as it can. I try to buy whatever I need to there. This is the one store that has managed to help me on my quest to quench some of my newly acquired cravings. It has my 5 minute Indian meals that I love and kimchi too! Plus, a few other things I've grown to enjoy like seaweed salad, kombucha, and tahini! I am happy this store is only a few blocks away!

Anyway, so far my time spent home has been a wave of emotions, both good and bad. I am thankful for all my wonderful family and friends. Northern Wisconsin definitely is a "culture" of its own and deserves to be experienced by all. I am happy to "be here now" but am looking forward to my time of exploration once again.

beware creeping efficiency

Hawaii has been good for me. It has forced me to become silent and be still. I've realized how easy it is to forget the importance of stillness.

I'm living atop a waterfall, surrounded by guava and mac nut trees; the town of Hilo four miles below me. I'm staying with a cousin. I have no vehicle, no computer or phone. She has no tv or radio- so I'm not exaggerating when i say life is pretty quiet where I'm at! I have spent most of my days alone the past few weeks, minus an occasional excursion, while she is working. I wake up, enjoy a cup of coffee on the porch, read, do some yoga, garden, read some more, listen to music, go off to the waterfall...the first few days of this were hard for me because I always felt the need to be doing something. Now, however, I've adjusted just fine and I am loving this slower pace of life.

I'm learning to let go of feeling like all my days have to be planned. Because I have no phone or transportation, I go where people take me. I'm open to anything the day or night might bring me. So far, so good; everything seems to work out.

It's been about 20 months since I've been home. Hawaii is my first stop back in the USA (although Hawaii is still nothing like the mainland.) I went into my first real "American" grocery store in 20 months. I stepped into a Wal-Mart(not by choice, but lack of options) and consumerism slapped me in the face. I can read all the signs around me and I can actually understand what people around me are saying on the bus! Coming to Hawaii has put me halfway into a state of culture shock; although I know the other half will hit me once I get home. Staying atop the falls and chilling out has been a good time for me to process my experiences traveling and to give my body a time to rest. Packing your backpack up and moving around every couple days is harder than you think!

I've been here 3 weeks today. I spent my first two weeks resting and have gone on some interesting adventures in the last week. I will tell those stories on the next blog. For now, I just want to remind everyone to take some time to yourself and rest. I will leave you with this poem by Paul Williams, from the book, Das Energi.

What is this word "efficiency"?

Sometimes it seems a close cousin to Death.

We are encouraged not to linger, not to enjoy life,

to hurry up and get it done so we'll have time

for something else.

Something else?

What?

Efficiency the destroyer, millions upon millions of

living dead, done in by the electric can-opener

and the automobile.

Progress is our most important product,

babies are our business,

time is money,

life is cheap.

Modern technology, modern business, the modern state

give us everything we need

except breathable air, drinkable water, edible food,

meaningful work, freedom from fear, freedom to love,

freedom to be ourselves, courage, pride, friendship,

hope.

The moral of the story is: don't be in such a hurry.

Beware creeping efficiency.

Slow down and live.

aloha

hey everyone! just wanted to give everyone a quick update... after a whirlwind two months of planning and running a summer camp in seoul, i am off again! my plan was to continue traveling with Morgan and Alexis, but my lack of money stopped that one. I am now off to Hawaii for a bit to check out the scene there and stay with a cousin. If I like what I find, it might possibly be my next place of residency for a year or so! So...if anyone has any good connections for me in Hawaii, send them my way! =o)

worth a thousand words...cambodia

The Butterfly Garden is a restaurant that buys butterflies from local kids as a way for them to make a bit of money for their families and to encourage them to stay in school. We got to watch the kids come and release their butterflies into the restaurant while we were eating. The restaurant also trains older teenagers in the kitchen giving them some vocational skills. Many graduates of this program go on to have a successful career, which is an opportunity they otherwise wouldn't have had.

This is the local "gas station!" Most motor bike drivers will stop and fill up their tanks at places like this. I thought it was odd to see a little girl just hanging out on the barrel of fuel eating a snack.

A monkey at Angkor Wat. I spent 4 days exploring the temples and they were truly amazing!!

This little girl was so adorable! She was at the Butterfly Restaurant releasing her butterflies.

Cambodia has a pretty recent and intense history of civil war and genocide. These are just 2 of the 8 levels of skulls excavated at the Killing Fields outside of Phnom Penh.

I got the chance to experience some alternative medicine. I got a procedure called cupping done on my back. It is done by creating a vacuum on the back using a flame and a glass jar. The jars are placed on specific points on the body, depending on your ailment. Other people do it just to invigorate themselves and increase blood flow. I'm not sure mine was done correctly, however, because I found out later I was at a "happy ending" massage place that happened to do cupping as well! But don't worry, no happy endings here!

I spent a week volunteering at a center for street children in Siem Reap. It was one of my best weeks spent traveling! The kids are so beautiful. There is so much need in Cambodia and it was nice to be able to give a little, even though I wish it could have been more. Volunteering gave me a little bit more of an inside peek at local Khmer people and their lives.

I love this picture!! I think the big balloons and her skinny long legs are a funny combination!

Ta Prohm, one of the many temples of Angkor Wat. This one is where Tomb Raider was shot at. It is really overgrown with huge trees. Although there are always a ton of tourists, it feels like you are discovering something new because of all the overgrowth. The temples aren't blocked off at all, which is cool too.

Taking a break in the rain...

worth a thousand words...Laos

Laos was the country where I grew accustomed to seeing monks every day. These three rode with us on the slow boat from the border of Laos to Luang Prubang. At first I had urges to takes pictures of every monk I saw, but then I got used to seeing them around all the time. You begin to notice how annoying it is when everyone stops to take pictures of every monk they see. Yep, I was one of "those" people for about a week, but at least I can admit it. I also found it strange to see monks smoking; which I happened upon a lot. Weird, right? I learned that it is a common practice in Laos for men to serve in a monastery for two years and then resume their normal lives.
These are the type of boats we road in for two days to Luang Prubang. They are nicknamed slow boats for a reason! Luckily, the scenery during our boat trip was breathtaking! It was also a nice distraction to have a poker game going on in the back of the boat.
Sorry I can't rotate this picture. I uploaded this at a Korean PC room and I can't figure out the Korean word for "rotate". I tried, though, believe me! =o) These little girls are two of the many children that sell little trinkets and birds, to "set free" when you get to a temple, as a blessing to whomever you worship. What most people don't realize is that their wings are clipped and they are recaught after you leave and sold again.
Laos seriously was one of the most stunning countries in terms of scenery for me. This is the view I had from my hostel in Vang Vieng at sunset. Add a day of tubing, caving, or lounging in a hammock to this view and you can't go wrong!

The waterfall in Luang Prubang! I've seen quite a few waterfalls on my trip, but this one takes the cake! After hiking all the way to the top I jumped in the top pool for a swim. As I swam over to the edge of the first pool I was in awe as I saw the waterfall cascading down the mountain, forming 16 seafoam green pools as it fell. People were swimming in various pools and the sun was giving off the perfect light. It didn't seem real. This picture is at the pool at the very top of the falls.

Here is a another waterfall! I actually had another video of one more waterfall, but it didn't upload correctly. I'll try again soon.

So that's it for Laos. This task of 5 pictures gets harder with every country. Keep checking for Cambodia pics soon!

worth a thousand words... Thailand

Hey everyone! Since I'm feeling hopelessly behind on updating everyone on all my experiences with my travels in the last four months, I've decided to let some pictures do the talking. It became clear to me how much writing I would have to do to "fill everyone in" on my experiences while at dinner with a friend the other night. She asked me the simple question, "How was your trip?" I gave her a two hour answer! So, in an effort to make things "short and sweet" I'm going to post 5 of my favorite pictures from each country visited on this trip (which ended up being much harder than expected) and attempt to write a few things about them each. I also have some really random videos that I am going to try really really hard to upload in the next few days!
Sairee Beach in Koh Tao at sunset... the tide is going out and everyone is coming in for the day.
This is view Morgan and I woke up to from our bungalow at the organic farm we worked at in Pai. We got up at 5:45 a.m. everyday to help load soy bean hay from other farmers fields to use as fertilizer for the fields in our farm. It's not so bad waking up that early when this is what you see!
" "Making" rice at the organic farm. I never realized how much work it takes to shell/husk rice until I actually did it myself. It took 4 of us about 3 hours to prepare enough rice for a week or so. We did it the "old-fashioned" way, which obviously takes longer, but gives you much respect for the people that have prepared it that way for years, or who still prepare it this way for lack of better equipment. This lady is separating the shells of the rice from the actual grains. She throws the rice up and the wind takes the husks away, leaving the grains for us to eat!
I love parades! This was a special ceremony that we ran into on the street. I can't remember what it was for, but I know that all the little boys get dressed up in makeup. I really enjoyed all the random things I stumbled upon while traveling.

This is Pe, the owner of the Car Bar in Koh Tao. This was my favorite place on the island. His bar is made out of an old VW band. Everyone is welcome; to drink, play connect four, or just chill. I was lucky enough to get to Koh Tao twice and see Pe and stop at the CarBar again!
This is the truck we used to collect the soy bean hay. We've gotten that hay piled so high I was scared to ride on top at times! I've gotten to see a side of Thailand most travelers don't experience. Driving through the backroad farmland in northern Thailand and seeing how people lived was an insightful view of local life.

Saturday Night Fever

if only i had moves like this... =o)

just to lower your heart rates... =o)

Hello everyone! I know I've been M.I.A. lately in the blogging world. I'm just writing a quick post to let you all know I'm alive and well. The last month and a half has been a blur of activities and poor internet connections. I'm now back in Korea, working at my old school for a few months. I will do my best to update you all on the last month or so of my travels and post some pics and videos (soon, i hope!)

I'm subbing for the new Koala class at my school. Here we are at the Blue House, where the president of Korea lives.

oh say can you see

I love Vietnam! While sitting in a park in Saigon, we met a Vietnamese man that wanted to practice his English with us. We took him to dinner and met a German man and a Chinese man sitting together eating soup on the street. We joined them and got a concert by the Chinese man. He happened to know a ton of national anthems...here is ours. And yes, we do have cd's for sale!

peace and blessings

"I thought you were just being nice..." I trailed off, confused. Who says that to a monk!?

Yep, it was me. I was walking down the street one morning and a monk handed me a card. It was gold and it looked like a bookmark. She says to me, "Take this card and receive peace and blessings."

"Thank you!" I exclaim. What a nice gesture if only everyone was this nice in the mornings. She follows me along the road asking me where I'm from...the standard travel questions. She then hands me a pad of paper and asks me to sign it. I see a slot for a name and then a slot for an amount of money donated. She wanted me to donate money for the card! I guess I should have expected a donation would have been wanted, but she caught me completely off guard!

I tried explaining that I didn't want to give a donation and that I didn't have any money (I really didn't). She really didn't understand and I didn't wanna be rude. So my tactful response is... " I thought you were just being nice..." I tried handing the card back, but she refuses to take it. After all, you can't really take back peace and blessings after you hand them out, can you? I grabbed the card awkwardly and walked off... what a weird way to start the morning!

On another note, tonight is my last night in Cambodia. We head for Vietnam tomorrow. Morgan, Alexis and I explored the capitol, Pnomh Penh for a few days and then headed south to Sihaunouk Ville for some beach time. We are back in the capitol until we leave for Vietnam.

stopping for cows

I've decided to start keeping track of the things that are becoming "normal" to me as I have been traveling. A few months ago I never would have imagined I'd be writing this list:

1) stopping for cows- cows are just always on the road here. it is common while traveling, no matter what the transportation is, to come to sudden stops because a cow just won't move

2) monks smoking (or doing anything)- it's common for saffron robed monks to be out and about wherever you are. it took me a while, however, to get used to seeing them in computer labs, on motorbikes, and smoking...go figure.

3) seeing animals tied to motorbikes- yep, i think i've seen it all. I've seen about 20 chickens hanging from the handlebars of a motorbike- and yes, they were all alive. I've also seen 2 men on one bike each holding enormous pigs!

4) wearing my clothes according to "sweat factor"- the weather has been so HOT! Hanging out in mid to upper 90's temps makes anyone really sweaty! because I've only packed a few items of clothing I need a system to make them last as long as possible. I've now separated my clothes into 2 categories: really sweaty and sweaty! the really sweaty clothes i wear in the daytime, when I get the most sweaty. These clothes can be reworn a few times because I know they will end up smelling the same anyway. My "sweaty"clothes I wear at night when I'm cleanest and coolest. Once they have been worn a few times they move into the "really sweaty"category and can be worn a few times before washing. Yep, it's official...i've become one of those dirty, raggedy, and somewhat sweaty travelers! I'm not gonna lie, the pants I have on I've worn for about 7 days without washing them. I've had the same shirt on for the last 5... the funny thing is, i don't even feel that gross!

ok, enough of that list for now. I'll keep updating it...

Other than that, we've made it to Phnom Penh. Alexis, Morgan and I are looking for a new place to volunteer at while we are here. It's the king of Cambodia's birthday today. I tried going to the king's palace today to take a tour, but apparently I wasn't dressed nice enough! haha...i'll have to put on my "sunday best"and try again!

wrong answer...

(when looking for a functioning ATM...)"Hi, can I help you?," asks the man at the only bank in town.
"yeah, do you have an ATM?" ask the weary travelers down to their last bit of money.
"yes, of course...do you have visa?"
"Yes!!"the travelers exclaim, their worries are over...
"Impossible!" says the man at the bank. "We only take local cards..."
yep, I'd say that was the wrong answer.

tuk tuk to the moon?

I still find it funny, even after traveling through Asia for over two months, that the cab and tuk tuk drivers still call out to you on the street. Not that I'm an expert in the art of hailing cabs, but I'm used to having to flag one down, not having a driver walk with me down the street trying to convince me to ride in his tuk tuk. I have gotten used to it for the most part, but found it particularly funny tonight when a guy asked me if I wanted a tuk tuk to the moon.

I started volunteering yesterday at a really cool center that helps street kids in the area. I've only been volunteering two days and I'm already in love with the kids and the vision of the center! I'm not sure how long we will be able to stay because of visa length and not having school next week because of the king's birthday, but I think I'd be willing to come back some day. The center is doing some great work, teaching English and Khmer classes, creative art projects, rice rations each week for the family, lunch every day, and facilities for the children to shower and wash clothes. Today we helped out with a photography project. The kids had a great time and took some beautiful pictures, which I'll post later.

I've really been enjoying my time traveling, but it feels great knowing that I can also do something worthwhile at the same time!

sunrise with the gods

This morning I got up at 4:30 am, along with Alexis and Morgan, so we could get our butts to see the sunrise at Bayon, one of the many temples of Angkor Wat. Since the morning is the coolest time to explore the temples, it was a great surprise to us all to find that Bayon was deserted! The fact that it is surrounded by trees probably helps detour visitors from making it a sunrise spot...which is precisely why we chose to go there! There is something magical about walking into a temple free of guards or tourists when the mist of the morning is just clearing. I felt like we had just stumbled upon an ancient secret-it was just us and the gods... a great way to start the day!

As you can tell, we've made it out of Ban Lung and into Siem Reap. From Ban Lung we stopped in Kratie, where we took a boat and saw the slowly becoming extinct Irrawaddy dolphins. The dolphins weren't too spectacular, but I've never seen dolphins living in a river before so it was worth the trip. From Kratie we took a 10 hr bus trip to Siem Reap. For those of you that are fond of Cambodian ballads, you'd be happy to know that the tv on the bus blared them for the whole trip, including words on the bottom of the screen in case you want to sing along.

I wasn't sure what to expect driving into Siem Reap. I expected a lot of guesthouses and backpackers, but I guess I had no idea that there would be a ton of really nice hotels and restaurants! Staying in those nice hotels are loads of Japanese, Korean, and other people with enough money to stay in luxury while visiting Angkor Wat. The city's boom has been great for the economy and has been providing the locals with lots of work and opportunities.

The temples of Angkor Wat were amazing! Again, I wasn't expecting much because I didn't want to be disappointed...but all I have to say is WOW! The temples, which are all that are left of Cambodia's ancient Khmer empire, spread out for miles around Siem Reap. We bought a 3 day pass to explore, but could have easily spent a week exploring. The greatest part about the temples is that not much of them are roped off, giving anyone inclined the opportunity to climb amongst the old ruins, through the old hallways and rooms and over all the rocks laying around. I'm sure in a few years areas will become off limits, but for now it is a free for all. The freedom to explore makes each person feel like they are discovering the ruins themselves.

We have finished our explorations of the temple. Yesterday the three of us went to a lake frequented by locals and taught 3 Cambodian guys how to play marco polo, which they loved. We then ate three whole, but small, chickens (bones, beaks, and claws included) with rice.

Tomorrow we start volunteering at a center for street kids. We will be holding creative arts workshops, teaching English and helping out where needed. We are planning on volunteering for a week, but we'll see how it goes.

dust in the wind...

and in my hair, lungs, all over my clothes...basically dust, everywhere! I'm in Ban Lung, Cambodia, supposedly the dust capital of the country. Ban Lung is in the northeast corner of the country and, according to Lonely Planet, "off the beaten track" for most travelers. It seems to be true, as I've only seen a few other foreigners here. My first impressions of Cambodia haven't been the most aesthetic, to say the least, but I'm getting sick and have been really tired so my thoughts in general haven't been the most optimistic. Ban Lung is a small town...here is the main road: for some reason I happened to get a picture with only a few motorbikes in it, which is rare. Add about 15 more motorbikes, 7 bicycles, 12 people walking, 3 or 4 half naked kids, and about 4 should be "white"dogs that are so dusty their fur is a rusty orange color...That's a better picture.
I've been really surprised at how dusty everything gets. We are coming up on the rainy season which will soon turn everything to mud...I can't decide what will be worse, I'll let you know.
Here are my feet after walking to the main road and around the market. They were clean three hours ago... yep, let's just say I'm really getting a chance to be a "dirty"hippie, as some of my friends like to call me. There really isn't a point in showering...haha.

We went to the market today and yesterday. I wish I could have taken pictures of everything, but I can't figure out quite yet how to take the pictures I want without being intrusive or looking too much like a tourist. I was really struck by all the garbage I saw everywhere, garbage cans don't seem to be the popular thing around here. I also loved seeing all the food on display. There were fruit and veggie stands, but my favorite were the meat stands. Chunks of meat, all out in the open, covered with flies. The best part is that the whole animal is out on display, head and feet included, just cut into chunks. The market seems to be the main hub where people gather to buy/sell, eat, and hang out. I really liked it, although I wouldn't suggest going if you are feeling nauseous.

We also rented bikes and rode to a lake. My bike was stuck in the highest gear, making hills a killer workout! I actually had to walk up a few...

Today was spent getting bus tickets sorted and just resting. Morgan and I have killer colds, making it hard to be motivated to do anything! We are headed to Kratie tomorrow, where we will try and catch a glimpse of the few remaining Irrawaddy dolphins that live in the Mekong River. It should be "splashes"of fun, haha!

one more thing...

In a previous post I was trying to tell a little bit about Laos history but wanted to get my facts straight. Here is some info, directly from Lonely Planet:

Between 1964 and 1973, the USA conducted one of the largest sustained aerial
bombardments in history, flying 580,344 missions over Laos and dropping two million tons of
bombs, costing US$2.2 million a day. Around 30% of the bombs dropped in Laos failed to
detonate, leaving the country littered with unexploded ordnance (UXO). For people all over
eastern Laos, living with this appalling legacy has become an intrinsic part of daily life.
Since the British Mines Advisory Group (MAG) began clearance work in 1994, only a tiny percentage of the quarter of a million pieces...has been removed. ...at the current rate of
clearance it will take more than 100 years to make the country safe.

Thank you, Lonely Planet, for filling me in on a piece of US related activity that I never knew happened. Funny how certain parts of our history are just "left out" so easily.

Laos Recap

I am in Cambodia now and before I attempt to do a better job sharing my experiences in Cambodia, I figured I should give a quick Laos recap since the internet and I didn't get along so well in Laos.

First of all, I must say that Laos is an amazing and beautiful country! I truly enjoyed every part of my time there. Here is what I did (in a nutshell)

We took a slowboat from Thailand into Luang Prubang, Laos. The ride took 2 days. I spent my time taking in the beautiful scenery from the boat, listening to music, and losing my money in poker games in the back of the boat.

Luang Prubang- a charming little city that has retained a lot of it's French architecture from when the French occupied Laos. We spent a week relaxing, exploring the markets, the Buddha cave, and the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen!

Vang Vieng- the drive there (4-5 hrs) was the most beautiful drive I have ever seen. The road was basically switchbacks through the mountains the whole way. Jagged limestone peaks and mountains and little villages were the scenery along the way. The mountains were so beautiful I felt like a dragon could have come flying in between them at any time. Or maybe it was a cross between the Lord of the Rings scenery and Falcor, the flying dog-thing from Neverending Story...yeah, that seems right. Anyway, Vang Vieng proved to be quite the backpacker town. Popular activities for most seemed to be tubing down the river while stopping at the various bars along the way, watching Friends at any bar on the main strip while eating from the "happy"menus, and exploring the caves in the area. The scenery was beautiful and worth the stopover, but one gets tired quickly of the shallow backpacker/meatmarket scene there. We were lucky enough to experience the New Year/Water Festival with the locals which was my favorite part of Vang Vieng.

Vientiane- The capitol of Laos. A city I would have liked to explore more of, but only was able to stay for one night. We went bowling...that says it all. In the daytime we went to the history museum and Pha That Luang. It is considered the most impressive monument in Laos. Apparently it was constructed by Indian missionaries to house a piece of Buddha's breastbone. It is beautiful and worth the trip to see.

Pakse- not usually a town people stay in for a long time, but we ended up using the town as a base for our trekking. We went to a local village and stayed at a coffee plantation. We trekked to 5 beautiful waterfalls. We also saw Wat Phu, a really really old temple in the Bolavan Plateau.

4 Thousand Islands- We stayed on the island of Don Khong for a night, a place with virtually no tourists. We rode a few hours in the back of a truck with about 20 other people and bags and bags of stuff to get there. Alexis and I biked around the island (about 20 miles). Then we went to Don Det. We each had a bungalow with a mosquito net and our own hammock. Morgan was pretty sick those few days so we took time to rest and relax in the hammocks. There is no electricity on the island after 9pm. We slept without a fan... and yes, it was hot!

That's the basic rundown of my month in Laos. There are more stories, but they are so hard to retell after a week or so. Also, I'm still working on pictures, but that is something everyone will have to be patient with. It took me about 20 minutes to upload the last 3 on my blog.

Anyway, I'm alive and well (just starting to catch a cold though). I made it to Cambodia. I think I'll have some interesting stories to share...

Be well!

laos...is amazing!

happy new year, take three

Sabadee Be Mai or Happy New Year! I can't believe I've gotten to experience three different New Year celebrations this year, all in a different country. I spent western New Year in Manila, the Lunar New year in Korea, and now the Laos New Year in Laos, which follows the Indian calendar.

The past few days have left me soaking wet. According to New Year traditions, people use water to wash their homes and selves for the new year, in hopes for a long, healthy life. People everyone have water guns and buckets out on the curb, waiting to soak people that walk or drive by. I spent all day yesterday throwing buckets of water on everyone that came by our guesthouse, it was so fun! Luckily, it's so hot that the water feels great and you dry off quickly. I climbed in a jeep with 18 other people randomly yesterday and went down to the river to join the local celebration. It was really amazing to see so many local people out celebrating. There were people everywhere, most of them soaking wet, eating food, dancing, swimming, and splashing people.

So I've been in Laos for a few weeks now. It's been hard to get blogs in because the power isn't consistent, which is frustrating when always having to rewrite a blog! I would just like to say that I think Laos is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen! The landscape is amazing, with beautiful rivers and great mountains. The people are genuinely sweet and laidback. I didn't know this before coming to Laos, but it is the most heavily bombed country on Earth! I don't have a factbook in front of me, but basically during the 60's the US military launched a hardcore attack on the country, dropping tons of bombs everywhere! Even today there are a ton of bombs that haven't gone off yet that are laying around in random spots. I will get my facts straight for sure and then finish telling the story, because I don't wanna screw it up. Anyway, the attacks and a civil war have left Laos in rough shape and it is still a very poor country. Driving through the country the poverty is evident and it makes Laos seem so untouched by society, which it really is.

Ok, I just found out the computer cafe is closing...so I will leave you with this unfinished blog, just to give you all something to read! I will write more when I can.

Be well!

hitchhiking after midnight...(don't tell my mom!)

on a lonely mountain road in Thailand is not a good idea only because nobody picks you up. Or maybe I should say, nobody drives at that hour. I think Morgan and i saw 5 vehicles pass us in the hour it took to walk home from town, and all of them were motorbikes, except for two. I guess it shouldn't be surprising that we didn't get picked up!

It has been a while since I have written. After leaving Chiang Mai, we took a bus to Pai, a small community nestled in a valley amongst mountains, in northern Thailand. The bus ride itself was a long and hot ride, but the scenery was beautiful! The curvy roads, the dropoffs, the farms and the mountains were all breathtaking! The scenery made up for the rough ride. We were headed to Pai to work on an organic farm called Tacomepai. A friend of Morgan recommended it to us so we decided to check it out. The farm turned out to be one of the highlights of my time in Thailand. The farm and the family that run it are amazing! Anyone traveling to Thailand that wants a unique experience should check it out. Sandot, the owner, is a great soul. His vision is to educate everyone about the benefits of organic farming. He does this by letting people come to stay at the farm, choosing to help out and learn what they want. He is also a huge advocate in his community, trying to teach the local people in his village how to conserve more resources and reduce waste as they live. His passion for farming, the environment, and people in general made our stay a great experience.

Everyone gets to stay in a unique bungalow. There are many to chose from. Most are made of bamboo, with the exception of two straw huts and a mud house. The bathrooms are open air- you can see the stars as you "go"- which I highly recommend! Every morning we got up at 6:30 and went to collect hay from soy beans to use for composting. After that was breakfast, then any chores we could help Sandot out with. We weeded and watered gardens, collected firewood, made soy milk, picked vegetables out of the gardens to cook with, cooked all our own meals over an open fire, and we also got to learn how to "make rice." In case you didn't realize, rice does not grow looking like the rice we see in the stores. It has to be husked, basically. I know there are machines that do it now, but we got to husk rice the old fashioned way and boy was it hard! You use your leg to pump a huge wooden log up and down on a bowl full of rice. The log eventually breaks the outer shell of the rice off and you end up with the rice we see in stores. After you are done pumping, which is a major leg workout, you separate the rice from the shells by throwing it up in the air and catching the rice in the basket while the shells fly away in the wind. It took a group of 5 of us 4 hours to do a big sack.

Besides doing farmwork, Sandot took us to the hotsprings, to a local hilltribe village and on a trek. The trek we took involved an accidental climbing of a mountain- and I'm not joking. Because we arrived late in the day to our trekking area we decided to take a more direct route, you know, like straight up the mountain! It was honestly one of the scariest things I have done. I've never really climbed anything before so I guess my lack of experience might have contributed to my fear, but at one point we were so high up at such a steep incline that you couldn't have gone down the way you came if you wanted to! Needless to say, we all made it! After eating rice steamed in bamboo and a soup made from things we picked on our hike, we slept under a beautiful blanket of stars!

After a week on the farm, we left for Laos...which is where I am now. I've been working on this blog for about a week now, but the internet connections here are sketchy so it's been taking a while. At least now I'm caught up with the Thailand part of my trip! Next blog will be about Laos. I'm also working on posting all my pics through a Snapfish account. As soon as I get enough of a connection to upload an album, I'll post the link for anyone to check out.

Be well!

rasta girl

Somebody called me rasta girl today! I am going to take that as a compliment...it is the first time a stranger has really acknowledged my dreads. They've been in for 6 weeks now and there is NO going back. They are obviously still forming and tightening, but I realized the other day I couldn't take them out if I wanted to. It is kinda scary to think about, but it makes me extremely happy that I have actually gone ahead and done something I've been wanting to do for such a long time! Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Other than that, still in Chiang Mai. I really love this city. If I had more time, I would spend much more time here. Last night we all went to a huge night market and shopped and ate some great food. Tomorrow we head to Pai, a small hippie-ish community further north. There is an organic farm there we are all going to work on.

Also, here are a few pictures! Finally, right? I will only post a few because it takes so long, but I will post them all via Facebook/Myspace for those of you who desire to look. Enjoy!