My people

Sah bah dee!

The white folks here are slowing starting to get on my nerves. At first glance, they ask all the right questions. Can they see the room? How many beds? How long is the boat ride? Where does the bus stop? But as of late, I've come across some real snobs. They've paid for a full meal yet only got a few jumbo shrimps. Granted we are used to bigger dinners, but for $2, order another! There have been a couple who complain about the cleanliness of a room or the speed of the internet. May i remind you where we are...where we chose to be? Be happy there is a western toilet, let alone tp. Even happier there is actual internet and clean water and electricity! And again...we get what we pay for...Technically we're probably getting more if the room is only $6. It's not always fun or glamorous, but necessary to at least attempt to adapt to our surroundings when choosing to visit. Which technically I should be learning more than just thank you and hello if I'm here. So I'll step down from the soap box. Khap jai!

That being said, Don Dhet in the 4000 islands of Laos has been my favorite for the country...if not my favorite for all of SE Asia that I've seen this far! Pai Thailand,I must say, comes in at a close second.

From Pakse I took a short two hour bus to Ban N. something, which was a port to the island I'd be staying on. I had no hotel reservation, but saw a flyer at my hotel in Pakse so decided to head towards that. I knew it was to the right of where we'd deboard the boat, but people in town told me to keep walking...it'd be another 3.5km. No big deal. That's like 2 miles. Once again, why do I get myself on these long walks with my backpack?!

An hour later I made it. It must be like the Machu Picchu...kinda...but totally worth the hike. There were signs advertising sunset or sunrise bungalows...this one was on the south end of the island and featured both! For US$2/night. To myself. Besides the occasional noise where my bathroom wall joined with my French neighbors...good thing I feel like anything they say is beautiful just by the way they speak it.

Anyway. My bungalow is directly beside the friendship bridge that joins to another island with a waterfall, the old train, some endangered dolphins, and pretty much no inhabitants. I journey across by a beat up old cruiser bike...mindful of the one working brake which is for the front wheel. Good thing there are zero hills. Just lots of rocks in the dirt road. And the northmost point to the southmost point is 4km. Easy.

I honestly just went to the island to find an iced coffee. But actually met some white folks from Canada who made a good impression for us with the locals. They were brothers, speaking highly of the Khmer food I'd soon be eating in Cambodia, and encouraged me to check out this waterfall. I saw it just about at sunset. Great views even though to me it was just raging waters through rocks...no air separated the water from the rock. But now who sounds like a snot? :) it's like when Wisconsin calls its highest point a mountain. Just humorous when you've skied in Colorado :)

So what else? My appetite came back full force! Not sure if its me or some MSG, but I think I've eaten about 6 meals today! I learned how to ask for 'not spicy' after getting a delicious slaw type salad that was just too spicy to finish. And Asian dishes here don't typically come with rice either, so one must ask for it. Pancakes are a toss up for breakfast...some are deep fried, others are the most tasty crepes. Shakes are a toss up too...some are severely watered down and sugared up...others you have to eat with a spoon and are all 100% fruit.

Where I was getting my shake today, there was a groups of dogs procreating and getting in a big barking match. More interesting was the restaurant owner fighting them off with her broom. Guess once I saw kids pooping on public sidewalks in India, anything goes. This will be my permanent vision of each country...Vietnam with people picking their noses for some serious gold...did I see anything deemed socially unacceptable in Argentina or Thailand though? Hmm. Guess they are more second world than third world countries.

The only other things I've done on this island are lay on the 'beach'...the small area of sand that we docked...and lay in various hammocks, reading. And from my views I've watched ducks get into fights, seen a ton of cute baby chicks learning to scrounge for food, walk cautiously past unfenced water buffalo, and have had little baby piglets on leashes squeal at me. The backpacker number might equal to the number of locals. And the locals seem to each have their house double as a guesthouse/restaurant/travel agency/money exchange/laundromat/etc. As primitive as it is, the people don't seem to work too hard...sitting on their stoops chatting with each other throughout the day, yet still happy to help at any request for their service. During one of my many lunches today, I watched a man take the entire hour to replace a hook for a ceiling fan with a hammer and nail. Screwdrivers haven't made it here yet?

I do wonder about the expats here, who live here now with young kids. Sure it's the relaxing life, just the basics, but would it get boring? To me I guess it'd depend on if one has family and friends...those cannot be replaced.

On that note, I'm so freaking excited to say that I will have not one, but two of my friends joining me in the next few days! It's been fun to get some space and alone time...but it will be sweet to share some of these places with some close friends.

Enough rambling for now! Xoxo

The rest of 'nam and some of Laos

So long, Vietnam. Of my couple days in Hanoi, I saw that it was the craziest busy city I've been to outside of India, so I headed towards Ninh Bihn. My hostel concierge warned me that I might find inflated prices and that I should book a $30 tour package with him. No thanks, I think I got this. After a long walk to the bus and waiting 3 hours for it to even depart, I questioned my decision. No one on the bus spoke English, but some women were friendly enough to share their snacks. We piled person after thing after person on the bus for the two hour ride. I thought I did get the white girl price of double the normal $3 rate, but felt better seeing the girl next to me pay the same amount... Increased for the tet holiday (their new year celebration: A HUGE weeklong event with family) I still didnt understand the bus system. We were taking people's packages like a delivery truck, and there were random unmarked bus stops along the highway on the way. Whatever the case, my stop came and the bus assistant grabbed my bag and tossed it to the curb for me!

The town was the original capital of Vietnam, yet not much was in the city. So the next day, after my hotel manager refused to lend me a mountain bike to see the sites outside the city because it was too far, he taught me how to drive a scooter. Same price too. A few prayers later, I was off in crazy scooter traffic! I thought the girl at the hotel said the Cuc National Park would be better than Tam Loc, so I headed that way...45 km away with a rough map. Turns out my sense of direction got lost somewhere along this journey! I made it half way then none of the roads lined up to the map and everything turned to jibberish. Three hours later I decided to turn around, even though a few men on the street told me I was now close to the park. There just wasn't enough time. The drive itself was beautiful nonetheless. It had turned into country roads, with endless rice fields and small villages between grand hills. I passed a few other scooters, and the ones that past me gave me a 180 glance...probably thinking...was that just a white chic driving that scooter?

I made it back in time for the bus back to Hanoi. The concierge talked with me a bit before I left. She excitedly rattled off facts she just learned about America. About how there are 50 states, the biggest cities, and pop stars like Justin Bieber and Britney Spears. I was surprised, but I guess America is the Mecca of places to live in their dreams! I asked if anyone here had negative feelings towards America and she said that most disliked China. She was personally upset that the Chinese would buy produce cheap from Vietnam then sell it back, with preservatives. She's no farmer but even she understood that preservatives that make something last a year or more is not healthy...and to blame for cancer and diseases. Granted, she's just one girl I spoke with, who's parents I'm sure gave her some influence. Felt better than a guy who yelled at me when I was waiting curbside on my scooter...whatever that was about.

After riding past the cute (meat) goats and hearing pigs squeal and seeing people carrying chickens in plastic bags on their scooters...I realized these were all going to be FRESH dinners. So that day, I was vegetarian.

I didn't find much to do in Hanoi besides fight scooters for possession of the streets. Drivers would even be shopping from their scooters stopped in the middle of the road as they ignored the honking of other scooters who were now stuck behind. Madness! There were some historic sites but I think I'm done with those for the moment. Off to Laos!

I flew into Vientiane. First thing I noticed on my $6 cab ride from the airport. Silence. No honking whatsoever! My driver also didn't know a lick of English, and dropped me off at some random hotel. I walked around for an hour, almost booking at other places if they hadn't been full! But finally found my hostel.

There were a couple girls hobbling around our dorm room...turns out they had gotten in a scooter accident and were being sent home. They were pretty bummed since they were only halfway through their month trip. A good reminder to take it easy :)

Vientiane itself was a nice city. A lot like Paris with the Arc de Triumphe and the French pastries and dishes. Can you believe after all this time I still felt a craving for Vietnamese pho?! Perhaps because I had pizza my last night in Vietnam :)

Since there wasn't much to do in Vientiane, and since it didnt offer hammocks either, I have headed south to Pakse, per a recommendation from a fellow backpacker. Nothing here either, but the town is walkable, there is Italian food to choose from (Indian too but I'm still gonna pass for awhile), and my guesthouse is right along the river. $6 a night and its not even a dorm...but I do share it with a few ghekkos! And after 3+ weeks I'm going to do my bus mates a favor and wash my clothes! By the way, the sleeper bus that I rode in on this morning was awesome. There were no seats, just cubbies with beds. I shared mine with another solo girl traveller from Austria. Who was actually 34! She gave me tips on Thai islands, and I told her where to stay in Pai. In the middle of the night I recall hitting a big bump and smelling some fumes, but it faded, along with my thoughts of it. A girl next to us told us the bus assistant had 'stomped on the floor' and stomped whatever fire out. She was still in amazement how something like that could happen and he just fix it by stomping on the floor! Ha! Only in SE Asia!

It smells like incense here too. I guess at this point the countries and cities are starting to look alike. More mosquitoes and its more humid here, but the people are just as friendly. No one hassles me to buy their clothes or ride in their tuk-tuks either! Maybe what I pull from this experience is how to sell my produce...ride it around on my bike to show it off, but not harass people to buy it.

A few firsts

As I walked with my 15k bag around Hue, Vietnam today, all I could think about was how great this train ride would be! Sleeper train north to Hanoi. It was all the hype from tourists. Should be like Amtrak right? I suppose it's a nice train for the area, but just getting into the train was next to impossible. When I boarded, there were already families on, spilling into the hall on tiny red plastic chairs. Oh yeah...we don't have seats and somehow my room of four beds is already full of three adults, a teen, and 3 kids. And everyone is just staring at me. Wish I could fake a smile but at this point I just needed a corner or something that's my own space. When I finally got a bed, the introvert in me can chill.

So yes! I made it to Vietnam! Barely...

After Pai I returned to Chiang Mai for a night. Rough night of sleep with paper thin walls and noise outside my window. The next day just happened to be a flower festival. There werent many tuk-tums or taxis available, so I walked to the airport. First time I can say I've done that! Just a few miles I think.



I flew back to Bangkok and spent the night in the airport. Some friendly French folks invited me over to chat, guessing that I'd be spending the night too. We exchanged tips on where we'd been, since they were on their way to Chiang Mai, and I'll be going to islands they saw. 4am rolled around and I was able to check in. Inside the terminal were BEAN BAGS! This totally made my morning for a couple more hours of zzz's.

I got into Hanoi and would transfer to Da Nang in central Vietnam. Except when I presented my passport, the woman said I booked the flight but hadn't purchased it. And by now the purchase time is expired. Crap! Luckily the flight wasn't full so I was able to buy a flight, though I think it cost me $50 more per flight.

I got money from the ATM...turns out I can be a millionaire here, as US$1 = VND$20,000. That's a lot of zeros to translate.

Da Nang was just a typical city from what I saw. It's along the water and I could barely make out some mountains across the water in the fog. Everyone was driving moto-bikes, aka scooters. I walked to the bus stop and was trying to cross a huge street, not at a cross walk. A college age fella asked me 'taxi?' And I motioned that I just needed to cross. He got up and started walking in the street. I insisted that I didn't need a taxi but thanked him anyway. Then he motioned me to follow him...he basically stepped out in traffic for me so I was comfortable crossing without getting hit!

I caught the city bus to Hoi An, 45 minutes away. I wasn't too impressed riding through Da Nang. People on scooters were wearing doctors face masks...it does smell like burned broth...prob from all the garbage people burn in this area. I can't imagine having to wear one of those on my bike, and not enjoying what 'fresh air' really is. Again, I'm blessed. I hope we can keep America as clean as it is.

Ok, back to the bus. So on this bus is a driver and a 'doorman' if you will. The doorman stands in the exit door in the middle of the bus, calling riders at stops, then helps with bags and pulls and pushes people on board to help the flow. It's a harried mess and funny yet stressful to watch. Thankfully Hoi An is the last stop.

What a town! Taxi drivers were waiting for us...so I caught one for US$2.50 to my hostel. He took me to his scooter. I definitely had a moment of panic when he put on my helmet. He put my bag in front of him, I hopped on behind him, holding on for dear life to the bar behind my seat and away we flew! I survived...lets do that again!

After dropping my bags at the hostel, I rented a bike and cruised to the beach a few miles down the road, then rode back and rode through town, another few miles. This town was the perfect size for me! Beautiful glowing lanterns everywhere.





Since I did regret skipping out on surfing when I was in Ecuador, I decided this time I wouldn't make any excuses. I saw a sign for lessons and things got real! My instructor, Ruslan, was a Russian transplant...moving here only a couple months ago and taught himself how to surf. And he told me at the end of the lesson that I was his first student! Ruslan had limited English so drew lots of pictures in the sand and demonstrated movements as he could. I knew this would be a difficult thing to pick up, even with my snowboarding. So at the end of the day I was able to balance on the board and catch a few great waves while kneeling. Next time maybe I'll stand up! I think the hardest part for me was just signing up for the lesson...I love the water and didnt mind getting knocked over by the waves as long as I was progressing. It also helped that Ruslan was encouraging. At the end I was even able to speak his language! Thank you Grandpa N. for that catchy jingle 'Спасибо и до свидания' or 'thank you and goodbye' in Russian :)



I met a French guy on the street and turns out we stayed at the same hostel. He had found this hole in the wall restaurant with authentic Vietnamese food that wasn't Pho (the most popular dish), so I joined him for dinner. Apparently all the Vietnamese dishes have a plate of greens on the side. This dish was like a fajita of parts to put together into an egg roll. Not sure what the parts were...meat, spices, eggs, greens?? Very good! We also enjoyed a glass of US$0.15 beer...apparently most restaurants have a batch of beer they brew for the day then sell it this cheap until its gone.

I had to switch hostels because my first was overbooked with the huge upcoming tet holiday...the Vietnamese new year, and a huge deal for families to get together! So at my next hostel I heard my first American accent in Vietnam and called him out. Hha. He was from San Francisco, had bought a moto-bike and shared where he'd stayed in Cambodia and Laos. Looking forward to seeing some of those!

For now I'll be in Hanoi for the next couple days. I spent today in Hue, a lot of historic stuff, but I think I got most of it in the half day, so didnt stay. I'd love to see Halong Bay but travelers who have just came from there said it was constant fog this season, so not sure it'll be worth it. It might be nice to stay in one spot until Friday though...lightning tour!

'Til next time...

Never try, never know

Sadly today I had to leave Pai :(. It was a perfect little mountain retreat. I did nothing there and I don't even feel bad about it. There where elephants and waterfalls and hot springs to see and scooters and bikes to ride, but the hostel hammocks and their view from the hill was just too hard to pass up. And again, the people were fantastic.

A few guys from London got tattoos in thai of this blogs title. I think it's pretty inspiring! Reminds me to soak up the opportunities while I'm here...not let them pass...not that I regret slumming in the hammock today :)

So far on my journey, the oldest traveller I've met has been 28. And my two month trip is the shortest of all travelers as well. Most are traveling for 6 months, some upwards to 18 months. And few are Americans. I feel special. Our culture must really appreciate the comforts of home!

After finding my first volunteer for our farm back home (would be cool anyway!) I walked to the train station. I handed a driver my ticket and he directed me to a minibus. That driver pointed to his watch and motioned the minute hand on his watch circling to 4:30. So my 4pm bus was late. So I thought. 4:30 rolls around, the driver motions me over to board, then he's confused that someone has taken my assigned seat. I hand him my ticket. Yesterday's bus ticket. For 14:30. Wrong ticket. I hand him the correct one for today...that bus was actually on time. And it's gone. Crap! I head to the desk and try to explain in simple English. Thankfully there's another bus in 10 minutes but he wanted another 150 baht (the full price for a new ticket...granted, it's US$5). I plea and the 4:30 driver must've given an ok too. And I'm graciously on the 4:40 bus without paying more.

Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad though...I could've stayed in pai for $3 all you can eat sushi with my hostel mates! I hate to admit this, but tonight was the first time I ate real Thai food. (My egg and toast breakfasts haven't counted) it was delicious, even if it was basic chicken, vegetables and rice!

Flight out of chiang mai tomorrow evening. Then Vietnam on Sunday!

Does the weight of one's dog determine their happiness?

Ok probably not, but the owners of my hostel in Goa had the fattest dogs I've seen in India and the people were some of the most laid back that I met there. All the pups in the big cities were treated like nuisances, and I wanted to take each one home to feed and love them! Now in Thailand, there are 'normal' size and some really fat pups. And people here are proportionally friendly and laid back.

Side note: I have a new appreciation for earplugs...making sleeping on concrete airport floors possible and quite comfortable! Still questioning how many airport personnel and luggage tags it takes to load one plane. Person #1 makes sure my boarding pass matches my passport. #2 takes and rips off portion of boarding pass. #3 checks the obscene number of luggage tags to see that they match my boarding pass. #4 checks my boarding pass before I enter the bus that will take me to the plane. #5 checks from the bus to the plane. Lets not forgets all the people in security line who don't care that I have a full container of water, as long as its not in a plastic water bottle. So backwards, then again, maybe it's me. Anyway...

First impression upon arrival: great. And an actual free bus to my transferring airport in Bangkok? Ok! The woman at information was chatting with friends and crocheting something. My bus driver did a little '5 minutes til we leave' dance. And the DMK airport had two Starbucks about 100 feet from each other. How can this not be a happy place?!

I flew to Chiang Mai, in the northern Thailand. The seats were obviously made for small Thai folk, but it was a short flight. I hadn't been able to book a hostel yet, so gave my cab driver an address an hoped for the best! A $3 cab ride later, I got to the hostel, which was booked. But she directed me next door. Another $3 and I had myself a night stay! My stomach was still mad at me for the delicious indian street food i had with Rajesh, so my meals consisted of $1 refreshing local fruit smoothies. Maybe I shouldn't have taken so much money out of the ATM!

I walked around chiang mai for a day and when my backpack got heavy, I took my first tuk-tuk to the bus station. From there I took a four hour bus ride north to the popular backpacker mountain town of Pai. Again, lots of white tourists here, but that means it must be good.



I had booked a hostel but forgot to download the info to my iPhone when I had Internet. Oops! Luckily I found a cafe with wifi. There was still just enough sunlight to make out the roads, and once the road ended and I had to go further, there were friendly Thai folks on each corner, asking if I needed help, then pointing me in the right direction. I made it to these quaint bungalows atop the side of the hill...overlooking the mountains and city. How did I get so lucky?! The bungalows have huge covered decks, and I sat out with my new roommates and neighbors, swapping travel stories and jamming on their ukelele. Rain started pouring...doesn't get much better than that!

Where do I begin?!

First stop was Delhi. What madness. The roads were a chaos of cars and bicyclists and buses, all honking and in between lanes. Seemed like the ones who honked the longest and loudest have the right of way. On two lane roads, it's a constant game of chicken...who will move over first? I have to look in the side windows to not get sick. New York City's rush hour is peaceful compared to this.



No matter how much the people sweep the streets and their market areas with their broom made if a few twigs, it still feels dirty. Perhaps it's the smell of incense and chewing tobacco. Or my driver who constantly throws his plastic tea cups out the window, despite my efforts to take it from him.

I knew it would be a poor area, but just didnt expect the packed conditions. The ride to Agra where the Taj Mahal is located should have taken 2.5 hours. It took my driver and I 6 hours. Granted, he took me the back roads to save himself the money. It was eye opening to see. There was some country, but it was mostly shack after shack, people hanging outside, packed like sardines in trucks on their way to build something at work, and cows tied up to ropes. Delhi constantly had a fizzy haze...more it was a deceiving warm red hue with freezing temps, afternoon gray/brown fog and a warm upper 60degrees.



My driver was a sucker for the kids who came up to our car when we stopped at lights. He'd give them what would be equivalent to a US penny or nickel...and say that these were his brothers and sisters. If he helps them out then God will help him out. He was a 21 year old Muslim, saying he didn't have a girlfriend because he didnt have money. Lol. His rent per month was US $60, and made $75/month. He would take me to good restaurants...I asked for middle of the road, not dirt cheap but not expensive. The food was delicious, especially the chai teas! So it was great having him know the places, and he'd eat in a separate room, for half the price. I was getting annoyed with the American rate like this, but realize he gets a discount from bringing people to the restaurants. I suppose it'd be the same in America.

Seems like people here value the afterlife much more than the here and now. The taj mahal was just a huge tomb for the kings favorite wife...other temples are just as magnificent. The people seem to know they are poor, but have the attitude that it is what it is...next to impossible to get out of their rut. They must not have had the 4th grade lesson about writing letters of complaints to get what you want? They are go go go, worrying only of themselves. Typical big city attitude? The schoolchildren were the friendliest towards me...smiling, looking, and some daring enough to say hi then shy away when I said hello back. The drivers to/from the airport could care less...didn't really help me with bags. Though I found my driver to Agra via my hotel to be legit, he kept hounding me for a tip, and would take me to his friends stores where they offered all sorts of silk goods and rugs. 'Madam. Just look. No pressure. You like, I get you good deal.' Rrrrrright. Granted I did talk them down to good deals, but I did not appreciate the constant hassling. Either way I left feeling like I was the American girl who got screwed over or who screwed them over. It's been easier on the beach to just walk past and ignore them.

So yes, I made it out of Delhi and to the beaches of Goa. Though the drive from the airport up to Anjura was a pricey $20 and chaos of honking once again...and it still has a faint smell of incense, this is much more my style. Apparently other white folks feel the same as there seems to be an even mix of folks. The wealthier Indians are here on holiday too...instead of hassling for money, they hassle for photos with a white chic. It was flattering for the first couple times, now I say no. One young indian dude asked to hold my hand on the beach. When I told him I saved that for boyfriends, he asked to be my boyfriend for just 15 minutes. No thanks.

Side note: I think I have inherited my great aggressive habits from people here. After all, most Chicago cab drivers are foreigners and are quite aggressive but composed drivers...I'd like to think I'm that way most often! Also...I thought it was funny how Indians tilt/bob their heads side to side. Apparently this is like nodding your head 'yes' only this bob move means 'ok'.



I was warned that I'd have little personal space and that is so true! People cutting in line, people wanting to chat, etc. As I came alone for this portion of the trip, I am grateful for the friendly folks. Everyone but the backpackers question why on earth I'd travel alone! There are few Americans, but lots of Brits and various Europeans. The area was actually settled by Russians and Israelis...an most people guess I'm from Germany or Norway. Lol. Still the basic language is English.

Here is my present view. 90 degrees and cloudless. America is right beyond the horizon and Africa and to the right....or rather, directly beneath me. I'd be lying to say that I'm not missing denver and snowboarding...but I'll be back to that in no time! Off to get some fresh fruit...

India!!

I have to admit, I'd never thought I'd see the day. Maybe because I never thought about this side of the world until my company branched out here and coworkers started telling me about life here.

But here I am in Mumbai! I arrived about midnight, a half hour late from all the snow and de-icing in Munich. Again, a first time experience flying in snow...I thought for sure the flight would be cancelled but I was happy it wasn't!

Another pleasant 8 hour flight...I almost wish it was longer so I could sleep more! Half kidding :) I was surprised how many people from India spoke English so well...and always wonder how they know to start speaking English to me. I guess as someone pointed out to me, English is the default for any language, especially flights. God bless America. We seriously are spoiled.

Not sure what's with me and scents, but I expected India to smell like Indian restaurants or something. The airport smelled like a hotel lobby, with a pool nearby. Must be because it's humid and was just cleaned with chlorine. Again, I like hotels with pools, so it's pleasant.

Other differences: the time is about 13.5 hours from home I think? Don't quite understand the .5 thing. Friends and I were just discussing if the moon would look different here. We went back and forth and eventually concluded that it would not look different. But it does!! It's a half moon, but the bottom half is lit up...don't we usually only see it from one side or the other lit up?!

As I waited in line for customs baggage check, the security officer pulled me aside and let me pass through without a scan. This happened before in Ecuador...what's with the gringos getting special treatment? Not sure why they'd trust a foreigner but I'll take it.

A bus ride to another terminal later, I finally meet up with Rajesh, 2 hours late! By this time he's been waiting for two hours, to generously lend me his phone so I can contact him while in the country. We've only worked virtually together, but meeting him in person did feel like we were old friends. I have to ask myself, if someone I barely knew was coming to the states, could I be as generous? From now on I will certainly attempt...would love to pay it forward.

From here I fly to Delhi for a couple days, then will meet back up with Rajesh in either the beaches of Goa or Mumbai. So not to worry, Mom and Dad! I may have forgotten to use a straw with my last drink and got a mosquito bite, but I have pills for those.