Back in the USA

Taiwan was awesome and a great way to wrap up the trip!  We were so sad to leave let alone our 30 hours of travel back to the US~ a car to a train to a bus to 3 planes, ending with a car.  The Island is great for biking around because the roads have designated bike lanes, there are several camp sites along the way, and the coast is untouched and open with ocean on the outskirts and mountains inland.  Taiwanese are incredibly helpful and friendly people making this a great destination for travelers.  I already have plans to make it back to Taiwan in the near future!

Our Hualien Parents

Taiwanese Plum Seller

Taroko Gorge National Park

Taiwan the Beautifulllll!

Quick updates!  Mason and I crossed the Vietnam border into Laos for a night after a grueling 12 hour bus ride and immediate 26 hour bus ride in which we were stuffed in the back of the bus next to the toilet which was definitely not air tight..The roads are a bit choppy and windy meaning we hit the roof every bump we went over.  Needless to say, stepping foot in Vientiane was rejuvenating before heading off to our layover in Kuala Lumpur for a night on our way to Taipei, Taiwan! 
Taiwan is full of bustling life and happy people.  Everyone seems to take much pride in their country meaning the streets, subways, and buildings are some of the cleanest I've seen especially for a city.  We visited The World Religions Museums, Taipei 101 (the former tallest building in the world) walked around indulging in noodles, baos, and milk tea, visited Night Markets, and road the subway everywhere.  Taipei is trully an undiscovered gem!
Little did we know that our visit would be heightened even more on our quick train ride south on the East coast to Hualien.  We have been staying with a Taiwanese family for the past 3 nights-we met them on our travels in Vietnam and they have endlessly opened their homes and lives to us!  We have eaten the most delicious food, karaoked and feasted in a Taiwan party room, travelled the unspoiled coast, hiked ocean side cliffs, trekked Taroko Gorge, and motoed around the city. 
We are currently in Yuli and just finished visiting a natural Hot Springs with a temp of 42.3 degrees celcious.  This trip is coming to a close o so quickly but with a wonderful end stop! 

Hilltribe Trekking

We spent the last week galavanting around Sapa, a mountainous town tucked away in Northern Vietnam.  Stumbling off our 12 hour overnight bus ride, we were immediately greeted by packs of Black Hmong women dressed in their elegantly handwoven outfits and carrying loads of clothing,blankets, and jewelry to sell.  "Hello.  Where you come from?  You buy from me," they repeatedly asked with charming smiles.  The Black Hmong are part of the hilltribes surrounding the town, all of whom still practice very indigenous lifestyles.  Mason and I decided to hike with 2 from the Hoa Tow village to their home one day in hopes of learning a bit more about their lifestyle.
We started the morning off with a trip to the market to buy lunch which we would prepare in their village.  A bag of 30 tomatoes, bamboo, tofu, pineapples, and spinach to feed a family of 15 costed us 4USD.  Csi, a 20 year old woman with fluent English, held her 3 month old baby on her back for the entire trek through muddy hills and misty waters.  She informed us that they all give birth in their homes and usually the Shaman of the village gives them some medicinal herbs to take for the pregnancy.  The women make their living through tourism and the men and children usually work in the rice fields.  The 3 hour hike was completely fogged over and added an eerie twist to the cliff drop off which would later be revealed as the most beautiful rolling hills of rice paddy fields.  We learned about marriage customs, traditions, and basic living skills from these people.  Everyday they wake at 4 am to make the trek to Sapa either by foot or moto.  
When arriving at their house (which was essentually 4 walls made from planks of wood and dirt floors with a kitchen area, living and praying area, and 4 bedrooms) grandma was smoking her pipe on a wooden stool by the fireplace.  Eventually the whole family emerged from the rice fields to gather around the fire and chat while cooking lunch.  2 hours later, we finished cooking the spinach, noodles, tofu, and boiling the rice.  Husbands, children, grandparents, cousins, everyone was there!  Grandpa stumbled out of his little room almost face planting in the fire from too much rice wine.  When it was time, women sat on one end of the table and men the other.  We all shared from the communal bowls of food and our rice wine glasses were never empty.  Whenever someone yelled out, "Hao!" it was a sign that everyone had to toast and drink their glass down only to be refilled.  They dressed me in some of their handwoven material and easily convinced me to purchase this beautiful artwork at the end of our stay.  The trek down was a bit easier at only 40 minutes on the muddy slopes and a 45 minute moto ride back into town.  Luckily the fog cleared up and allowed the rolling hills covered in rice fields to shine through.

Limestone Cliffs in Halong Bay

Halong Bay, the famous Northern Vietnamese attraction sporting thousands of limestone peaks, floating villages, and islands over emarld water.  We started the 3 day trip off with a 3 hour ride to the coast with our small group of companions where we boarded our junk boat for the evening.  First stop was a cave hike through some stalactites and mites before loading onto our kayaks around the floating markets.  Dinner was served on the boat and we sat around the deck enjoying our Vietnamese guide's guitar and singing skills.  The following day was filled with hikes, beaching, jumping off boats, and hanging around Cat Ba Island, one of the only inhabited islands in the area.  Our group really made the trip exciting and personal:  2 Australians, 3 Singaporians, and 2 Germans,we learned alot from each other's cultures and indulged in travel monopoly in teams by country.  

The Heart of the City

Hoan Kiem Lake is about 1 mile in circumference and constantly bustling with life.  It is the heart of the urban setting providing a green space escape for many of its residents.  This morning I headed out for a run around 5:45am not expecting to be joined by thousands of other Vietnamese!  Tightly packed in, I weaved my way through so many walkers, joggers, Tai Chi groups, Zumba dancers, fan performers, and even a section where the young men had turned trees and park benches into a weight lifting area!  How creative!  Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and bodes around 6 million people.  We are currently staying in the Old Quarter which has silk shops, jewelry, traditional architecture, street sellers, and motos abound.  The building structures are wall to wall lined up next to each other with about a 7 foot width extending the majority of space to the back.  It's easy to spend days just strolling the city.  So far we have visited the women's museum, water puppetry show, Cathedral, and Ho Chi Minh City Masoleum.  Ho Chi Minh's body lies in a stone complex open to visitors to view.  We did not expect to wait in line for an hour to see someone's body!  Funneled through overhang walkways outside, we waited in line as if it were an amusement park in the rain!  People were dressed in their finest and guards carrying large rifles with bayonnettes surrounding were plenty.  No cameras were allowed inside and they were very strict to keep you moving right up next to the person in front of you.  Approaching the doorway, my apprehension grew for what I would see.  Why was everyone so excited?  I was hushed the moment I stepped foot inside the building, climbing a few staircases with the rest of the silenced people.  We turned the corner and eerily circled a glass casket with Ho Chi Minh lying inside.  4 guards stood at each corner making sure no one stepped out of line.  Others lined the wall moving us along disallowing you to stutter for even a moment.  Finally we emerged and gathered our belongings to look for some rice and veggies and fresh sugar cane juice found for a dollar on the streets.  The street food is mainly plenty of noodles, soups, rice, and different kinds of meats including dog.  We are preparing for our 3 day boat ride at Halong Bay, one of the Unesco World Heritage Sights known for its limestone cliffs/mountains shooting out of the water and over 3000 islands.  The limestone in this bay ahs been forming for 500 million years.  It will be my first time sleeping on a boat so I can only hope for the best!

Dalat, Vietnam

Charming and marvelous, Dalat is a little city perched inland Vietnam at about 5000 feet above sea level.  The weather here is comparable to Colorado, with its mountainous terrain and cooler nights.  The hustle and bustle around town is balanced with the vast array of colorful flowers and strawberry fields abound.  The french-colonial style reminds me a bit of Luang Prabang yet with added waterfalls, lakes, springs, and glorious mountains.  We arrived a couple of nights ago and got the chance to stay at the Dreams Hotel-an 'our pick' in the Lonely Planet boasted about for its legendary buffet.  Endless fresh fruit, omlettes made to order, laughing cow cheese, bacon, and fresh passion fruit juice kept our stomachs satisfied throughout the days activities.  We hiked the tallest peak here in Dalat which was set at about 2200 M.  Lang Bian Mountain has five volcanic peaks and takes about 2-3 hours there and back.  First we had to hike through a redwood forest type terrain with pine trees and horses roaming freely.  Instantly it turned to a jungle like hike with rocks pressed up right against your face given the steepness of the climb.  I only fell twice due to the slippery route from harsh rains the day before.  When we finally reached the top, we had a 360 view of the beautiful town and endless mountainous land that is Dalat.  People here are very charming with their soft pale faces and friendly smiles.  Every morning people are dressed for what we would think is the arctic-big down jackets, ski masks, and gloves.  Several people spend their time hanging around the huge lake in the middle of town, fishing and sitting under their umbrellas to hide from the sun.  We are having a hard time leaving this marvelous town, especially given the bus route that is to come.  On the 5 hour ride in, we packed the aisles, let out the spare tire on the side of the road to make room for more backpacks, took a rolling start to get the bus moving, and almost came to a few complete stand stills on the mountains because of the weight capacity.  It was quite the ride and I am looking forward to our next 18 hour journey toward Hoi An for which we got sleeper bunks on the bus!

Mekong Continued

The Mekong River is one of the world's longest extending from China down through Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.  It has truly been a large part of our travels here in Southeast Asia as we found ourselves down in the Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam where the River empties into the sea.  First in Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon-where we explored Vietnam's compelling history though museums and tunnels that were once used by the Vietkong during the Vietnam War.  Entering these tunnels, we got a moment of what it felt like to submerge underground in the 1 m tall hideouts.  The soldiers would stay in these tunnels which had multiple levels, some as far down as 8M underground.  The total distance of the tunnels was 200 KM extending for mind boggling distances underground.
Shortly after we decided to do a homestay on a little island in the Mekong Delta with ample fruit gardens and a rustic feel.  Taking their bicycles through the villages, I scored a 50 cent pedicure with the local women.  We had a few short spottings of the 91 year old man whom owns the place and looks a bit like Ho Chi Minh himself.  A local Vietnamese took us on his fishing boat through the canals and onto the floating markets where we bought pineapples and watermelon from other boats. 
Mui Ne sand dunes was amazing! Very unexpected as it almost felt we had entered the middle east with its ocean to the right and huge white sand dunes mixed with red soil to the left.  The sand was surprisingly cool to hike on and the view was an incredible mind blow.  Our guesthouse was perched on the coast with numerous fishing boats and a beautiful sunset in view!

An Untapped Wonderland

Laos is amazing!!! Finishing our Mekong River boat ride from northern Thailand down through Pak Beng and finally to Luang Prabang by slow boat really set the mood.  For two days, we saw handfuls of villages with thatched huts, several roaming cows and buffalo, traditional rustic appearing fishermen, and endless rolling mountains.  Meeting Ramsay in Luang Prabang, the four of us adventured into one of these Hmong villages with a population of 300 for a night.  Biking through rocky paths, crossing rivers, and trekking the hilly peaks to arrive at our thatched hut with moderately comfortable mattress really mixed things up.  Not many people had any English and we surely could not converse in Lao, so smiles and gestures it was!  The following day we hiked out of the village about 5 hours to the river where we'd relocate in a beautiful Zen resort high up with the whisping trees.  A boat ride, elephant ride, and kayak trip later we were back in Luang Prabang~the fabled riverside World Heritage status town.  Definitely one of my favorite places honoring its French influenced villas, ample boutiques/cafes, and Lao style night markets.  We had a wonderful dinner consisting of lemongrass chicken, buffalo, Lao style omlettes, and banana desserts with our Thai friend, Winna before continuing onto exploring caves, some more kayaking, and final Wat tours in Vientiane.  The Laos part of our trip has truly been magical making it very difficult to package it up in preparation for Vietnam.  I would recommend it to anyone looking for mystical mountains, beautiful people, and by far the most pristine land in Southeast Asia.

Revisit to Thailand

Back in the good old motherland! We arrived in Chiang Mai with about 10 days to fill including April 13-15 which we would spend celebrating the Thai New Year.  The entire city comes out with water guns, buckets, and complete water pipe systems leaving not a trace of the city dry.  It is ironic because originally the festival was created to evoke rainfall in the area and bless the Buddhas.  Now it has turned into a Spring Break water fight with music, food, and thousands of people out to have a good time.  We stayed with Judy and Richie, two food connoisseurs who did their fair share of taking us around and helping us to celebrate Songkran (new year) appropriately.

Prior to Songkran, we spent a couple days back at Ryan's adobe building house putting the finishing touches on. The roof is finished and the first coat of paint is now complete.  It felt satisfying to be back in Thailand living the markets and language again.

We spent our last couple of days in Chiang Rai visiting a few Hilltribes and hiking in the north.  Holly arrived on the 16th for which we enjoyed a wonderful 3 day bike ride in the mountains and hills of northern Chiang Rai.  Stopping at temples, handwoven shops, and destination Burma borders, we really got a great look at this part of the country by bicycle.  Finally we rode to the Laos border before departing for our 2 day trip (14 hours total) down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang, Laos.  The most beautiful rolling mountains, villages, people panning for gold, pink water buffalo, teak trees, and fishermen were the most sought after views on this ride.  Happily in Luang Prabang, the old French colonial style town, we prepare for our journey north tomorrow where we might get the chance to do a homestay!

The Mir, Menjangan Island

The Mir

We had the pleasure of spending a day on the Mir, a 100 year old sail boat that had made its way from Singapore to Bali!  Docked in a Bay near Menjangan Island, this boat held our dearly beloved, Oliver Bierman himself.  We were lucky to find him tucked away with surrounding volcanoes and the most beautiful skies I've ever seen!  We boarded and met the crew which consisted of many people deeply involved with studying and saving the coral reef.  We spent our last couple of days diving on unbelievable coral walls off Manjangan Island which landed us a few more black tip reef shark spottings, the pygmy seahorse(which is the size of half of your pinky finger), a frog fish, and thousands of species of colorful fish.

Evening drink on the Mir

Volcano on Java

Ceremonial Cleansing

Ceremonies are the backbone to Balinese culture.  They are performed everyday and usually are the cause of the one main road that is two lanes wide around the entire island being blocked off.  We took a ride to the East Coast with Ketut and Nyoman and their entire extended family of a couple hundred to perform a ceremony that hadn't been done in 5 years.  The main idea of this ceremony was to cleanse the souls of all of their ancestors.  Everyone is fully dressed in traditional garb and snacking on various dried banana treats and peanuts.  In groups of about 30, people file toward the ocean holding offerings and essentially attempting to cleanse their ancestors souls.  One man carried a live chick and duck on the end of a bamboo stick over his shoulder to dunk in the water in preparation for their later sacrifice.  The second stop was across the street at the water temple where the entire extended family (about 150 people) prayed and offered gifts to the ancestors.  The temple was set right next to a bat cave where a couple thousand bats nestled and shrieked in the background.  We ended at the main village temple where everyone had rice and noodles out of brown paper and did their last cleansing gestures.    

On the Ocean Floor

I slipped into my wet suit which exposed only right above my knees and elbows, zipped up my aqua shoes, spit in my mask to clean it, and walked over the rocks until the water was deep enough to support my air tank.  As I started inhaling and exhaling through my regulator, my own breathing fills my head as I sink slowly underwater.  Did you know scuba was an acronym for self contained underwater breathing apparatus?  I could control my buoyancy by inflating my scuba vest or compressing it for which the weights around my waist would weigh me down underwater.  As a beginner, I could go about 15 meters deep.  But this was surely enough to explore Tulamben's sunken ship- The Liberty, an American shipwreck from WWII.  It was torpedoed by a japanese submarine in 1942 and sat beached until Mount Agung erupted in 1963 forcing it underwater about 30 meters or so.  We had a visibility of about 20 meters.  I never really got cold like expected..I think because of how exciting everything looked underworld! So many neon greens, yellow, red.  So much live coral and life! At one point our guide picked up a huge green starfish and handed it to me!  The coral was all housed by the ship.  We couldn't tell from his face, but a 6foot barracuda was suddenly visible not more than 3 feet away from us as his silver teeth caught the sunlight and thus my eyes!  Mason did not hesitate to go right up next to it but I kept a bit of a distance just in case.  We were also told there were a couple white tip sharks lurking the ship but our guide did not tell us about them because they were beyond the depth we could safely dive at.  There were about 25 hand signals that PADI (our diving certification company) recommends and uses.  The most common one is the A-okay sign, used extensively between yourself and your guide.  A few other sightings included little nemo burrowing in an anemone, a couple thousand silver fish swimming above us in a school,  angelfish, parrotfish, neon blue glow in the dark fish, and sponges! 

Barracuda!!



Can you find the fish?



Rice Sawah!

Chopping the rice husks from the soil

Beating the rice out of the husk

It was hot, it was itchy, and the woman next to me beating the rice was 70 years old plus.  Retirement doesn't really exist in Bali because of the importance of staying involved in the community for as long as possible.  It is not uncommon to see plenty of elderly Balinese people out in the early mornings stomping mud pits with their bare feet and traditional sarongs.  We walked about 1 km past the cows and open field until we reached Putu's rice sawah (field).  The first step was to chop the rice stalks a couple of inches from the ground.  I was far from establishing an efficient method and continuously retrieved one grouping at a time.  We would pile the stalks next to the little handmade sun-cover where step two occurs.  The goal was to beat all of the rice out of the husk by slamming it against the wooden board that was set up on top of a tarp to catch the flying pieces.  Finally, I left with a new-found appreciation for rice!

Yayasan living

Every Balinese house has an architectural and spiritual significance.  This was very apparent when arriving inside theYayasan Widya Guna in Yeh Pulu, Bedulu-as Balinese structures are merely very high stone walls from the outside.  Inside there are multiple different buildings used for different functions-a kitchen, bedrooms, the bathing area, the library room, and many outdoor living platforms as it is about average 85 degrees F here with tropical rains every couple of days.  There are also several trees throughout the compound and a small garden space bordering some of the walls.  The green color is endless and on sunny blue sky days, the clouds are so defined and plump that I want to grab them to sleep on at night!  

We have spent the last 2 weeks living at the Yayasan (a childrens home inland Bali).  Originally this compound was Ketut and Nyomans home which they turned into an educational center and orphanage for children about 6 years ago.  There are only 8 children that actually sleep at the Yayasan, but over a hundred come for English lessons, sports games, cultural dancing and companionship everyday.  Our time is split between hanging out and playing with classroom time.  

The Yayasan is never silent.  Whether it is the chickens roaming free about the compound, the sound of Nyepi drums beating alongside noisy bamboo sticks, or just the children laughing in pure bliss, there is always something to fix your mind on.  Mornings usually consist of breakfast and a little trip into town to visit a temple or witness a ceremony which happens more regularly than any other place Ive visited.  Then around 10 AM, we teach the special ed class until lunchtime alongside 2 other volunteers from Holland.  We do all sorts of activities with the children ages 7-20.  Saying the months of the year, writing, art projects, singing, ABCs, numbers, and chalk are a few of the activities.  They are all at different levels so it sometimes requires us to break off and do individual projects with different students depending on their needs. The range of needs in our classroom consists of autism, cerebral palsy, hyperactive disorder, and down syndrome.  The children are amazing and mostly smiles which just makes it so rewarding to work with such inspirational stories.  One of my favorite times of class is when Putu, the oldest member, freestyles to boost moral.  His confidence and passion for music and performance shines through, always ending his skit with a kiss to the sky or other form of theatrical dismissal.  I might also add that it is difficult trying to teach a second language to these children when you cannot speak their native tongue.  We have been attempting to learn vocab words and phrases that they may understand but this requires always having the Indonesian-English dictionary handy.

Lunch time rolls around and everyone piles into the outdoor living space that is Ketut and Nymans bedroom stoop outside.  Usually it is rice with some veggies and chicken or tempe with eggs and coconut sauce.  Nasi goreng and Mi goreng, fried rice or fried noodles, are some of Balis traditional go-tos which we enjoy on a daily basis.  Frankie their dog is always roaming willing to eat anything we throw to him including just bones od the fish!  

The afternoon class is the lowest level of English that attends here at Yayasan.  We just recently have been given full responsibility of these 6 year olds for the rest of our stay here.  They can do simple conversation English, know some vocabulary, and really enjoy interactive games and activities.  We always end the day with a trip down to the New Yayasan, a 5 minute walk away to rolling rice fields and space to play. 

Moving North-Ubud, Bali

Ubud truly lives up to its reputation for being the art center of Bali.  Every area has a different craft represented which is clearly shown by just looking down the street you are on.  We first noticed this as the landscape turned from surfer commercialized beach town to villages and rice paddy terraces illuminating green and extending miles back from the road we were traveling.  The first look at culture we noticed was a funeral procession in the street up ahead.  Many people marched around in their traditional garb (sarongs, lace tops, and head pieces).  Some were carrying a white coffin over their shoulders sitting under a 7 foot tall white tent and one person situated firmly in front of it.  They were twirling the coffin in circles.  We were unsure what this was at first but figured it out when one of the locals signaled that it was a spirit leaving a body and floating to heaven.  Woodcarvers, silversmiths, stone carvers, handweavers, and many others line the shops all day.  While I was wandering around in a neighborhood of Mas, Ubud, I stopped at a woodshop called 'Ghana Export,' which I soon learned was an abbreviation for Ganesha, the Hindu God, as opposed to a reference to Africa.  But I wouldn't be disappointed as Pasta, a third generation owner of the shop invited me into one of the largest most creative woodworking places I'd ever seen!  In the middle of a little village of about 10 rooms, several carvers were busy creating their masterpieces. I was amazed at how much detail is put into each piece and found myself staring at their smooth and graceful techniques.  Pasta then led me into the first room which was themed Ebony wood, followed by a Mahogeny room, Crockodile wood, Sandal Wood, and the local Balinese Wood.  Some were painted and some still bare their natural wood coloring.  How many more little worlds like this exist behind the stone walls that hide them from the street?

Beautiful Rice Terraces of Bali

 

  The most stimulating temple I've ever visited-Tirta Empul Temple.  Behind the Balinese stone-carved walls were 2 separate baths of 'holy' water.  This was a holy cleanse for Hindus.  For people to rid of any sins or bad things they had done in their lives, any bad luck they've had with jobs, or any illness in their families.  The clear water bode much color through the abundance of flower petals, pink, white, yellow, blue, floating.  It was difficult to tell the seriousness level of the temple because there were several kids shouting, laughing, joking around with each other.  Yet others were filling glass jars, drinking the water, and praying completely bare.  There was something very special about this water that brought the Balinese culture together.  I was hesitant to join although I knew I would be in there before I could leave.  I was not about to miss out on the holy water!  I waited in line in the water for my turn to cleanse under the water spickets, moving down the row for a total of 10 dunks.  As I approached the last one, I was curious why everyone was staring at me in disbelief.  "That one for dead people," explained a woman to my left.  So I quickly exited the bath and moved onto the second one to start the process over again.  Although I was a bit cold by the end, this experience was irreplaceable!  

Mason and I waiting to dunk in the holy water

Tirta Empul Temple

KLIA> Denpasar, Bali, Indonisia!!

Sanur Beach

The lush, hilly, beautiful green landscape and rolling mountains view from the plane surely was a great introduction to what we would find here in Bali, Indonesia.  The Indian Ocean was wild and the wind shifted the plane quite a bit, but you could still see the coral through the aqua water from bird's view!  Our first mission in our new place: to find Oliver in the marina where he and his sailing crew were set up for the night.  I can hardly believe our paths are crossing halfway across the world, unplanned (Now the third Kenyon alum we will see abroad)!  It was pouring rain so we didn't see much beyond a few taxi drivers charging us twice what it should cost to take a 20 minute ride South.  Needless to say, we accomplished our mission!! Ollie delightfully greeted us at our taxi and we prepared to venture out for some dinner.  Gado-gado, a veggie dish served with peanut sauce and usually some tempe (soy bean), tofu, or eggs was a big hit.  The following day, the three of us explored Kuta Beach and Sanur Beach, each on opposite coasts of the Island.  Sanur can be considered the magical paradise of the two.  Bright blue sunny skies, purely white fluffy clouds hovering over the ocean, calm aqua colored water where we would find starfish, hermit crabs, and little minows right at our toes in knee deep water.  Many fisherman with their cone shaped straw hats were perched on rocks bordering each side of the beach strips.  Early evening sucked the water way out about a couple hundred yards or so, exposing several coral and green seaweed mounds, and pools of water with fish who missed the tide.  We watched one Balinese boy shout to his family for about 10 minutes for them to come save him from the currents pulling him out.  Luckily he wasn't really in danger because they watched and pointed at him for most of the time.  Two Europeans carried him back in, all of them laughing by the end.  We finished out the night nicely with a massage on the beach, Balinese dinner, and some Reggae music.  We have plans to see Ollie again in a couple of weeks hopefully for some diving as he's become a pro by now!

Gado-Gado

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I feel like I have traveled through three countries at once.  Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures create a unique mixture here in the city.  We have been living with Mason's second cousins, Shaun and Glenn and their 4 kids, outside Kuala Lumpur for the past week.  The first major difference from Thailand being that it rains at least once every afternoon!  This does not detract from the hot scalding sun and humidity encompassing the day's air.  The second being that there is still a considerable amount of lush jungle growing throughout the city.  Chinatown, Little India, Orchid Gardens, and the butterfly park were all covered in one day.  One of the highlights of Little India was eating a meal of curried vegetables, spicy sauces, and yogurt sauce over rice off a banana leaf with our hands.  It's amazing how they shape and scoop the perfect rice balls into their mouths leaving me staring in wonderment and wishing I had a spoon to scoop mine!  Chinatown is a bit smaller than Bangkok's but carries the same products being knockoff purses, watches, music, tshirts, watches, mangos, everything imaginable fried, dimsum buns, and a constant flow of sellers inviting you into their stalls "for free."  Endless street shops line the road, a mixture of languages encircling our steps, and durian smells float through our nostrils (Durian can be described as a sour, flesh rotting, sweaty sock smelling fruit known in Southeast Asia.  It tastes like it smells.  It has been known to be banned in public spaces and other forms of transportation for its pungent odor thus the signs, 'no guns, no pets, no durian').  Although more of a hassle to take the train than hop in a 'teksi,' we board in KL Sentral and head toward home.  There is an enormous mosque behind the train station as the call to prayer fills the air around 1 PM.  Several people brush by, possibly to use the 'prayer room,' a space covered by a black curtain at the end of a hallway, located in the upper level of the train station.  It is a 45 minute wait for our train.  When it finally arrives already packed with people, the tension of the platform grows with the thought that only half of the people waiting will make it on this one.  Who knows when the next one will arrive!  The train slows and squeals to a slow stop before puffing a burst of hot air as the doors slide open: A rush of people from both sides collide with each other as everyone attempts to take steps toward their urgent destination.  Mason, being a head taller than the entire crowd, levels his way onto the train and reaches his arm to create a gap large enough for me to slide through.  We've made it into the bumper car villa.  People shouting in many languages, reaching for the ceiling to steady their bodies with the train's momentum.  The body odors are inescapable being right at the correct height to stare directly into an armpit.  Needless to say we made it to Sungai Buloh, our final stop.  

Batu Caves is most widely known for its Hindu Thaipusam Festival held in early February.  We were a bit too late for this celebration, yet decided to visit the caves themselves anyways,  On the 272 stair climb to the top of the 400 million years old caves, you are greeted by several aggressive monkeys in search of food.  A couple had water bottles in their hands, some with leftover food cartons, and others with brown paper bags stained with oil.  Perhaps the biggest victory was watching an 85 year old man make it to the top of the climb followed by the supporting applause of his Chinese tour group.  Past the shops filled with wood carvings, masks, and printed postcards, the rock cliffs stretch extremely high.  Sporadic holes in between stalactites  allow for light beams to target several hindu shrines lined up along the side walls of the caves.  There were not too many people up here.  In fact, our biggest company were the monkeys who were throwing coconuts over the cliffs at pigeons down below.  

This morning we took a rainy hike through the jungle nearby.  Lucky for us the rain helped to bring some animals to the surface.  Our first 5 minutes included the discovery of numerous leeches crawling about the leaves in search of some warm blood!  A constant check on your ankles and socks ensures a busy mind through the flat surfaced hike.  Glenn happened to step on a leaf that held a triangle headed snake prisoner:  until he released the adrenaline and caused the snake to spring 3 times concluding with a defensive stance ready to pounce!  Several leech shreiks, coconut trees, and wild boar tracks later, Mason spots a Giant Blue Forest Scorpion!  He was about 7 inches long and had an iridescent tinted blue coloring.  He was crossing the road for a days meal and immediately retracted into defense mode with his stinger darting straight in the air ready to venomize anything in his path.  What an exciting adventure!  We left sweaty and hungry with just enough energy to pry the fully plump and disgustingly satisfied leeches from Bobo and Rumy, their house dogs!  

Downtown Kuala Lumpur

Triangular headed snake found on hike

Batu Caves

Making Naan bread in Little India

Before building the office: Foundation.

Back wall of the office after plaster and before paint.  



Always hard at work. 

Bathing in the Lake.

Myself, Ryan Libre, and Mase before Chiang Mai departure



Earthen Building

February 15
Morvrijansana?  I tuck my legs under on the cold earthen floor and stretch my spine out as far as possible.  Mornings in Pun Pun (the village next door to Ryan's place) are completely opposite their hot, dry daytimes.  A couple more people file in, grabbing their straw mats and shuffle across the floor to find a spot in morning yoga.  The sunlight is beginning to beam through the windows, highlighting the continuous dust clouds filling the air.  People are clearing their noses of the residue from last night's sleep.  'Begin to fill the belly with breathe..and place your tongue on your paletta.'  The instructor allows for 10 minutes of medition and deep breathing.  I feel myself drift back in and out of sleep, my body releasing all of the muscles from laying bricks.  We've been here at Ryan's workshop for 8 days now.  We are working on an adobe brick office (a structure made from dirt and earth) so that he can keep all of his photographs.
February 17
7 AM.  The buzzing of the adobe hung nam (toilet) is loud and makes me want to do business as quickly as possible.  Always cover with rice husk in order to create air flow and prevent the flies from coming.  The hammering and drilling begins.  I will carry a few bricks and then begin mortering and scraping the office. 
7 PM.  Flying, dreaming, floating in the air! The 5 Rhythm Dance is a form of meditation for Thai women in PunPun.  The bright orange, red sun 'cradling' (MS) the mountaintops naturally brings me to another world.  Nan shouts, 'Flowing like a river, avoiding rocks, move like your body want!'  Sand paper feet and loosely kept material sweep the floor as we create a shared energy in the room.  I glide my hands through the space and transition to Staccato.  This part is to be very choppy and represents focus.  We enjoy a couple rap songs and are told to envision a dream that is presented with an obstacle so that we must turn and go another direction to achieve it.  The panicky, quivering motions of Chaos help to release the pent up focus, followed by Lyrical:  'happy time and celebrating peppy music'.  Finally we are calmed and centered with Stillness, which brings us back to the breath. 
February 23

We spent the last two and a half weeks in the beautiful mountains of Chiang Mai wwoofing with Ryan Libre, a California native.  He owns a plot of land in the forest about the size of a football field:  plenty of room to set up shop and prepare for a couple weeks in our tents.  There is a lake about a mile and a half away for which we run to every night before dusk to wash away all of the dirt and sweat from the days work.  What a beauty! The little ripples from the feeding fish are starting to bother my mind less and less as this becomes the standard routine.  Sometimes 2-3 visits to the lake is needed to boost energy levels and fight the bolstering sun!

Our main focus was building an adobe brick office although we also learned many other things.  Growing and maintaining a small organic vegetable garden, traditional vegan thai cooking, making ginger wine, solar power, fighting forest fires, photography, and sustainable living to name a few.  On one of our first days here it was called to our attention that the crackling dry noise in the next village was actually a forest fire that broke out and needed tending to midday.  A couple hundred people from all of the villages ran out and together we began digging a trench around the fre, stomping weeds and chopping grass in hopes that it would die when hitting our creation.  Eventually water, slashing, and determination by the entire community put the flames out.  Mase and I managed to set up a few Muay Thai boxing sessions with a local Chiang Mai boxing alum for about 100 baht/hour (roughly 3 US dollars).  We were not able to speak much english with him although we were able to guess what his gestures and grunts were referring to which commands.  Overall, it was well worth the bare feet and knuckle blisters! 

Although I missed meat in my diet, the vegan meals cooked here were some of the freshest and best I've ever had.  Pad Thai, eggplant, mushrooms, green curry, potatoes, sprouts, tamarind, passion fruit, every vegetable imaginable, and loads of colorful foods are usually picked and grown not more than a half mile from the compound.  Last night we all decided to balance out the weeks of veggies and celebrate with a few Chang beers, some sugary biscuit treats, and a homemade fresh cut french fry bar with 3 different sauces to dip into!.  I will surely miss Ryan's place, but have been able to assure him that we will return someday!

Koh Mak Island

We just returned from Koh Mak, a tiny Island filled with jungle and beautiful beaches!  One of our priorities was to find Ann, a local Thai whom just inherited some land and needed some wwoofers to get her farm started.  We ended up finding her and camping out on her beach located on the northern side of Koh Mak!  This was one of the most remote places any of us had ever been with few passerbyers.  The catch was that we'd have to clear our own space from the dense jungle that crowded the shoreline.  So we all grabbed some rakes and hoes and went to work!  Our schedule consisted of an early wakeup to hunt some coconuts down for breakfast.  We'd clear jungle and old coconuts for a couple hours and then siesta with rice and veggies followed by an afternoon swim!  Before long, we had a place to put our tent, a campfire, and even a kitchen with shelves made from wood we found in the jungle!  There was talk of hearing primates at night but none of us can really be sure what those night calls were.  Everyday Ann brought us water and some food that would last us a couple days.  A normal meal consisted of rice, stir fried veggies, and some milo.  We were also surprised with a litter of 10 puppies to care for on the island because their mothers were trying to ween them off at their home.  Our stay on Koh Mak ended abruptly by 3 AM wake up calls by the Ocean shoreline rising into our tents! As the full moon gets closer and closer, the ocean water level rises during the night.  We would pack up our stuff and move further and further away from the water to avoid being taken away at sea!  Hopefully we have put a good foot forward for Ann and her vision to create a sustainable agriculture farm for the Island which would provide foodstuffs and medicinal herbs.  Tonight we are taking a 10 hour ride to Surrathani to wwoof on a shrimp and oyster farm.  I hope all is well back home and the weather is not too cold.  I am thinking about you often!

Prawn juice

Boon Ma from the ruins of Ayutthaya

Sa wat dee be mai!! (Happy New Year) By a lucky guess, I was able to figure out where the button for "New Post" was on this Thai-written screen!  Most people speak some English, but our world surely encompasses foreign sounding conversations for which we find ourselves ending every sentence with a laugh or smile.  Last night, Mase and I sat in on a Thai "horror movie" (no subtitles) with Pong and Pom, two Thai brothers we are currently residing with in Nonthburi on the outskirts of Bangkok.  Through many explanations and inclinations about the religion, we were able to figure out what each of the ghost stories was trying to teach us.  Religion is active in every part of life here.  For New Years, we accompanied the entire Bangkok population to a handful of the hundreds of temples for a "good luck" visit.  Protocol for entering includes removing your shoes and leaving them with the numerous other pairs left behind from the people currently inside.  Strong smells of incense, lit candles, and birds being set free from cages can be found everywhere. 
Our Thai cooking skills now consist of making Green Curry Chicken, Vegetable Stir-fry, and Thai omelets with pork (compliments of Chef Pong).  On our first visit to Chatuchak Market (weekend market), we couldn't help but feel for the decorated baby squirrels tied to cages by the neck for sale.  This market was miles by miles long and had EVERYTHING including puppies, mice, jewelry, fruit baskets, baseball bats, and more modern Western-influenced clothes.  We will surely be back there soon when we can set aside an entire day to explore the golden gems of nugget here!  I am looking forward to the affordable boat taxi home tonight toward Rama 7 Bridge station because of the many temple views and numerous groups of people along the banks practicing their daily yoga and selling pig ears.  Kap kuhn ka (we use this phrase at least 20 times/hour--means thank you!)