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