Travel highlights: Laos

What excuse have I got this time for my shameful neglect of this blog? I could tell you that I've been distracted by matters of the heart - a pleasantly unexpected development as soon as I returned from my trip - so that you could sigh and empathize, "Ah yes, understandable." But as I don't make habit of revealing such intimate details on this forum - and to be fair, that's only part of the story - I'll just carry on as if no time has passed since I promised you this summary of my stay in Laos.

The two weeks there now seem like a hazy dream. Oh wait, it was hazy there. I timed my trip just perfectly with the annual burning of the forests. That was unfortunate in terms of pictures and just general breathing comfort, but thankfully Luang Prabang is capable of seducing even through a pervasive curtain of smog.

To be honest, my immediate reaction to this quaint, walkable town was not overwhelmingly positive. I was thrown off by all the tourists who seemed to outnumber the locals. But I gave in to the experience and met a lot of interesting travelers from all over. The hedonist in me was also won over by all the gastronomical offerings. There are restaurants from all over the globe, though the Laos and French ones are (understandably) most notable. Mornings usually began with a warm, fresh baguette and cup of Laos-style coffee with its sweet condensed milk. A wine bar with cushy seating on the front porch turned out to be my favorite post-dinner hangout, and a night was rarely complete without a visit to one of the crepe stands that pop up along the streets. French colonization was fortunate in some regards. Cuba also gets a mini spotlight here as one of the most popular and amusing hangouts is the outdoor bar Mojito, where gregarious Laos guys in cowboy hats twirl bottles ala Tom Cruise in Cocktail and pronounce the j in the signature drink as you would for jug.

Architecture is another aspect of Laos that benefited from French occupation. Just walking the streets and looking at buildings makes for an interesting afternoon.

The morning alms procession (Tak Bat) is a daily Buddhist tradition and with so many monasteries in Luang Prabang, it's a particularly colorful sight here. Just after daybreak, monks file out of the monasteries and line up with their alms bowls to accept homemade sticky rice from the townspeople. Unfortunately this very spiritual practice has become a bit of a tourist spectacle. I can't feign higher ground here because I obviously took this picture, though I did so hastily and from a considerable distance, trying to pacify my conscious by separating myself from the mass in the streets with their flashing digital cams. It's one of those situations that you can recognize as invasive but take part in anyway with a slightly red face. Another issue besides the indiscreet photography is the well-meaning tourists who want to contribute to the alms-giving but end up offending by using the wrong hand or wearing the wrong clothes or sitting the wrong way or giving the wrong thing. Peddlers with an eye for business opportunity sell rice to the enthusiastic tourists, and that rice is unsuitable and sometimes even unclean.

If LP had a soundtrack, the first track would be the constant drone of tuk-tuk drivers directed to tourists: waterfall cave waterfall cave waterfall cave. This is repeated day in and day out lest you forget that tuk-tuks can transport you to the two most popular nearby attractions. I imagine the wives of these drivers waking to their husbands reciting this mantra in their sleep.

Stephanie and I did make it to both the Kouang Xi waterfall and the Pak Ou cave. The waterfall is a beauty, though with so many tourists, serenity is elusive.

The cave contains a pretty cool collection of ancient Buddhist statues but overall isn't that spectacular. As Stephanie keenly observed, you'd be pretty pissed off if you spent three hours round trip on a bus to get there, but being that you go by boat, it's a fairly enjoyable morning.

One of our favorite attractions was the Ock Pop Tok weaving center. You can take intensive weaving courses here, but we only had time for the tour of the silk production process. It was interesting to see what resources are used for the natural dyes, such as turmeric for yellow, indigo leaves for blue, and bark from tamarind tree for dark red. I was struck by the tediousness of the weaving. The weavers at this center don't work grueling hours, but I imagine they still ache at nights from the static position and repetitive movements.

The night market in Luang Prabang offers your standard array of local handicrafts, but a more interesting experience is the morning market that runs parallel to the Mekong. You never know what you'll find there as vendors seem to bring whatever they've managed to kill or capture that morning. Birds of all sorts, hamsters, even the hind legs of a dog.

One day I crossed the Mekong and spent the better part of the day in Ban Xieng Maen. A stroll down a dirt path leads from one historic temple to another, most of them abandoned. The picture directly below is of peaceful Wat Chom Phet, at the top of a hill. I was there for an hour looking down and across the river at Luang Prabang, not interupted by a single person.

I mosied on to another temple, where I met two young monks with flashlights who led me to a cave and the old abandoned temple pictured below:

If you live in America and visit your doctor before traveling to certain parts of Southeast Asia, you'll no doubt leave with a prescription for Malarone, a malaria preventative. It's the most effective defense against malaria, and to keep it that way, the manufacturers won't sell it in this area (or possibly outside of North America, I'm not sure). The mosquitoes would just become immune, as they are to the malarial drugs that are available here. That's why my doctor said don't bother, just wear repellent and get to a hospital within 48 hours of malaria-like symptoms. And this is how Steph and I got an unplanned and amusing tour of the hospital system in LP. I had been feverish for a day and then had to abruptly abandon a bewildered masseuse to go puke in her bathroom, so we figured a malaria test was indeed in order. We followed the map to a street with beautiful and colorful old French buildings, none of which were clearly marked as a hospital. We were pointed in different directions and had tuk-tuk drivers offer to take us there for a fee - there being some location we could have thrown a stone at. At last, though, we located the hospital and were then directed to a building serving only malaria patients. I didn't sign in, didn't pay a thing - the nurse just came out to the lobby, pricked my finger and told me to wait 15 minutes. That gave us time to find humor in the wall hangings, like this malaria warning:

And this poster demonstrating the importance of proper hand-washing:

Ironically, there was no soap in the hospital restroom.

Of no surprise to you, I tested negative for malaria, so Stephanie and I were able to carry on, the hospital saga evolving into just another funny travel anecdote.

More pictures of Laos are here.

Up next: highlights of Vietnam, coming to you, er, sometime soon.

Travel highlights: Cambodia

After eight weeks of travel, I'm back in Bangkok and a week into work. The trip went by in a flash, yet it seems ages ago that Stephanie landed and we boarded a plane for Siem Reap a couple of days later. It was actually late February. Though I was only in Cambodia for three days (just touching the surface of the surface), it seduced me so that I got the most emotional when looking back at those pictures. All of the countries I've visited in Southeast Asia have an abundance of elements that lure and delight, but there seem to be a couple such aspects that jump vividly from the moving picture story in my brain of each particular place. When I recall my time in Vietnam, I'll think first of the food and landscape; of Laos, the architecture and romance; but of Cambodia, it will be the people. We met many who lived in near unimaginable situations and yet the smiles on their faces were the widest and their demeanor the warmest. The children had no toys to play with so they were forced to use creativity and nature's gifts such as sticks and rocks - their cleverness continuously impressed me.

Stephanie and I spent our days with our tour guide, Fila, and his father and tuk-tuk driver. This is the only time during my trip that I hired a tour guide, and I definitely recommend it for Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. There's so much to see in that area, it really saves time. Plus, Fila was able to give us some true local experiences we would have missed otherwise.

Fila and his dad picked us up around five our first morning so we could see the sun rise behind stunning Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world. The experience was well worth the early start. Don't come here without doing that. (Check out my right hand. You know you've been in Thailand too long when...)

We visited many other marvelous temples in the Angkor complex, but I won't go through all of them - only a couple of highlights. The picture below is of romantic and otherworldly Ta Prohm, "the Tomb Raider temple". The ruins have been left for the jungle to mercilessly devour, and its numerous towers, courtyards and corridors make for the best hind-and-go-seek setting ever.

The Banteay Srei temple, below, was probably my favorite. It's about an hour's drive from Siem Reap (and a white-knuckled one at that thanks to the narrow winding road scarcely big enough for a barreling oversized truck and vulnerable tuk-tuk). Because of approaching rain and the late hour, we had the place almost to ourselves, which made it seem more serene and special.


On the way back, we passed some street-side stands selling candy made from palm juice. We sampled some that was still warm and turns out completely addictive. Below is the palm juice being heated before it eventually thickens and is stored inside the palm leaf.

Two of the children born into the palm candy business in front of the finished product:

After visiting one of the temples, we passed this monk-run school. Fila himself was taught by monks and learned most of his English at a school like this. Here, a girl practices the Khmer classical dance while the boys study.

One day, Stephanie, Fila and I were eating lunch when we heard music from the end of the alley outside. He walked us over to what turned out to be a wedding celebration and asked if we could hang out for a bit and take pictures. Everyone there welcomed us crashers and pushed us toward the room where the bride and groom sat accepting offerings. They were dressed in traditional Khmer garb and guests would approach them one by one with their envelopes of money. This was just part of the larger three-day celebration.

Another highlight was meeting this family that lives on a lotus farm. They sell the lotus pods, whose seeds make a great snack. The children were so open and playful with us, as were all the other children we met. They really seem to trust and enjoy foreigners.

On our last day, we visited a school that teaches wood- and stone-carving techniques to disadvantaged children and young adults. I gained a new respect for the time and tediousness it takes to create the goods that become the focus of bargaining and wind up in Western homes as "a great buy". I should know; I have a bag full of them.

More pictures of Cambodia are here.

Up next: Laos

Goodbye (lmost) Vietnm

No, I hven't forgotten how to spell since I've been wy, but I'm using computer with broken key. It should be pprent by now tht the culprit is the letter tht comes before 'b'. I'm in the Mekong Delt now - the town of Chu Doc - nd just returned from the most spectculr sunrise bot trip. The sweetest ldy mneuvered me on her smll wooden bot through floting mrket nd floting villge, both bursting with color nd gorgeous in the golden erly morning sunlight. I'll tke bus bck to Ho Chi Minh City this fternoon nd fly bck to Bngkok tomorrow. Hrd to believe this trip hs lmost reched its end. I won't even try to word how incredible it hs been, especilly becuse reding this must be getting nnoying by now, but I will post pictures just s soon s I cn - I promiselllllllllll.............. (the exclmtion key is broken s well so if you could kindly, mentlly, plce the dots under the lines, I'd be ever so grteful).

Yes, I'm still alive

This will be a quick one because I have to catch a train shortly, but I at least wanted to stop by and reassure anyone who may be following this blog that I have not moved in with a hill tribe or floated down the Mekong. I am alive and well. I haven't posted any stories yet, partly because I don't have a lot of time for the internet (or extra cash for internet cafes) and mostly because I don't have the capability to upload photos and they really make it, don't they? But regardless, here's a brief update:

- I'm five - whoa - weeks into my travels. Stephanie and I had a great time in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. She left two weeks ago and I did a little more in Laos and then moved on to Vietnam, which is where I am now (in Lao Cai waiting on a train back to Hanoi, specifically). I've seen a lot of northern Vietnam and will start to make my way down south.

- A few of the highlights: watching the sun rise behind Angkor Wat, meeting some of the most wonderful people in Cambodia who were all genuine smiles and laughs despite having what many would consider next to nothing, hanging out and soaking up the charm of Luang Prabang (I don't want to count how many desserts I ate there), kayaking in Halong Bay, playing Frogger with all the motorbikes in Hanoi...I could go on but I'll just wait for the pictures.

- And as for those pictures, here's a piece of traveling advice: bring about three times as much memory as you think you'll need. I already spent time searching Hanoi for a flash card that I deemed legitimate (not a fake) and tomorrow I'll hit the streets again for more memory. I've had to be conservative with my snapping lately, but this time I'll stock up properly.

- That's all for now. Going to hop on another overnight train, which all together constitute another highlight of the trip. Can't beat paying for hotel and transport together!

Calling home ... future out of focus

Oh my gosh, I have a blog. It seems I forgot that little fact for a while. As is probably obvious, the novelty of writing about my experiences here has worn off some. I'm always happy when I do sit down and record some aspect of my existence in Bangkok, but because everything is so familiar to me now, I'm just not that often inspired. I do, however, plan to be very inspired over the next couple of months because starting today ... please don't hate me ... I will be a lady of leisure, a nomad, a world (well, Southeast Asia) traveler for nine weeks. The best part is that I will pick up my dear friend and traveling buddy, the dazzling and debonair Ms. Stephanie, at the airport tonight. She will be here for the first three weeks of my sabbatical. Her trip is really what inspired me to take an entire term off. I want to travel with her for her entire stay here. I want to do a lot of traveling before I return home. I will probably be returning home shortly.* It's only getting hotter here so this is a great time to do it. (We're at the tail-end of the prime tourist season so the weather's not unbearable but the crowds should have thinned some.) Together, Stephanie and I will visit northern Thailand; Siem Reap, Cambodia (home of the revered Angkor Wat); and Luang Prabang, Laos. Then I will continue on in Laos, head to Vietnam, and that's where the planning ends. I have many ideas but no definite agenda, leaving myself open to any opportunity that presents itself.

*Yes, so as for that little bit that requires elaboration, my return date is as up in the air as my travel plans. I seem to be having trouble with commitment lately. It's like this. I love it here, making it hard to bite the bullet and leave. However, I really miss home and family and friends. However, the economy stinks back there so finding a job may prove to be as challenging as uncovering the mystery of the Plain of Jars. However, however, however... You see my predicament. Perhaps a little traveling will give me a fresh perspective and the fog will lift, unveiling the best path forward as clear as day. Perhaps.

Nong Khai highlights

People often ask if one's a beach person or a mountain person. I've always had a hard time choosing between the two, but since spending time in Nong Khai, my answer would be: I'm a river person. Those five days in this small town on the Mekong taught me that it's absolutely impossible to feel any tenseness while watching water lazily pass on by. Ange and I had plans to visit other places in the Isaan area, but went here first and couldn't bear to leave until absolutely necessary.

We stayed in the Mut Mee Guest House and you wouldn't want to stay anywhere else in Nong Khai. Tables and hammocks overlook the river, there's a masseusse, yoga studio and used bookstore on the premises, and the food is the best in town. Walk down some stairs to a houseboat on the river for another fantastic restaurant and live music lounge. A minute's walk spits you out on this promenade that runs along the river and is great for early morning and late afternoon walks:

We hung out some with a French family and the kid was entirely way too precious. I almost truly mean that because he'd grab one of our fairly expensive cameras and start spinning around snapping photos, and we wouldn't have the heart to take it away.

Here's a taste of the future artist's work. I think he's quite good:

When I could pull myself away from reading in a hammock or staring at the river over homemade dessert and green tea, I enjoyed just walking up and down the streets of this little town. Not much going on, yet so much to see. Monks were everywhere. I had to take this one of the boys eating ice cream. Monks of all ages are just so photogenic with their brightly hued robes and shaved heads.

Speaking of monks, my favorite Nong Khai attraction was Wat Noen Phra Nao, a temple nestled in a forest, a perfect pairing for a peaceful setting.


Our one excursion out of town was an hour-long bus ride to Tha Bo, known for its large open-air market:
Ange on the market street:

And some kids all decked out for Children's Day, an important holiday in Thailand:

I've posted a few more pics of Nong Khai here.

Northern Thailand highlights

Where to start...where to start...Do you know when you have a friend you want to email, but you have so much to say that you keep waiting for that opportune time to sit down and spend quality time writing, but, alas, that time never comes? So you finally just write something in haste without all of the details you had intended? Well, here we are. This is me writing in haste, probably forgetting many of the details of the very full and fun month I've just had, starting with Andrea and Jason's visit. One detail I certainly remember - and please don't laugh at me - is that it's been cold here. And not just Thailand's version of cold. Or even my version of cold. I mean, honest-to-goodness cold. In Nong Khai, it got down to around five degrees Celsius while I was there. I rarely took off my fleece - brought mainly to be used as a pillow on the train - and even slept in it one night. Because the temperature rarely drops this low here (hasn't in the past ten years to be precise), it makes sense that there would be no indoor heating. And cool showers are not usually a discomfort, but they kept me going without as long as I could get away with it. Even Bangkok, which felt like Atlanta's September at its coldest last year, has been chilly. The most common greeting I hear these days is now mai (are you cold?), a legitimate question. A monk actually froze to death earlier this month in Ayutthaya, only an hour north of the city. Things are warming up, though. The weather this past week - my first week back at work after our month-long holiday - has been close to perfect. I'd prefer the mercury stop right now because it won't be long before the sauna returns.

But back to December. My cousin Andrea, her husband Jason and I took an overnight train to Chiang Mai on the 22nd, an amusing experience in itself. We boarded and began making our way to our seats in the second-class sleeper car, counting down numbers on the way: 24, 22, 2-, wait, a group of highly intoxicated backpackers are having a party on our freshly made beds. One scary-looking guy who paid for the upper bunk is lounging on our lower bunk, muddy boots not the least bit concerned with the mess they're making on white sheets. It's an awkward few minutes as we try not to look bothered - yeah, we're cool - and they move their stuff around, spilling beer on our other lower bunk in the process. Then one couple with first-class tickets offers to trade beds with us so they can stay with their friends. No brainer - sure, we'll swap. We thought there'd be an extra bed to accommodate the three of us, but the blessed train kept stopping and letting others on. Poor Jason was bounced back to second class - to the bunk above scary guy because asking him to move was not a welcome option. In an unexpectd turn of events, Andrea went to check on Jason, who soon crashed, so she stayed up until three or four talking to scary guy. Turns out his name is James and he's an ex-convict carrying around a picture from a magazine of his "girlfriend". Somewhere in the conversation Andrea told him of his frightening appearance and in more or less words advised that life might get easier if he'd adopt a more pleasant demeaner. Not sure if he took her advice or not, but James, I hope you are doing well and enjoying your travels.

Ah, moving on. Chiang Mai once again delivered a great time. Highlights included meeting up with a friend at Zoe in Yellow, a great little place in the rasta bar area; bargaining with Andrea at the night bazaar, with a patient Jason in tow; celebrating Christmas and Hannukah there with help from the tall building across from our hotel whose lights formed a humongous Christmas tree topped with the Star of David (classic); and a lovely morning visit to revered mountain-top temple Doi Suthep.

To get to the temple, we took a songthaew up the mountain, about 45 minutes from Chiang Mai center.

Then we climbed these stairs to the top.

It's hard to capture it all in one picture, but you can go here for more... [um, after posting this, I realized I only have one more image from Doi Suthep up...I'll add more tomorrow]

We took a bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, a much smaller town with lots of temples, a great night bazaar and delightfully slow pace. If you ever end up there, I highly recommend Morning Dew Lodge. The owner was incredibly hospitible. She hooked us up with the best restaurants and arranged our day trip to Chiang Saen and the Golden Triangle.

Chiang Saen is an enchanting sleepy town with ancient ruins and temples dating back to the 1200s. The serene Wat Pa Sak was my favorite. I could have spent all day swallowed up in its Lanna-style architecture and teak trees.

We initially thought of skipping the Golden Triangle because of its tourist-trap label, but were happy we didn't. The two best reasons for going: the fascinating opium museum and the boat ride along the Mekong.

Taken in Thailand, looking out at Myanmar and Laos.

Just about fifteen minutes outside of Chiang Rai is the most unusual temple I've been to. Known as “The White Temple,” Wat Rong Khun was designed by famous Thai artist Chaloemchai Khositphiphat. Some people call it beautiful. Others think tacky coated in marshmellow puff is a more apt description. Either way, it's worth a visit because you won't see anything else like it.

A bridge over what appears to be some sort of hell leads to the temple. Inside, a beautiful but bizarre mural is painted on the walls. It includes all kinds of demons and characters from science fiction movies such as Star Wars and Superman. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take pictures inside because I'd love to share.

That does it for now. Next up: my trip to Nong Khai, a little slice of heaven...