Each Day an Adventure

Sawadee from Chiang Mai!

Each day has been an adventure. We had a wonderful time on Ko Tao, which is a small island on the Gulf of Thailand (the east side). The island is hilly, and strewn with big boulders of all shapes and sizes. From a distance, the island is covered in palm trees and scattered bungalows overlooking the sea.

Ko Tao from the boat

Although the beaches were small and forgettable, the coral reef around the island was superb! Imagine an underwater garden of coral. Some are big and round and look like a brain, some are feathery and branched and look like plants. There is so much variety in color, shape, size, and texture, and that's just the coral. The fish are also abundant, and again, so many different kinds. There are eels, sharks, manta rays, and dolphins. It's biodiversity at it's finest!

The highlight of our trip was taking a "discovery" scuba diving trip, which means you learn the basics of diving, first in a pool and then out in the open water with a guide. We didn't have the time or money to do the whole scuba course, so this was perfect. I personally was pretty scared. I am not the most comfortable person in the water in the first place, and even snorkelling has given me a fright at times. But, I was determined to try something new, and Ko Tao is a great place to experience diving (they issue more PADI certifications than anywhere in the world, besides in Cairns). During the pool training, we learned to breathe into our regulators, clear our masks, equalize our ears, and become bouyant (which basically means you aren't sinking or floating). Then we hit the open water....

We first took a boat to the north end of the island, and after putting on about 50 pounds of gear, we got into the water by falling straight back off the boat. You are supposed to hold your regulator and goggles, and that's why I look like such a dork. You use a vest that you can pump up with air to float, or deflate to sink. Next, we swam over to a shallow area to begin. When we first started to sink into the water, breathing through our regulators, it felt so unnatural and I started to panic a bit. Another girl we were with totally panicked, and decided she couldn't go on with it. But I calmed down and slowly got used to the strange feeling of breathing underwater. We slowly made our way deeper into the water, equalizing our ears along the way. When we made it to the coral reef, I forgot my worries and was amazed at the world that exists under the sea. It was gorgeous and so much fun to swim amongst the fish. It was a totally new experience for me, and I loved it! It is sure to be one of the major highlights of our entire trip. We decided to pay extra and do another dive in a different area called the Japanese Gardens. We spent 45 minutes underwater, and this time could just explore and enjoy our time.

In the following days we continued to explore the island by foot, and found an isolated cove where we went snorkelling. There, Drew saw dolphins underwater!!!! I think that has to be one of the coolest animals to see, especially from under the surface. We also enjoyed eating fresh seafood each evening. The fishermen go out during the day and cook up whatever they caught that evening, over a grill. Restaurants on the beach have a lively BBQ atmosphere and for our last dinner on Ko Tao we ate a delicious fillet of tuna for about $5 each.


The coral around Ko Tao is a true gem as far as ecosystems go, but you can also see that it is being destroyed by the boats and other human activity. Again we are reminded of how people effect these beautiful places, and I feel a bit guilty for being part of the tourism that puts stress on the environments we visit. In the end, we do our best to try and keep our footprint small.

After spending about three weeks beach-hopping, we made our way up to Chiang Mai. To get here, we took a boat from Ko Lipeh, a bus to the train station in Chumphon on the mainland, an overnight train to Bangkok, and then another train to Chiang Mai. It was going smoothly, despite the many hours of sitting, until our train to Chiang Mai stopped in it's tracks. There was a problem with the engine, and we started to imagine ourselves stranded there for another night. Luckily, the train eventually kept chugging down the track, but instead of getting into the city at 8:30 pm, we got in at 11 pm, absolutely exhausted. Oh, the joys of travel!

Now that we are in Chiang Mai, we are enjoying the city. It is a unique place, a walled and moated city, with over 120 temples (wats). It's small enough to walk around by foot, yet dynamic and modern. Although we set out each day to see certain wats, we would come upon many different ones on our way. They are beautiful, highly decorated and ornate buildings. Inside there are intricate paintings and always a large golden Buddha and sometimes many statues. The grounds are always well-manicured and often there are monks walking around. It's quite breathtaking and interesting to learn about Buddhism (although there is much we don't understand). On the grounds of one Wat, there were signs along the trees giving advice on how to live your life. This is one Drew thought he needed reminding from:

Tomorrow we will head into the mountains to a town called Pai for a few nights. There are many hill-tribes around the area, as well as hiking trails and waterfalls. Then we head over the border into Laos for a river trip down the Mekong! We're looking forward to it!

p.s. we've added many more photos to Drew's last post, and I added a link to the Thai ebook on my last post, check it out!

Erin

Stories with Happy Endings

While Drew recounts all of our recent adventures in Thailand, I simply wanted to tell you about two profound experiences that I've had...

First, for those of you have followed the story of Mindo Tamang, the young orphan girl in Nepal, the story continues...
A week ago I got an email from the organization that has the guide company/orphanage. Apparently a guide went up to Mindo's village on Christmas Day and talked with the family that owns the guesthouse we stayed at. The whole village got together for a meeting on Mindo's behalf, but she was very scared to leave her home. There was another girl there who is also an orphan and lives with her blind grandfather and sick grandmother. She has a similar story in that her parents left her behind when they split up. Anyways, the village and the organization decided to take BOTH girls down to Kathmandu to the orphanage! They both needed a place to live and an education, but they also have eachother! They speak the same "mother tongue," so they can communicate to eachother as they learn Nepali. I imagine this is so much more comfortable for both of them during this transition in their lives. Meena, my contact at the organization, said that both girls are now in their new home, have new clothes, and have started their education!
I was so happy and amazed at how it all came together! I hope that Mindo now has a better life with more opportunities and a bright future. I will continue to support her in a small way (most of the funding is coming from the english gentleman, Andy) and I hope to be part of her life.

Students in Koh Lipeh

The other story is that Drew and I created another ebook with students in Thailand. We were staying on a small island called Koh Lipeh (only 8 square km), which is a gorgeous place with white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and a healthy coral reef. They also have a small community of indigenous people called Urak Lawoi, which means "Sea People" who are semi-nomadic. When I heard that they had a small school, I was instantly intrigued. So one day, we just walked off the beach and approached the school, asking for a teacher who speaks english. It took awhile to find someone (not even a teacher), but when we talked with him it was obvious the project wouldn't work because of the language barrier. As we were about to leave, the man asked if we could come back at 7 pm that evening, and we said sure.
At 7 pm there was a man there named Tom, a Thai teacher who spoke perfect english. What's even more amazing is that he also works for a non-profit that is studying the community and they have just written a book for the students about health issues. He goes on to say that what he's really passionate about is teaching the students about their ancestors and pride in their culture. eBooks are the perfect tool, and this is the heart of what the Global Library is! Amazing!!!
Our day with the students and talking with Tom about the island and the people that live on Koh Lipeh was one of the most insightful conversations we've had on this trip! Suddenly we are not simply tourists but much more. We learned as much from the students as we are giving back by creating these books. Drew agrees and has had as much fun with this project as I have. We both agree that it has added a lot to our travels, to have this sense of purpose but also to stimulate conversations with the local communities we visit.

The students wrote an amazing book and took us on a "tour" of their village for taking pictures. We were able to see the place through their eyes and they were proud of some aspects of their lifestyle and concerned about other parts, ie. the environment. We got to take a step back and look at how the tourist industry affects a small place like this and its people. Thailand's most beautiful places are developing so quickly and while this may be good for their economy, it has it's downfalls as well. And so through this project we learn to look at life differently.

Here is the link to the ebook created with students in Koh Lipeh:

http://send.realebooks.com/?bH=e44&c=ed11f491

Erin

Enchanting Thailand

Greetings from Trang, Thailand!

Our beachside bungalow on Ko Bulon Leh

In Ice Cube's words, today was a good day. Let me tell you about it. Hearing about our day goes a long was to understanding why Thailand has been so enjoyable. This morning Erin and I woke up in our thatched bamboo bungalow on the remote island of Ko Bulon Leh about 30 feet from the turquoise blue ocean, with a fine white sand beach spanning the distance between us and the Andaman Sea. Today was a travel day so we were up early at 7-ish. I wanted to squeeze in a snorkel before we left so I threw on my new boardshorts (stylish counterfeit Billabongs I picked up last week for cheap) and walked down the beach. There I spied a small (2 foot) blacktip reef shark in the shallows. I walked a bit further and headed into the sea. Below me unfurled an amazing colorful world of soft and hard corals and thousands of fish of all types and sizes and colors - clownfish, angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, yellowtails, and others. This particular snorkel was highlighted by a giant manta ray. The day before it was an eel - purple, ugly, 4 feet long and six inches in diameter. The day before that on a different island it was a big shark - 5 feet long that scared the you-know-what out of me and send me to shore even though I know it wouldn't eat me.

The view from our bed. Not a bad view to wake up to every morning.

In any event, I snorkel down the length of the reef, swim into shore, and wander back to our bungalow. Along the way, I'm trying to take in the blue sky and surrounding islands and limestone rock formations that jut out of the sea. As I return to our bungalow, Erin is just getting back with our breakfast which consists of a pot of coffee and muesli with fresh fruit and yogurt. The fresh fruit is incredible - banana, mango, papaya, watermelon, and my new favorite pineapple. The pineapple here is out-of-this-world. As we eat, we stare out over the amazing scene before us and hear the water lapping up to shore.

After breakfast, a quick shower, paying our bill (500 baht or about $15 a night) and checking out, we catch a longtail boat to the ferry that will take us back to the mainland. On the ferry ride, the captain turns to me and points and says, "Big fish" in broken English. I look out and see a pod of dolphins jumping through the water to the side of the boat. Once back to the mainland, we stock up on fresh fruit for the day - pineapple, oranges, and bananas - for the equivalent of $1.50. We catch a sawngthaew to the next town. A sawngthaew is the local taxi which consists of a pickup truck with two benches lining the back. We make our way to the next town which is on the public bus route. We're now off the tourist path and in a town where the locals don't speak much English. We sit down on one of the many streetside restaurants (more like a food stand),and I order Pad Thai for me and Pad See Yoo for Erin - to the waitress' amusement as she tries to understand my Thai with my farang (foreigner) accent. We wolf down our meal of noodles and chicken and shrimp and pay up. The bill comes to 50 baht or about $1.50.

Next we wait by the roadside and catch the next bus with the locals to Trang where we're headed. After a brief scare that the bus has broken down but which turns out to be just a 10-minute delay, we get off in Trang. It's a city but a relatively small and easy one to tackle as far as foreign Asian cities go. We find the backpacker's hostel we're seeking and book a mediocre room with a fan (but no A/C or TV) for 180 baht, or about $6. From there, the day is less eventful. We spent most of the afternoon in an internet cafe getting caught up with all of our emails and personal business, perused a few bookstores, and just enjoyed a nice meal of pork with garlic and pepper and curry chicken with rice for less than $5. Tomorrow is another travel day.

The beauty of today is enjoying the natural wonders that Thailand's beaches and ocean provide, getting comfortable enough to start to be able to get around easily off the tourist path, enjoying the amazing food and wonderful people of Thailand, and doing it all for a small price. We're really starting to hit our groove here, just as we did in Nepal after a few weeks.

We arrived in Thailand on January 4th in Phuket where we were met at the airport by Erin's cousin Johnny. Phuket is large island on the SW coast of Thailand with beautiful beaches and lots of action. Johnny is a Canadian native who is a safety engineer on an oil rig off the coast off Australia and now lives in Thailand. He's married to a beautiful and bubbly Thai lady named Pim, and they have an adorable two-year-old son Arthur.

Johnny, Pim, and Arthur went above and beyond and showed us around the big island of Phuket for the first few days we were in Thailand. It made for an easy adjustment to a new place. They took us to a nice waterfall, a Gibbon (type of monkey) Rehabilitation Center, a Buddhist temple, several viewpoints, and a few tasty restaurants. We enjoyed our time and especially our gracious hosts.

Cliff and beaches of Hat Rai Leh West

From Phuket, we struck out on our own and made our way down the coast by bus to the Krabi area. We spent four days on the beautiful beaches of Rai Leh (Railay) West, Phra Nang, and Ton Sai. The Railay area is one of the top rock climbing areas in the world, owing to the huge limestone rock formations that tower over the beaches and rise out of the sea. I was expecting it to be a real low-key climber's spot with just a few backpackers and climbing bums about, but it is also very developed, and there were lots of people of all kinds. This didn't slow us down, though. We broke out of our idleness from the last month and were quite active. We swam and snorkeled a bunch. We rented a kayak and went sea kayaking around the rock formations and to private beaches one afternoon just before sunset. The next day, we went rock climbing with a local guiding service. Having not climbed in quite a bit, we were quite psyched with our performance, and it was great to get back on the rock. We also enjoyed lots of meals looking out on the fiery red sun setting over the ocean.

Sunset over Andaman Sea and Hat Phra Nang

From Railay, we ventured further down the Andaman coast to the port town of Pak Bara and arranged a ferry ride to some remote islands off the far SW coast. We spent about five days on Ko Lipe which is a tiny, gorgeous island surrounded by the islands and oceans of Ko Turatao National Park. Ko Lipe is only a square mile or two in size so you can walk from one side to the other in minutes. There are lots of nice beaches, many secret coves, and nice coral reefs just offshore. The island is also home to a village of chao leh (which means sea people or sea gypsies) who are not Thai in ethnicity but came to these islands from Indonesia about 100 years ago. Erin managed to set up another e-book program with the local school on the island so that added a nice dimension to the trip. Ko Lipe is developing quickly and had its share of tourists, but it was a very low-key place where we could kick back and relax and really get into the slow and easy Thai beach life. We really started to hit our stride on Ko Lipe.

Longtail boat on Ko Lipe coast

From Ko Lipe we hopped to Ko Bulon Leh which is closer to the mainland but even more low-key. We lucked out with our cheap but perfectly situated bungalow by the sea. Erin and I enjoyed our last few days there immensely, and both agreed that Ko Bulon Leh may end up being the highlight of our whole trip to Thailand. We'll see, as we still have about 3 weeks left.

The plan from here is to head to the east coast and stay on Ko Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. The we'll wander up to the north of Thailand, likely via Bangkok. The Chang Mai area in the north of Thailand is known for its rich ancient culture, many old Buddhist temples, lush jungles and forests, and mountainous terrain. It will be a nice complement to the beach life in the south. Then we will venture over to Laos and make our way down the Mekong River and to the towns of Luang Prubang and Vientiane. From Vientiane, we'll fly to Siem Reap where we will meet up with Ben and Casey and a friend of theirs to explore the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat. After Angkor, we'll check out the capital city of Phnom Penh and the killing fields from the dark era of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. Finally, Erin and I will split on our own for the last few days and hope to find a beach in either Thailand or Cambodia for some final R&R before flying down to New Zealand at the end of February.

Looking forward to enjoying the ride! And pictures are forthcoming. Due to technical difficulties at the web cafe we're using, we can't get them up today which is disappointiong, but we will soon, I promise.

Drew

Malaysia in a Nut Shell

Casey, Ben, Erin and Drew

It's our last day in Malaysia, and the last three weeks have flown by. Our time here was more about relaxing, than about seeing sights or traveling from place to place. Most importantly, we wanted to spend time with our good friends Ben and Casey, who are some of the coolest folks we know. Ben is a wonderful guy, full of interesting conversation and good humor. We've been able to observe firsthand, his strength and positive attitude in his recovery from a recent stroke. He's almost back to his old self, and has a vigor for life that can't even compare. Casey is a sweet, beautiful, strikingly smart gal. She has an honesty and openness to life that I've rarely seen equaled in others, and she seems to always be in search of the authentic experiences in our world. We've had such a great time with them, and I can't even express how wonderful it is to have quality time with friends during this year of so many strangers. Even though they felt like they didn't show us around enough, we simply wanted to have time with them in their home here in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur Skyline

We spent most of our time in Malaysia in the city of KL. It's a very clean and colorful city, with great architecture and mass transit that zips you around. It's people are diverse, a collection of Malays, Chinese, Indians, and expats. There are Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Christians. KL has a lot of green spaces, big parks and even a jungle walk in the middle of the city. And even though it's a modern city, it's relatively cheap if you stick to the local food stalls and public transportation. As far as cities go, it's a great one in my book.

Christmas Dinner

We felt lucky to have spent the holidays with Ben and Casey. It meant a lot to us to be in the company of good friends, both for Christmas and for New Year's eve. We did have a few presents but the biggest gift of all was to be able to speak at length with our families. We all discovered how cool technology can be, and used Skype for the first time. It's amazing to see the faces of our loved ones across the planet from each other, and it really gives a sense of intimacy.


Palau Pangkor Beach
We did get out of the city on a couple of occasions. We spent 4 days on the island of Pulau Pangkor with Ben and Casey. We tried our utmost to be complete beach bums, and spent our time either slothing it on the beach or eating. We entertained ourselves in the evenings by playing cards.

Boh Tea Plantation, Cameron Highlands Drew and I spent another 3 days up in the Cameron Highlands, which is a hill town at about 1500 meters. It's cool temperatures and rainfall make it the perfect climate for growing tea and vegetables, and it felt very comfortable after the sweaty heat of KL. During the days, we visited a tea plantation and did a short jungle walk to a waterfall. Our evenings were spent reading. It was relaxing and easygoing, a nice break from the busy city.

Robinson Falls, Cameron Highlands

Our time in Malaysia was just what the doctor ordered... time to "chillax" as Casey would say. We ate well (satisfied all of our cravings), watched tons of movies, spent numerous hours on-line, and talked at length about our adventures so far. We feel energized and ready for our next leg of the trip, which is Thailand, tomorrow! Our first stop will be in Phuket to visit my second cousin Johnny, his wife Pim, and son Arthur. We'll be sure to fill you in as our adventures unfold!

Erin

Nepal Gallery

Happy New Year! All the best of health and happiness to you and yours in 2008. May your dreams be realized.

Our free time and widespread internet access has allowed us the opportunity to organize our photos and videos. As a result, I was able to put together this final gallery of Nepal photos and video that capture some of the more colorful aspects of the trip there that we did not touch on earlier.

First, here's a video we took on the top of Tsergo Ri, the peak that we climbed in northern Nepal. It's from a height of 16,328 feet. You'll get a glimpse of the high peaks, glaciers and valleys of Nepal and even Tibet. You'll also see and hear the player flags flapping in the wind which is such a common sight and sound there. Might take a bit to load since it's a big file.

Kathmandu - The Good
Boudhinath - Buddhist Temple

Kathmandu - The Bad
The Cow (which is Sacred in Hindu and Roams Freely) Eating Garbage in the Street

Maoist Checkpoint - Near Dhampus, Annapurna Sanctuary Trek

Nepal's political situation is currently in flux. The Maoists are a group a group of communist insurgents who started a revolution in the country earlier in the decade to overthrow the government and monarchy with which the whole country seems dissatisfied. At first it was a bloody fight, but in the last two years there has been a ceasefire and the Maoist have joined in political discussion. I have mixed feelings about the Maoists - aside from being communists. On the one hand, they are making change and the government of Nepal just passed a measure to abolish their monarchy just a few days ago. That seems like a good step to me, and Nepal is hopefully on the way to a republic with direct democratic elections. The government needs to be more accountable and effective. But the Maoists are definitely not angels, and their methods are very suspect. They steal and take food, crops, money, and resources from the hardworking people of the countryside. They also kidnap, kill, torture, and injure their opposition - including people involved in government, school, NGO's that are there to help the people, and others.

Our direct interaction with Maoists was limited to passing two checkpoints, one on the way in to the Annapurna trek and one on the way out. They extort money from every trekker (hundreds in a day) to support their cause. They hand you a propaganda letter that states their case and says they "loathe the very idea of extortion from anybody as alleged by their detractors" and "humbly appeal to you to make a voluntary donation according to your capacity" and then inform you that you must give a fixed sum of money per person per day of your trek and if you do not, you will not be allowed to pass. There were no arms visible, but it was clear that a donation was not voluntary. With our guide's assistance, we negotiated down our payment and eventually paid a sum roughly equal to $16. I was not ever scared or threatened, but at the same time felt like, "I can't believe this is how things go down here. It's crazy."

Made me thankful for the fact that we have a sound and generally just and organized government in our country. Those lessons are also driven home by the current events in places like Kenya and Pakistan. In big picture terms, the election situation in Kenya is not too different from what the U.S. experienced a few years back with the disputed Bush-Gore election. As controversial as the result was, the political leaders and people accepted the decision of the government and courts and went on with their lives. In Kenya, the leaders and people are not accepting the decision and the country is being torn to shreds before the eyes of the world. Again, it's crazy! Again, I feel lucky.

Bus to Langtang

Speaking of lucky, I feel lucky to have survived the 9-hour rides - mostly on dirt road - up and back to Langtang. This is our bus. Note the many people on the roof and the dude climbing up the ladder on the side. In this shot, we are at a rest stop in a small town. But when the bus is moving, the scene is no different. Tons of people on the roof, jam packed inside with people and crops and packages, and riders climbing on and off of the roof while in motion.

There are a lot of Buddhists in Nepal. During our time there, I came to understand that Buddhists believe that all life is suffering and hence they are trying to reach samsara which is an eternal escape from rebirth and worldly suffering. After this first bus ride, it became pretty clear to me why the people feel that all life is suffering.

Lady Carrying Monster Bundle of Wood in the Mountains

Typical scene in the mountains. This one is of a lady, probably 40 or 50 years old, carrying a bundle of wood that she just chopped down and that is about as big as she is. The method of carrying is with the load attached to the back by a strap that runs over the forehead. No waistbelts, padded shoulder straps, or load lifters here, kids. Hard living.

Bamboo Basket Maker near Chhomrong

We witnessed so many amazing sights of local mountain people making everything that they use in their everyday life - knitting clothes; cutting and weaving bamboo for baskets, roofs, walls, an other uses; building their own homes; and many more. We also saw a family - mom, dad, sons, daughters, grandparents - gutting and cleaning the insides of a goat that they had just slaughtered. It was clear that every part of the goat was of huge value to them - blood, intestines, meat, tongue, etc. I spared you the photo of this scene, but my point is that we witnessed the amazingly different way that the Nepalese people provide for themselves than what we are used to.

Natural Millstone

Speaking of the above, here's a natural millstone we encountered. In the photo on the left, the mountain stream is being diverted by a half of a hollowed-out log that carries the water into the bamboo-thatched hut where the millstone sits. The photo on the right shows the inside of the hut. The bamboo cone sits above the millstone and "sort of jiggles" in such a way that corn falls slowly out one kernel at a time onto the surface below. The power of the water turns the millstone which grinds the corn into powder. It's a very simple device all in all, but I was completely blown away when I saw it and took in what I was witnessing. It seemed ingenious it was so simple and effective. Just another incredible example of how differently we go about our daily lives.

Mani Stone
In the Buddhist areas of Tibet, one encounters many mani walls. A mani wall consists of many stones that are carved into scripts, images, and prayers. Each stone is about 2 feet high and 4 feet across. Some of the mani walls are hundreds of feet long and contain thousands of stones, all of which have been engraved by hand over many years. The Buddhist walks clockwise around the walls while praying "Om mani padme hum" which is the most common Buddhist mantra. The prayer is directed to the Buddha of compassion and is supposed to contain or represent all of the Buddha's teachings. Buddhist or not, it's quite a sight to behold walking along a mani wall while taking in the amazing natural beauty of the Himalayan mountains all around you.

Between a Rock and a...
It's not every man that can live off the land. This guy should be proud.
Comic Relief, Take 1

A sign outside a small store we encountered on the way down from our first trek after walking down and up thousands of feet and hundreds of stairs and steps. Note the item toward the middle, just above the tiger balm - Knee Cap 1 piece, 100 rupees (about US$1.50). Not a bad deal under those circumstances. I think Erin gave it some serious consideration.

Comic Relief, Take 2

Litter Tree Zone

Amazing Sunset Between the Clouds
that Erin took from Kyanjin Gompa

Final Gratuitous Mountain Shots
It was too hard to choose just one so here's two.

Dhaulagiri at Sunrise
7th highest mountain in the world, 26,794 feet

Annapurna South Face
with Prayer Flags and Monument to those who have Died
Climbing the Mountain, including Anatoli Bookreev
10th highest mountain in the world, 26,538 feet

Peace Out.
Drew