Trip Planning: Can't Throw Off The Groove

So when I decided to move to Aspen I knew there were two off seasons.  This meant a prospective 4 months out of the year that I could travel.  However, I thought that I was to late to the game for this off season to get a good price on a ticket to go anywhere.  I was dreading the idea of sitting by as all my new friends took off on there well deserved epic adventures.  How WRONG I was...  This boundless nomad will always find a way!

Next stop, Peru

October 16- November 14th.  Bring it on one month of amazing trekking, astrology lessons, high altitude lakes, and as many Emperors New Groove jokes as I can get away.

-Happy traveler out :o)

How to Barter in Global Markets: Deal Or No Deal

I always look forward to bartering while shopping during my travels.  It makes each trip to the market more exciting, and sometimes exhausting.  Once I even had to haggle for a toilet paper! its really a head-hanging  feeling when you walk away with that sad little plastic bag full of the things you need at and overpriced ticket.  Or ride the sweaty 7 hour local bus journey for more then double the price because at least you got then down to half of what they began at!  This is how I feel what I do not get the deal I hoped for

However, when I do get that deal its like sky's opened up and you just know is going to be a good day.  Who needed that cup of coffee anyway right? I am a lucky girl today.  Here is how I feel when I get a phenomenally good price.

Bargaining is all part of the experience and something we backpackers pride ourselves on being experts at.  There is nothing like the feeling that you have scored the price the locals get especially in those countries like Vietnam and Indonesia that are world renowned for ripping westerners off.  

Here are some little tips:

-Do NOT buy the first thing you see.  Unless you only are going to one shop you will see it again.

-It is best to buy early in the morning or just before close.  In SE Asia in the morning locals are anxious for a good sale so they can see it as a sign that it will be a good day.  After you will see them tap the money all over there store.  Otherwise you want to catch a stall on a bad day which is frequent because here are so many redundant shops.

-I usually start at 1/2 price and try to get that or 3/4 price.

-If you see many of the same thing around and go between shops to see who has the best and they stay the same its probably a standard price for the quality.

Happy Hunting

Medan, Indonesia

I was recently riding in the creatively built, local sumatran version of a motorbike sidecar on my way to the bus terminal when I see an older Indonesian man riding his beat up rusty bike along side the road.  What do you know but on the front of his bike is his pet monkey dressed in a yellow and red stripped shirt standing on he front while playing his little drum.  Shame my camera wasn't at the ready.

Bukit Lawang: Orangutans and Jungle Songs

Jungle trek, jungle trek in Bukit Lawang. See the monkeys, see the birds, see orangutans, Hey!

 -The little jingle that is sung every night at Nora's Homestay in Bukit Lawang,

Sumatra where I traveled to see one one of the two remaining groups of Orangutans left in the world.  Let me say, the flight and the two bus rides left over from my nightmares about Ghanian bus journeys was well worth the trip.

Bukit Lawang is set along side a beautiful river.  The town is mainly accessible by foot however, the brave Indonesians drive the small paths, and even the steps, on their battered motorbikes.  On one side of the river is the town and the opposite side sits what remains of Sumatra's protected jungle and Orangutan population.  I decided to do a one day jungle trek to see these amazing apes and their habitat.  The trek was ore than exciting.  We clambered over slippery rocks and down muddy ravines, using robes like Tarzan to guide ourselves safely down.  I only slipped once leaving me with a spot of shame on my booty!  While playing native wild animal tracker for the day my group and I spotted at least 10 Orangutans including a few babies and those who had just left there mothers.  We ended our day with a rafting trip down the river and right back to Nora's Homestay.

I cannot say the guides follow all the rules on leaving the orangutans alone and allowing them to remain wild.  Many feed them fruit directly from their hands.  This can give them human diseases and potentially kill the remaining population.  The guides have been told by the wildlife organizations based in the area not to but, more orangutans means more tips.  I was really fortunate to have a guide who told us all about this.  When we saw huge groups of tourists crowding an orangutan he told us to keep our distance as they do bite often due to sudden fear from a camera flash or becoming overwhelmed.  Our small group with the great guide spotted many orangutans and other monkeys like gibbons and even wild peacocks without another tour group around.  Ethical issues aside, it was a fantastic day!

Fun Facts:

Orangutan means person of the forest in Bahasa- the main language of Indonesia 

Orangutans only live in Sumatra and Borneo

Large males can weigh around 100 KG

They eat mostly fruit and all fruit they consume are safe for humans to eat

Babies stay with the mother for 5-6 years and a female orangutan will have up to 3 babies in her lifetime

Nepal: A Love Story

I have never felt more at home, nor more attached to a foreign country than I do to Nepal.  From the first few hours I could feel myself begin to relax and connect with the energy of the country  Even the hustle of Kathmandu fit just right.  The mountains, spirit of the people, non confrontational religions, and culture (religion as the culture) all combined to produce a wonderful energy throughout the country.

Those who know me well know that Lauren in the mountains is a more productive version of myself.   Something about their encompassing nature makes me feel empowered, humbled, and protected all at once.  I also truly believe mountains hold great energy that certain people pick up on.  Hence why people like to hike and camp in them so much!  So I guess I have become, or always was, one of those people. Although I complained about my ski suit as a kid I did love zipping down the hill while someone chased after me.

Therefore, trekking in Nepal was no different.  It was amazing and I feel in those two weeks I grew (actually I shrank!) more confidence and perseverance than I have my entire journey.  But I'll do a longer post on that later!

For those of you who do not know, Nepal has been in and out of political unrest for the past 12 years. In 2001 the Nepalese Royal Family was massacred by Maoist Rebels.  This shook the country as many thought the king was invisible and a descendent of the gods.  The country tried to switch to democracy as Maoists attempted to control the country and start a civil war.  This is still the situation though the Maoists remain at bay.  Today they mostly try to control from the government and through bribery  in mountain villages.  However strikes are a regular occurrence and can become violent.  Elections are in the process however their date is a huge issue that needs to be resolved.

This is where I truly fell in love with the people.  They are brilliant.  Where in many countries the locals would look passively and accept the fate of their nations this is NOT the case in Nepal especially amongst the youth.  I had numerous conversions with Nepali's my own age about their political situation.  What was interesting was that they did not only look at the issues that faced them but were aware of world politics and what countries they did and did not want to resemble.  I was so excited after coming from brainwashed Vietnam that I just wanted to hug everyone!  There knowledge ad willingness to participate in strikes, education, and desire to always return to Nepal gave them and myself assurance that Nepal will be a successful, independent and politically peaceful nation in the future.

Moving on to  religion and the people...

In Nepal, the primary practiced religion is Mahayana (northern) Buddhism.  I recently have become very interested in Northern and Tibetan Buddhism which are very different from southern.  Though I would not call myself a Buddhist I find them fascinating and Would love to know more or even spent some time at an ashram.  I could go into more detail on the religion but if anyone is interested on what I know send me a Facebook message or write a comment and I will write a post soon enough on what I know and what I learned in Nepal.

I refer to the religion in Nepal as non confrontational because although it is constantly surrounding there is never a pressure to convert only a request to respect.  The educational value of this is immense, as someone is always available to help with questions and offer knowledge of the religion whether Hindu or Buddhism.  This attitude is not only apparent in the religion but also in the culture. However, it is not necessarily the nature of Hinduism to be non confrontational and is a misconception in the practice of Buddhism too.  For example, shop owners still hassled me and I received the occasional wedding invitation.  Additionally consider India, which is majority Hindu, and the troubles it faces.  Somehow the Nepali People (which hates-I don't use lightly- India by the way) have emphasized this aspect of both religions in their daily lives.

The non-confrontation can be a bit of a problem for the country however.  Nepal has a history of being pushed around by its neighbors India and China.  Hopefully the invigorated youth that are fighting for a new government will protect against the looming presence of China who already steals so much of its water and stole land from its neighbor, killing thousands and leaving an entire race of Tibetans homeless and landless in Nepal and India.

Though the countries problems may come from its kind nature or its blessed natural environment this has not seemed to hinder the happiness and overall positive energy that flows in title waves.
Hopefully this post is a good explanation of my experience in Nepal.  I changed to much in a short time to truly describe how wonderful the country is for me.  Its as if everything just worked right and I was able to hold a clear head, working through things quickly that previously has spun round and round in my conscious and subconsious.  I know I will make it back and I urge my close friends to find the time to go as well.

Namaste, from the slightly more enlightened Backpacker

Lauren

Choosing My Ethical Battles

It is always important for me to remember when and when not to fight social and political fights.  As a kid this usually came through in social battles and lead to many struggles with my peers.  As I grew older it became when to keep my mouth closed over my political opinion or learning to accept that each person approaches the world differently

A delicacy in parts of Asia is Shark Fin Soup.  In many shops you see giant fins in windows that go for huge sums of money.  Many restaurants have fin soup on their menu, along with other types of shark foods.  However, shark fin does not have much of a flavor.  The soup is spiced with other meats and spices to give the soup any sort of taste.  Today the soup is more of a tradition than an actual taste preference.  Sharks are also caught for the novelty of the catch. Most of the fins are not eaten in Indonesia, but shipped to countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and China.

To catch sharks, boats use the bottom hook dragging method that is still seen sometimes in places like Alaska for catching larger fish (we also have activist groups who try and stop this fishing practice as it does not regulate what other types of aquatic game is picked up).  Additionally, Sharks cannot be farmed for a more "sustainable" method.  Due to all of this, sharks are rapidly becoming extinct. 

 In the west there are many activist who are trying to end the fishing of sharks.  While traveling in the Gili Islands of Indonesia I met many divers who were trying to educate local fisherman on the trouble with catching sharks for sales in Indonesian and international markets.  They also had local fisherman cutting dragging nets off of boats to stop them from catching anymore sharks.  Dragging kills the sharks and the coral reefs, ultimately destroying the biodiversity of the entire region.

Learning more about this issue I had to choose when and when not to fight this fight. A few times I walked out of restaurants that served shark and other rare fish on their menus.   I asked myself, "is making a verbal statement appropriate or should I just personally not eat there for this reason."  How vocal should I be on environmental ethical and political issues in foreign countries.  Sharks, Whales, political instability will face me no matter where I go. 

Before opening my historically big mouth in each and every instant I do not agree with I really need to look at when it is my time to include myself in the struggle.  Currently, I have decided to first try and read up on the subject.  I also try and talk with a few different people on their opinion. Then there is also a matter of safety!  All points I am still contemplating and taking issue by issue.  When it comes to Shark Fin Soup I will not eat at restaurants that serve shark (I was the 3 year old yelling "save the Matinees before I even knew what Green Peace was!).

On the small islands of the Gilis and in Bali I recognized it was acceptable to explain to the owner why I was leaving.  Other places it is a silent decision.  I cannot solve all the world problems in one go nor will yelling and screaming about it help! 

Political issues are not the only ethical type of battle I have taken the time to try and rethink how I traditionally have dealt with.  Historically, social issues have been equally, if not more, challenging.

Since traveling I have had to hone in on Margot Mead and accept the idea of cultural relativity. To me this has meant not only look at a culture from their own perspective but, to also look at groups of other   travelers and new friends from their own point of view and what their fun may be. A few days ago a friend said to me while I complained of some girls playing loud pop music, "Lauren remember this is how they have fun, don't let it affect you."  He was absolutely right.  It may not have been as large of an ethical struggle as my Shark activism or consumerist culture battles but it still counted.  As soon ads i accepted it I relaxed and enjoyed my night.  Others nights when I joined new friends ignored their (uncreative, overplayed, and sometimes catchy :P) pop music to instead relax over a beer or go out for a night I ended up making many friends.  

Ethical issue whether global or personal the timeliness of when to fight inward, outward, or when to *ignore* makes enormous impact on my personal relationship, professional relationships, and even my relationship with myself.  A valuable lesson this little traveler has picked up.

Taken at Alobar 1000 in Kathmandu

A Prayer for the Backpacker

Heavenly father, look down on us your humble obedient tourist – servants, who are doomed to travel this earth taking photos, emailing, buying souvenirs and walking around in drip dry underwear. Gives us this day divine guidance in the selection of our hostels, that we may find our reservations honored, our rooms made up and hot water from the taps. We pray that the telephones work and the lines not slow and the operators speak in our tongues.

Lead us dear lord to good, inexpensive restaurants, where the food is superb, the waiters friendly and the wine included in the price. Give us the wisdom to tip correctly in currencies we do not understand, forgive us for under tipping out of ignorance and over tipping out of fear. Make the natives love us for what we are, and not for what we can contribute to their worldly goods.

Grant us the strength to visit the museums, the cathedrals, the palaces and the castles listed in the guidebooks as “a must”. And if by any chance we skip a historic monument to take a nap after lunch, have mercy on us for our flesh is weak.

Amen

To The Gili Islands and Back

Sitting in this little coffee shop in Ubud, Indonesia I have come to the realization that everyday I start with a cup of "real" coffee leads to a better day.  The day may still be difficult, but its chances of success of increased by a certain percentage due to that cup of great coffee.  My friend Torben has a great coffee joke I think I have to tell:

A little up of a Joe and a little cup of Tea are hanging out having breakfast.  The little cup of Joe is a bit sick and has the sniffles.  The little cup of Tea says to the little cup of Joe, "Are you feeling ok you sound sick?" The little cup of Joe responds saying, "I am ok I am just a little coffee."

Ubud, and SE Asia it seems in general, is the perfect place to enjoy a great cup of coffee and therefore, I have many fantastic days!  Here you can sample all the different varieties of Indonesia coffees that are world famous such as: Sumatra, Java, and Luwak Civit Cat Coffee.  I know I wrote before about my coffee experiences in other places like Lao and Vietnam so I will move on with this post and talk about my time in Bali and Lombok Indonesia.

I recently returned from a two week trip to the tiny Gili Islands off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia; the Island next to Bali. Gili Islands are surrounded by true turquoise blue water.  Expansive coral reefs teeming with fish, turtles, manta rays, and nurse sharks encircle the shores.  It is truly paradise! I spent my two weeks learning to dive in these crystal seas.  I am proud to say my fear of the ocean is close to gone! In fact, I can not get enough of the beach now.

 Other days were spent spinning my hoops, hanging out with new friends, and swimming around Gili Air and Gili T (two of the three) Islands.  At night the food market sold fresh fish.  I found my favorite stand and every night would select the fish I wanted to eat.  The local man would slap it on the grill along with two pieces of Tempe.  It was served with rice, stir fried vegetables and a selection of sauces all for a whopping $3.50! So fresh and healthy, I cannot think of the last time, if ever, I picked the exact fish I wanted to eat that was caught the same day and ate it hot off the grill. I could have spent longer on these islands, but all good things come to an end and it was time to move on to Ubud.

Many say Ubud in the cultural city of Bali.  While it is lovely and relaxing, I would not call it representative of Balinese culture.  Instead, Ubud is a community made up of many expats who have created a terrific town full of healthy living in the hills of Bali.  Dozens of yoga studios, health food shops, boutique stores, and outdoor markets make up this small town.  The accommodation is mainly small guesthouses or homestays with the local populations. 

Surrounding Ubud is rural villages who make a wide assortment of handicrafts that are sold throughout the rest of Bali's resort towns.  Ubud may not be the cultural haven people make to out to be, but it was just the relaxing hippie ambiance I am craving for a few days after the Gili Islands

Job interviews with Americorps!
Wish me luck...

Historic Penang: Delving into Malaysian Street Art

Georgetown Penang, is a historic World Heritage Site. The buildings are maintained in the traditional old Chinese style architecture and there are small Buddhist, Hindu, And Muslim Mosque and Temples at every corner. Within this section of Penang is a small China Town, Little India, historic teak building, and LOTS of amazing food. The result is a charming cultural hub of friendly, relaxed people and backpackers.

Hidden amongst the old painted buildings is an array of public art. On each corner are iron worked comics with a small fact about that block and its name. However, the most famous of the public art are the many murals painted by Ernest Zacharevic. Ernest is from Lithuanian and moved to Malaysia as a mural artists. He originally started painting on traditional wooden clogs but now makes his mark through modern street art.

Together a few friends and I created a self walking tour of Penang to search for his hidden mural treasures. Most of the pieces were located close to our hostel though some we had to peak around a corner or two. The art depicts images of local people, mainly children, playing around the city. He used props like bikes cut in half or windows of buildings to act in conjunction with the art. Some alternative pieces made statements about the failures of Malaysia to protect its natural resources though non were blatantly political. Overall the art was quaint and beautifully done. It added historical character to the already lovely city that I so enjoyed spending four days in.

Cambodia: One Fruit One Nut

My parents came to visit me! We spent close to three weeks traveling through Cambodia, Southern Vietnam, and ending in Bangkok. Overall it was an excellent trip with many "Oh Vietnam" moments. Though the trip was slow at times we still got to see Angkor Wat, Phenom Phen, The Killing Fields, Saigon, Hoi An, and many many sites in Bangkok.

We started the trip in Siem Riep to visit the many magnificent temples of Angkor. I can't even begin to describe how awe struck they made us feel. they ruins are huge and cover miles of space. Many countries are helping Cambodia rebuild the fallen temples and preserve this recently recognized World Heritage Site. We spent two days admiring their awesomeness in the blistering sun and humidity and by the end we were templed out (especially my Dad).

Next we joined a group and boarded a small river cruise on a boat down the Mekong named the Jahan. I unfortunately cannot say we enjoyed this part of our journey so much. It was not that it was bad but that it was painstakingly slow. we visited boring rural village after another and watched ignorant people shove candy in children (an sometimes adults faces).

What we did enjoy on the boat was our tour guide in Cambodia. He was a survivor of the Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Cambodian Genocide. His experience gave him extensive knowledge on the war which was fascinating. This as especially interesting for my dad who is very interested in the history of the region. In Phenom Phen he guided us through both the S1 Prison and the Killing Fields. All his stories were so full of heart that they educated while keeping me captivated. This really helped keep us interested in the river cruise.

After the Boat we quickly hit Saigon and Cu Chi Tunnels for a day before going to lovely Hoi An. I think Hoi An is the ONLY part of Vietnam I can say I like. We had a great time getting tailor made clothes made and staying at a lovely resort by the beach. We also spent a day taking a cooking class. The class so great in fact that our last night we all agreed the best meal we had all week was the one we cooked together at the cooking school.

We ended our trip in Bangkok. There we explored the Grand Palace, took a ride through the canals, shopped till we dropped at the weekend market, and explored the ridiculously large shopping malls! My favorite Bangkok moment was our photo shoot in a Japanese photo booth where we picked our backgrounds and added clip art (hopefully photos to come soon!)

All in all it was a great trip. I am so thankful my parents came and experienced part of my travels with me. I am lucky to have them support me in my adventures and silently worry at home . I am also really enjoying my friendship grow with my mom and the fun we have together.
Now I am back on the road again and heading south for the summer into Koh Phi Phi Thailand and then towards Indonesia.

Songkran Festival: Super Soaker Central!

In April Thailand celebrates their New Year based on the lunar calendar. It is the hottest time of the year in this part of the world, and marks the end of the dry season. The Thai people celebrate the holiday with three days of gigantic water fights. When I say water fights I don't mean back yard battles. These result in drenched head to toes, covered in buckets of water, set the hose on your neighbor, water fights. There is no age limit or restriction for these battles. All ages fight water with water during this hilarious festival. I left Songkran with a hefty scab on my shin after running into a median strip while fighting with a 5 and 65 year old!

One evening we asked for a ride to Khao San Road, a main street where people went to party, from a man with a pick up truck. All day we had seen locals riding in pickups shooting at people from the back. We hopped in and started raining down on all the locals! They were laughing hysterically and cheering us on. No one had ever seen a group of westerners rolling around in a pickup!

Originally I had planned to travel to the Northern city of Chiang Mai. However, once I got to Bangkok I realized that is where all the tourists flocked to. Bangkok was full of Thai locals and the street parties full of Thai teenagers. For the three days myself and the people I met at the hostel hung out with Thai locals getting drenched by fire hoses that the fire station set up, battling children, being covered in clay and bubbles, and drinking with the local neighbors. It was a fantastic experience!

At the end of each day the streets were full of water. Even the shops had a sizable layer of water on the floor. Needless to say, I remained in my bathing suit and quick dry shorts the entire time. The festival was a blast. The Thai people were so friendly. They were more than happy to share the holiday with us. They wanted nothing other than to have us join in. Sure we were a bit more of a target yet if we asked to be respected the people were still respectful and let me stay dry.
In my opinion Songkran is the best way to celebrate a new year. It is playful, innocent, inclusive, and enjoyable for the entire family. But be prepare to get wet!

 The guests and staff of Nira's Hostel Bangkok

Appropriate places to pee your pants

• Lakes
• Oceans
• Bays
• Marshes
• Estuaries
• Deep rivers
• Songkran

Northern Thailand: Thai Winters

Someone told me there was such a thing as a Thai winter.  So, trying to avoid the idea of excessive heat I took to the road less traveled to the north of Thailand for three weeks and it had made all the difference.

Unfortunately in Chiang Mai Thai winter is a myth.  However, it is a fantastic city.  I stayed for a week at Spicy Thai Backpackers which is the best hostel I have ever stayed at.  It feels like a family living room with one communal table with a big living room that  has a TV with tons of movies.  The hostel is small enough that everyone knows each other and can fit into the back of the owners van!

 There are constantly planned events like BBQ's and outings to the night market or local karaoke bars.  Needless to say I made a few friends there who I spent the next weeks with.
List of things I did in Chiang Mai
-Thai Massages!
-Temples- here there are many made of old hard wood vs painted with cheap gold paint
-Hiked to the highest point in Chiang Mai to see the city.  The the top is 5,499 feet but I am not sure where we started.
-Took a cooking class
-Karaoke!
-Lots of night markets
-Relaxed at a pool
-Ate lots of really tasty food

After I traveled to the Mae Hong Son Province to see the mountains and the real Thai winter.  It kind of exists!  At night is cold enough to sleep with a quilt and wear jeans and a sweater.  But during the day all you want to do it sit in a hammock or ride a motor bike to produce some form of wind.  So the jury is still out....

 - The White Temple in Chiang Rai

Either way I made it to Pai, a very relaxed little town, with hots springs, canyons, mountains, and lots of waterfalls.  I stayed at the sister hostel to Spicy Thai (Spicy Pai) which was also great.  It also helped that I traveled up there with a group of friends.  The town had a great hippy vibe a A TEA SHOP!  I had not had a proper cup of tea since Sapa Vietnam so I was very excited and convinced all my new friends to join me (they were pretty skeptical but I think my enthusiasm made them change their minds!).  I also learned to ride a scooter.... I was amazed.

Now I am heading back to Bangkok with a stop of in Sukhothai to see some ancient Thai ruins.  My flight for Nepal leaves on Tuesday the 18th of March.  Time to open the next chapter of my adventure.

Wishing my friends and family all the best.

Signed: A happy Traveler :o)

Street Eats

One of the more exciting bits of traveling is your next meal!  Where and what exciting new food will I try today.  For a budget Backpacker like myself most of these meals take place on the street.  At this point many people may be thinking how "unsafe" this may be.  On the contrary, eating on the street is not only one of the safer places to eat, it is also the more delicious and interesting places to take any meal of the day.  This post will be by country, a bit about the type of food and the way the locals eat the food.

To begin with, Street stalls set up their booths each night.  this means they must pack and unpack their booth each day.  Things get cleaned daily in order to fit into the box they came out of.  On the other side, restaurants do not go through this same process.  Their kitchen could be full of grease or bugs and the customer would never know.  If a street stall is disgusting they have no way hiding it.  This is the primary reason I feel safe eating the majority of my meals on the streets.  (however it really stinks when you get to a town and the stalls do all seem really gross!)

Thailand

The most delicious food in Asia yet.  Most are eaten on the go or set up at a pop up table or make shift restaurant table in a sort of pop up garage that only open at times of the day.  The stand is still all in one room.

Pad Thai- A local favorite made of shrimp paste and rice noodles.  The best is when they make the shrimp paste from scratch.  One famous place in Bangkok does and its amazing.  About $2.50 with Shrimp

Khao Soi- So Good!  Coconut Curry soup with noodles, chicken, crispy fried wontons,and vegetables you can add yourself.  A northern specialty and my favorite.  $1 

All a desserts like coconut sticky rice with mango are amazing as well and worth grazing on

Laos

Less exciting mostly due to the curfew.  Primarily french influence and consisting of baguette sandwiches full of salty egg and ham creations and tasty sweet and savory thin pancakes.

In Luang Prabang vendors set up buffets full of vegetarian fried vegetables, tofu, tomato stir fries, and spring rolls, for $1.50 you can fill a bowl and the owner will reheat you dish a a wok.  I went every night!

Though there are no coffee vendors on the streets in Lao, you can get a fantastic cup of coffee just about everywhere.  In the southern parts of the country they farm organic coffee and tea.  Even if rural villages it is possible to find a fresh cup of organic Lao coffee brewed fresh.  I attribute a good portion of my love of Lao to the fact that each morning I woke up to a fresh cup of amazing coffee that even a Portlander would be excited to drink!

Vietnam

No where in the world is like Northern Vietnam.  The culture is unlike anywhere else in the world and the experience cannot be duplicated anywhere else.  This is not the same for Thailand or Laos.  It makes not only traveling there amazing and unexplainable but also the experience of eating on the street an adventure to describe. Therefore, Vietnam is the most exciting and intricate of street eats in SE Asia so far.  

In Vietnam almost all of the food is taken partially on the street.  Even the beer and coffee over flows onto the street here.  People crowd around on little plastic child stools fit for preschool children.  These are used both for sitting and for your table.   Though there are restaurants everywhere the half restaurants slash street stall garage combo is my favorite place to eat in Vietnam.  Sitting half inside and half out is fun even in the freezing Hanoi winter rain.

Bia Hoi- Local Brew Beer, Made by the vendor and usually tastes like bad fruit- .25 a glass

Pho- Beef or chicken noodle soup, sometimes they put mysterious other things in your soups and I choose not to ask!  It generally tastes very good.  And they do a tomato based broth which is super tasty.

Snails- Dipped in a ginger lemon grass sauce and brought out by the bucket- $3
There a many other soup type dishes in Hanoi.  Many of these cheap eats are accompanied by salad and spring rolls that are meant to be dipped in the broth.  I am unsure of the names but most are pretty bland.  Some include chillies but the tables include far fewer spices than the Pho tables back at home.

My favorite place to sit on a cold Hanoi day is at a coffee stand.  Here locals can squat on stools for hours shooting the shit while the mist and rain passes by.   As it was the New Year and most things were closed and Hanoi was cold and rainy the others travelers and myself did the same thing. The coffee here is either full of sugar and condensed milk or it is made from concentrate.  However, there are plenty of salty snacks like cashew nuts and sunflower seeds.  For hours we would sit and crack seeds and throw them on the ground where they would be swept up later.  In my opinion this was the best way to people watch and get to know fellow travelers in Hanoi.

Street eats have been exciting endeavor while traveling.  Its always exciting to decide where your next meal will come from.  Each region has a different specialty.  Sometimes is daunting to try something new and I really have to push myself to eat that meal!  However, every backpacker would agree it is one of the best parts travel.

Seeing Pictures

Hey all,
I just set up flicker account.  I am still trying to figure out how it works.  I have uploaded a few photos but am not sure if I set them for public viewing.  The link is posted bellow.  Please leave me a comment if you cannot view the images and I will try and sort it out ASAP!

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Lots of love from a happy traveler :oD

Living La Vida Laos

Less rambling and more updating on all the awesome adventures I have had since entering Laos.

I have traveled from Pakse in the South to the very French capital of Vientiane  to the river beach town on Vang Vieng, to the amazing charming and quaint town of Luang Prabang, and finally to a sleepy and amazing village on the Mekong named Nong Khiaw.
The entire time was filled with amazing memories and new friends.  I think I can count the number of meals I spent along on one hand!  Crazy enough I was begging for some alone time.
For those who do not know, Laos is a communist country.  So therefore there is a curfew.  This is pretty weird. The bars and restaurants close around 11:30 and you are potentially locked out of your accommodation for the night if you do not return home.  Early to bed early to rise is the healthiest way of living?

To narrowing down my time I have put together my top two adventures:

1) In Vang Vieng there are tons of wonderful windy and bumpy roads to bike (or motorbike) down.  They lead to waterfalls, villages, are show amazing landscapes of Karst limestone structures.  I rented a mountain bike for the day.  It, of course, broke about 5 km outside of town!  Luckily a Thai man who taught English at a nearby Mong Village fixed it for men and my a girl I had recently met, Alice, was kind enough to wait with me.  However, I could no longer change gears and it unfortunately was set to the highest setting.  Great.... While he fixed it his 10 day old pet monkey kept trying to jump on me! Either way I made it to a Lagoon where I had planed to meet some friends.  Afterward swimming,  I continued biking to a village and saw women weaving silk scarves to sell at the night time craft market.  By the end my arms were pretty soar from all the bumpy rocks.  The ride was spectacularly beautiful and my nose fantastically red!

2) I traveled for a bit with a lovely girl from Belgium named Olivia.  We decided it would be "fun" to take a slow boat up north to Nong Khiaw.  To ad we pictured a lovely large boat with a toilet and snacks and a break for lunch! Needless to say, 8 hours later and after haggling with our sketchy driver to take us to the actual town of Nong Khiaw (it was only the two of us in the boat and some other random Lao people he had picked up), we stumbled into two cozy bungalows with hammocks on the porch.

Coping with a Secret

American pop culture  both glorifies and educates us on the Vietnam War.  Its in favorite movies like Forest Gump, High School class rooms, and in my case in many books on my Dads bed side table.  However, we rarely hear about the reality of the war or pay attention to the horrific facts of the devastation in both SE Asia and in the minds of our own citizens.   Therefore it is not surprising that I was clueless about the effects of the Vietnam War on Laos.  The books call it the "Secret War".

Before Traveling to Laos I became aware of the issue when listening to a This American Life episode that talked about the myth of hidden chemical warfare an threw in a few second splash on this war in Laos. Then, when I purchased my Lonely Planet Book, I read their information on the aftermath of the war.  Since this was so new to me I wanted to share some information on this horrific war that has been shielded from the majority of America just like so many other heinous acts we as a country have committed

The American "Secret War" in Laos
During the Communist era the Geneva Conference declared Laos a neutral nation.  Therefore, the US and Vietnam could not cross the boarder.  However, in response the the Vietcong bringing munitions down the Ho Chi Min Trail, the US broke regulations and dropped cluster bombs all along the Laos boarder.  The problem with this, the majority of these bombs did not explode.  These sub-munitions known as UXO's  remain below the ground today waiting to be set off. Some stats?

• 260 million sub-munitions were dropped over Lao between 1964 and 1973 
• 1,090,228 unexploded sub-munitions destroyed by UXO teams between 1996 and 2009
• 300 new casualties from UXO incidents every year.

Lao is the most heavily bombed country per-capita IN THE WORLD

Unfortunately very little has been done to deal with the issue.  Lao cannot grow or move forward until the UXO's are cleared. Farm land cannot spread, new villages cannot be established, all due to fear that there may be a set a bombs in the area. Clearing teams....

The COPE Center- Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise
The COPE Center is a co non-profit and government run program that builds prosthetic limbs for civilians injured by UXO's who still have a chance of recovery   The program both builds the limbs, rehabilitates, and educates.  There are a few centers set up around the country.  However, the process is expensive and few have access or knowledge the the Center exists 

Therefore, Laos is unable to continue development.  Farm land cannot be expanded for fear of planting in land mine ridden areas.  The same is true for urban development.  From my traveling the only expansion I have come across is the Chinese railroad that will span the country from north to south.  The Chinese have "loaned" the Lao people the money to build this rail road so that the Chinese can get goods through SE Asia easier... But that's a topic for another day!

Thus ends another travel ramble

Lots of love from a Happy Traveler :oD


Facts gathered from:
The COPE Center in Vientiane, Laos, http://www.copelaos.org/ban_cluster_bombs.php, 2010
Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, Lonely Planet, Lonely Planted Publications LTD, 2012

Bangkok: Black and White Internet... who knew

First post from SE Asia, YAY!  I am going to make this a light one as I do not have to much to share yet.

I spent my first week in Bangkok exploring the city and meeting some other wonderful backpackers.  My first few days were a bit rough before I met some people and got my directions straight in the big city  but, I thinks that's normal. (Thai people never point straight.  I do not know why but whenever I asked directions they always pointed in a veer to the right or left ind of motion.  So odd!) 

Nonetheless, after a few days I meet a group of people a Niras Backpackers Hostel, a lovely little place outside of the over crowded and commercial Kho San Rd, who I spent my next few days in the city with.  Last night I left BKK* and took an overnight train to Laos.
Here is a list of what I did in the city,

• Saw a bunch of temples
• Walked my butt off
• Ate lots of street food and so much fruit! **Note to Arden**The variation of quail eggs the cook are amazing.
•  Discovered my black and white kindle gets internet... so cool
• Went to a Muay Thai Boxing  Match-see video
• Explored the largest China town I have even been to.

I know there was more but that's all for now folks

Whats next?I think tomorrow I will travel north to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.  I have few plans from there but hope to meet some new (and old) friends from the Chinese New Year at the start of February in Hanoi.

I promise my posts will become less mundane soon

So much love to everyone at home

Signed,

One happy Traveler :oD


*Bangkok