I am sitting by the river in Siem Riep. 5 people just rode by on a motorbike, not that is that uncommon here. I haven't blogged in almost 2 months now. Time to give a little recap.
Last time I wrote I was in Thailand. I have been to 2 countries since then.
Thailand
I was almost leaving when I last wrote. I spent another day in Chiang Mai and then headed to Chiang Rai. Went to a Thai movie (no subtitles) with a fellow traveller and did a little shopping. I went to Myanmar (Burma) for an hour to renew my visa so I could have a few extra days.
I went up into the hills for a few days looking for a little peace and villages. It took me about a day to actually get there (though I don't think I left till atleast 11). A few buses and shared trucks (like a bus) plus a lady with a pickup which the police stopped for me and a little Thai guy. We made it to Mae Salong.
The weather was nice and refreshing there and I even wore long sleeves some nights. I loved my room (50B = 1.60$) with a nice duvet. I did q little hiking and relaxed. Enjoyed the peacefulness and the local life. I ended up doing a homestay one night in a local Akha village. It was good and the food was delicious. After a few days here I made my way to Chiang Khong, the border with Laos.
Laos
Laos began with a slow boat down the Mekong. 2 days on a boat to Luang Prabang. Well, we did stop for a night. There were probably about 40 tourists and then the locals and at times chickens, lizards and who knows what else. I didn't know what to expect of the boat but it was better than I thought it would be. I met lots of people. Played cards and other games. Read and slept (even in the middle of a card game people were playing). Anything went. People were drinking, I just enjoyed an afternoon beer.
Luang Prabang is a great city. Spent about 5 days there. We went to an AMAZING waterfall about 30km from the city. Turquoise water and many different pools all the way up. You had to climb through part of a waterfall to get to one which was absolutely fabulous. You could jump in and if you swam up to the edge you could look over. Great day.
We played beach volleyball some nights at one the restaurant/bars. That was lots of fun. Majority of the people headed south to Vang Vieng from here but I headed north with 2 of the girls (German and Australian).
First stop Nong Khiaw. A small village along the Nam Ou river. We got a little bungalow there for a couple nights. Attempted hiking but it wasn't really he place. Here we met a French guy and then 2 others (Finnish and German). We all caught a boat to Muang Ngoi, only accessible by boat. Found even better bungalows along the river with "mama" who took care of us and brought our food to us.
From here we left our packs(4 of us) and took our small bags to hike to another village. Ban Na village. Through forest, past caves and through the rice paddies. We got bungalows here (1 € for 2 people) for the night and attempted to find a waterfall to swim in with no succes. Ina, Christope, Juha and I spent the night and went to bathe in the evening like the locals in the river. It was wonderful. Ina and I scrubbed each others backs (the locals looked at us a little strange) in the river. The next day we hiked to another village, mostly barefoot. Easier in the muddy rice fields. Along the way I stepped on something that pricked me and made me slip. I fell on my bum. Mud everywhere. Some little Laos ladies walked by a few minutes later. One told me to wipe my hands on the leaves and then took a couple branches to clean the mud off my behind. So funny having the local lady cleaning mud off my backside.
In some of the rice fields Ina and I asked some ladies if we could try planting rice. At first she told us we would get all muddy in the paddies, but I just turned around to show her it didn't really matter I was already covered in mud. They all got a good laugh out of me. Planting rice is NOT an easy task.
We made our way back to Muang Ngoi but not without a swimming stop in one of the rivers. We stayed quite awhile there playing silly games and having good laughs. Back in the village we relaxed for a couple days before heading further north. Ina , Christophe and I went to Luang Nam Tha with a night stop in Oudomxai. In Nam Tha we got motos with another guy and went to a couple villages, not forgrting our half clothed (for the ladies) swim in the river. We wanted to do a homestay and tried but we did not get a good feeling from the people so just went back to town.
The following day the 3 of us went to Muang Sing, stl further north, near the china border. We met 2 other guys and the 5 of us set off the next day in an attempt to do our own trek. It started raining 5 minutes in and we stopped in a village though completely soaked. Eventually we decided to just continue on. Off we went deeper into the forest hoping to find a village to sleep in for the night. Instead Chris got an SMS saying "welcome to china". Oops. We turned around and headed back. Ended up staying In a guesthouse for the night and reattempting the next day in a different direction. We made a rain stop in a hut for a little bit but made our way thick into the jungle. We had a good time, but again no luck with villages. We ended up back in Muang Sing in some bungalows. It was Canada Day so we got a few beers to celebrate.
Over the next couple days Ina and I made our way to Vang Vieng which included an 18 hour bus ride that we were told would be 10, arriving there at 230 am. Luckily we found a place to stag for the night but changed to somewhere else the next day. I didn't really enjoy this place. Too many young drunk people only there to party. The scenery is beautiful though.
From here Ina and I parted ways after 3 weeks. I headed south and her north. Vientiane for a day and then a night bus to Pakse and eventually Tad Lo where I did not do much. A little bit of walking and a lot of nothing. I was feeling unmotivated. After a couple days I went to pakse for a night and the went to the island of Don Kho for a homestay. I stayed with a sweet family with a 9 month old. At first I wasn't sure I liked it but it was good. I washed in the Mekong with grandma and walked the island with the little girl next door. From here I made my way to Champasak. Long journey with a headache starting. Once there I went to visit the temples with a few people but was really starting to feel crap. When we got home I just went to bed as my body was aching. 17h30. I stayed in bed till the following morning when I needed to catch my bus. That night I woke many times soaking wet with the cold sweats. NOT fun. Fever.
The bus to Don Det was not comfortable. I met a Welsh girl that I stayed with on the island. I felt bad because I wasn't good company. I felt aweful. Headache, my eyes hurt. If I turned my head it pounded. I was tired and didn't eat much. I felt like death. It brought me to tears a couple times. I won't lie, I wanted nothing more than to go home. I did make my way to the local doctor who tested for malaria. But by this point after my googling I was thinking dengue. I tested negative for malaria, paid my 1.25$, and asked about dengue. They didn't understand me.
Cambodia
Off to Cambodia and straight to Phnom Penh so I could see a doctor. The following morning before going to the doctor I woke up ith an awful rash. 75$ later (medical claim to be made) dengue it is, but i was on the up and up. Recovering though still tired.
I don't know where I got it but in Laos. I don't know how I did it but I manages to go to a club that night. It was fun.
A few days in Phnom Penh being the tourist and her I am sti in Siem Riep 7 days later. I have done lots of relaxing here. Visited some amazing temples. Soon I'm off to Vietnam to meet my dad for a few weeks of travel. Things are good!!!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Lovin the north
Lying here in a hammock at the guesthouse I'm staying at in Pai. It is raining out so not too much to do. Relax. Read. Write. Eat.
So a day out on scooters around Pai. We visited a waterfall, though there wasn't a lot of water falling and then made our way to the hot springs. We didn't spend too much time in the water of the hot springs as most of I was really hot and I was already hot outside. The entrance fee was quite steep, 200baht (7$). Alex, the guy I was with haggled and got it to 150 (5$). Haha. At the source of the water the sign said it was 80C and it wad bubbling. Not to mention there was a dead bloated frog in the water.
That night I went out with some other people I met for a bit.
The next morning, June 2nd, Alex and I headed to Mae Hong Son (check out my google map, page 2) by local bus. It was funny as the monk wouldn't let ke or Nother western girl sit beside him, only a male. Then this local Thai village lady wouldn't move her bag of the seat to make room for me so I was just barely on the seat. We got to town found a place to stay then relaxed. Got some lunch (sweet & sour chicken and a coke) for a whole 1.35$ (mmm), then sat and played cards. Met a Dutch guy at the guesthouse and met up with him for dinner and a couple drinks. I had a western night and got a delicious burger. Mark, Dutch guy, headed off not too late and Alex and I stayed and played some cards. We ended up finding a local pub/restaurant and stopped in for a bit. Though this in no way resembles a pub in our western eyes. Live music.
Back at the guesthouse chatted for a bit and then before going to sleep someone asks if we have something for bugs. They had cockroaches in their room and "couldn't sleep". Get over it, your in Thailand. Haha.
The next day we hired motorbikes, 110cc, and then made our way early afternoon up to a Chinese village. We got a "luxury" place to stay after haggling for 15minutes. It was on a hillside amongst tea plants and had a nice view out over the lake. Nice peaceful night.
The next morning we were going to head back to town, but found the lake/resevoir we tried to find the day before. We also found Mr. Hilary, who I read about on lonely planet. He grows organic coffee, so we stopped for a cup and then decided we would spend a nigt there. I lived it. This man had some of everything growing. Pineapples, macademia, coffee, tea, passionfruit, the list goes on. He was really kind. We had a little hut at his place. We walked around he area and he village. Went swimming like the locals apparently do daily. It was wonderful. Could have stayed.
The next morning, 5th, we headed back to Mae Hong Son on our bikes and then caught a bus back to Pai.
Here I am in Pai. Wanted to go to the local pool today but the weather is not really holding up. Already 3pm.
Crazy.
My visa expires on the 10th so I need to make my way to a border soon. Planned to go to Chian amai tomorrow but wondering if I'd like to spend one more day here. I will go to Chiang Rai on he 9th and then to the border on the 10th.
Things are going well. Enjoying relaxing and taking things easy right now. Slowly, slowly. Shanti shanti.
So a day out on scooters around Pai. We visited a waterfall, though there wasn't a lot of water falling and then made our way to the hot springs. We didn't spend too much time in the water of the hot springs as most of I was really hot and I was already hot outside. The entrance fee was quite steep, 200baht (7$). Alex, the guy I was with haggled and got it to 150 (5$). Haha. At the source of the water the sign said it was 80C and it wad bubbling. Not to mention there was a dead bloated frog in the water.
That night I went out with some other people I met for a bit.
The next morning, June 2nd, Alex and I headed to Mae Hong Son (check out my google map, page 2) by local bus. It was funny as the monk wouldn't let ke or Nother western girl sit beside him, only a male. Then this local Thai village lady wouldn't move her bag of the seat to make room for me so I was just barely on the seat. We got to town found a place to stay then relaxed. Got some lunch (sweet & sour chicken and a coke) for a whole 1.35$ (mmm), then sat and played cards. Met a Dutch guy at the guesthouse and met up with him for dinner and a couple drinks. I had a western night and got a delicious burger. Mark, Dutch guy, headed off not too late and Alex and I stayed and played some cards. We ended up finding a local pub/restaurant and stopped in for a bit. Though this in no way resembles a pub in our western eyes. Live music.
Back at the guesthouse chatted for a bit and then before going to sleep someone asks if we have something for bugs. They had cockroaches in their room and "couldn't sleep". Get over it, your in Thailand. Haha.
The next day we hired motorbikes, 110cc, and then made our way early afternoon up to a Chinese village. We got a "luxury" place to stay after haggling for 15minutes. It was on a hillside amongst tea plants and had a nice view out over the lake. Nice peaceful night.
The next morning we were going to head back to town, but found the lake/resevoir we tried to find the day before. We also found Mr. Hilary, who I read about on lonely planet. He grows organic coffee, so we stopped for a cup and then decided we would spend a nigt there. I lived it. This man had some of everything growing. Pineapples, macademia, coffee, tea, passionfruit, the list goes on. He was really kind. We had a little hut at his place. We walked around he area and he village. Went swimming like the locals apparently do daily. It was wonderful. Could have stayed.
The next morning, 5th, we headed back to Mae Hong Son on our bikes and then caught a bus back to Pai.
Here I am in Pai. Wanted to go to the local pool today but the weather is not really holding up. Already 3pm.
Crazy.
My visa expires on the 10th so I need to make my way to a border soon. Planned to go to Chian amai tomorrow but wondering if I'd like to spend one more day here. I will go to Chiang Rai on he 9th and then to the border on the 10th.
Things are going well. Enjoying relaxing and taking things easy right now. Slowly, slowly. Shanti shanti.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Scooting around
Like usual, falling behind on my blog.
The last time I wrote I was heading down to the islands. I ended up staying one extra day in Bangkok as I found out that someone I knew and hadn't seen in 11 years was in town. We met up for dinner and drinks. Great!
The next day I headed to Ko Samui. A southern island on the East coast. Quite a big island. I met a group of Germans off the ferry and ended up finding a place to stay with them. We had really nice bungalows with TV and a fridge, 2 minutes from the beach. Forgot to mention there was a pool too. We just relaxed our first day there.
The next day we made our way to Big Buddha. A temple and statue on a hill by the coast. Then we checked out a market and the beach.
The following day, Vicky and I set out to a waterfall on our own as we couldn't find the 3 boys. We took a shared truck and got it really cheap. We hiked in from the road to the first waterfall, which wasn't all that impressive. Not much water and not that high. Then we hiked up to the second which also did not have a ton of water, but was 80m high. Then home for a swim.
The next morning we caught a ferry to Ko Phanang. This island is known for the Full Moon Party, that I did NOT plan to go to. We found a cheap place, again with a pool. Great. We found out that there was a Half Moon Party that night. Bad choice and bad night for me....that's all that needs to be said.
The following morning we decided to move over to the other beach...white sand, beautiful beach. One more night for me and I headed on my own to Ko Tao. Needed some me time.
That night I had a pizza for dinner....it was tasty though the following morning I woke up feeling ill. NOT good. I lazed around on the beach for a couple days taking it easy. Took a ferry and night bus back to Bangkok the next day, where I got some breakfast and caught another bus to Ayuthaya. 2 Nights here and lots of bike riding around the temples and ruins. Relaxing but hot as anything.
From here I made my way to Sukhothai, 5 hours north. I spent two nights here and again got a bicycle around the Old City ruins. I really enjoyed these few days. At the ruins I met an Italian guy that I rode around with for a bit. We ended up at a temple with the Diamond Eyed Buddha...good luck apparently. A little monk showed us in and did a prayer. Then he got us doing some little ceremony thing. Told us about the Buddha in Thai and wished many children on us. We got a bracelet which he performed a little ceremony and we all shared a banana...bizarre. We got a pendant with Sukhothai Buddha. We took photos. He had assumed we were married or engaged...who nows. Interesting.
From here I made my way to Chiang Mai. I found a place to stay with a couple that were on my bus. Nice place with a pool. That night I went to the night market with Annete and bought a couple pairs of pants. Nice evening. The next day I thought I would check out some of the temples. At the first one I met a Chinese girl, Nan who was with a Thai guy from her guesthouse showing her around. I tagged along with them for the rest of the day and then went home for a swim before meeting up with Nan for the Saturday night market. It was a nice evening.
The next morning I moved to her guesthouse which was more like a hostel than where I was staying. More atmosphere. And we went to the zoo. Made me sad for the animals actually. And that night, Sunday nigh walking street (market).
Yesterday I left Chiang Mai to go further north to Pai. It is a small town of about 3000. I am loving it here. I came up with an English guy from the last place I stayed. We have got scooters and scooted around today. Waterfall and hot springs. Nice day. The hot springs at the top were bubbling...about 80 C. Crazy. Tomorrow heading off to Mae Hong Son and then get scooters there and try and check out some villages in the area. I think I will stay in the area until the 8th. Enjoyed the relaxed side of things here.
The last time I wrote I was heading down to the islands. I ended up staying one extra day in Bangkok as I found out that someone I knew and hadn't seen in 11 years was in town. We met up for dinner and drinks. Great!
The next day I headed to Ko Samui. A southern island on the East coast. Quite a big island. I met a group of Germans off the ferry and ended up finding a place to stay with them. We had really nice bungalows with TV and a fridge, 2 minutes from the beach. Forgot to mention there was a pool too. We just relaxed our first day there.
The next day we made our way to Big Buddha. A temple and statue on a hill by the coast. Then we checked out a market and the beach.
The following day, Vicky and I set out to a waterfall on our own as we couldn't find the 3 boys. We took a shared truck and got it really cheap. We hiked in from the road to the first waterfall, which wasn't all that impressive. Not much water and not that high. Then we hiked up to the second which also did not have a ton of water, but was 80m high. Then home for a swim.
The next morning we caught a ferry to Ko Phanang. This island is known for the Full Moon Party, that I did NOT plan to go to. We found a cheap place, again with a pool. Great. We found out that there was a Half Moon Party that night. Bad choice and bad night for me....that's all that needs to be said.
The following morning we decided to move over to the other beach...white sand, beautiful beach. One more night for me and I headed on my own to Ko Tao. Needed some me time.
That night I had a pizza for dinner....it was tasty though the following morning I woke up feeling ill. NOT good. I lazed around on the beach for a couple days taking it easy. Took a ferry and night bus back to Bangkok the next day, where I got some breakfast and caught another bus to Ayuthaya. 2 Nights here and lots of bike riding around the temples and ruins. Relaxing but hot as anything.
From here I made my way to Sukhothai, 5 hours north. I spent two nights here and again got a bicycle around the Old City ruins. I really enjoyed these few days. At the ruins I met an Italian guy that I rode around with for a bit. We ended up at a temple with the Diamond Eyed Buddha...good luck apparently. A little monk showed us in and did a prayer. Then he got us doing some little ceremony thing. Told us about the Buddha in Thai and wished many children on us. We got a bracelet which he performed a little ceremony and we all shared a banana...bizarre. We got a pendant with Sukhothai Buddha. We took photos. He had assumed we were married or engaged...who nows. Interesting.
From here I made my way to Chiang Mai. I found a place to stay with a couple that were on my bus. Nice place with a pool. That night I went to the night market with Annete and bought a couple pairs of pants. Nice evening. The next day I thought I would check out some of the temples. At the first one I met a Chinese girl, Nan who was with a Thai guy from her guesthouse showing her around. I tagged along with them for the rest of the day and then went home for a swim before meeting up with Nan for the Saturday night market. It was a nice evening.
The next morning I moved to her guesthouse which was more like a hostel than where I was staying. More atmosphere. And we went to the zoo. Made me sad for the animals actually. And that night, Sunday nigh walking street (market).
Yesterday I left Chiang Mai to go further north to Pai. It is a small town of about 3000. I am loving it here. I came up with an English guy from the last place I stayed. We have got scooters and scooted around today. Waterfall and hot springs. Nice day. The hot springs at the top were bubbling...about 80 C. Crazy. Tomorrow heading off to Mae Hong Son and then get scooters there and try and check out some villages in the area. I think I will stay in the area until the 8th. Enjoyed the relaxed side of things here.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Red shirts...
So, my one dive. To be honest, I thought I was going to die at first. Water in my nose mouth and eyes. I needed out and real air. I survived and made it through a one hour dive where I did see some cool things. But I don't think diving is for me. I'll stick to snorkeling.
After here we caught a flight back to KL. Had a great afternoon there with some shopping and bargaining. The next morning I was off to Bangkok.
Arrived Bangkok on the 12th of may.
Off the bus I met a French man and a Thai lady. With them I found a cheap place to stay. Not the best but not horrible either. The Thai lady showed us around quite a bit of town. We took the boat down the river and unfortunately I forgot my camera. We went to shopping centres and walked right through the red shirt territory. At first I felt a little apprehensive but at this point things were calm. Just a guy talking over loud speaker with screens all over to show it to everyone. People clapping at what was said. Free food being given to people others buying it from the numerous stalls. You could get everything you needed without leaving the zone.
It was quite interesting and we didn't feel threatened or in harms way.
The following day lots of walking. Yaya, the Thai girl took us all over. Surely walked more than 10km. We were in Chinatown where you can you find everything you need and then some. We went to a nice park where people were doing aerobics, running, playing badminton. They was different cardio and weight machines for free use in the park. Nice. Oh can forget the Thai chi and dance lessons. :)
The next day was more of a quieter day. Did my own thing. Which included me meeting a Thai man who told me i should leave the country immediately. Sent me in a tuktuk to a gov't travel agency that wanted to sell me a package trip for a week to the islands costing 9500baht. That's over 300$. No thank you. Then I argued with the tuktuk driver who wanted to rip me off. Next thing I know I have agreed for another tuktuk to take me to some temples and a shop so he could get his free gas coupon. After 2 temples we went to the shop. Jewelery. Sure it's beautiful but 500$ for earrings isn't in my budget. Yes they were gold with rubies but no. Next he wants to take me to the bloody gov't travel agency. No take me to the next temple. I went in and did my thing. When I came out the guy was nowhere to be seen. And someone told me that he left with other people. Jerk. I wasn't to far from my hotel so headed back walking. Hey, I didn't end up paying. Went and bought a ticket for ko samui.
That night Pierrot, French guy, had met a Canadian and I joined them for dinner. Then we walked around in the streets went to a bar for a bit and chatted with lots of people. Debated who was a real lady and who wa a lady boy. It is really hard to tell. Good night though late.
I met up with the Canadian guy yesterday and did a couple temples. On facebook I saw that an old friend was in Bangkok and ended meeting up with him after 11 years. Changed my bus ticket for today and went for dinner and a couple drinks. He was off to Tokyo today.
Today the weather isn't great. Rained this morning and is still overcast. Could rain again. So at 6 tonight I'll be on my way south on a night bus. Hopefully I will get some sleep. Island beaches for the next 8 or 10 days for me.
And I'm caught up now. Wow it has been a long time since I have done that. Hehe. Hopefully I will be better at it now. Wifi is common so it's easy to write on my iPod and post a little later, as I'm doing now. ;)
After here we caught a flight back to KL. Had a great afternoon there with some shopping and bargaining. The next morning I was off to Bangkok.
Arrived Bangkok on the 12th of may.
Off the bus I met a French man and a Thai lady. With them I found a cheap place to stay. Not the best but not horrible either. The Thai lady showed us around quite a bit of town. We took the boat down the river and unfortunately I forgot my camera. We went to shopping centres and walked right through the red shirt territory. At first I felt a little apprehensive but at this point things were calm. Just a guy talking over loud speaker with screens all over to show it to everyone. People clapping at what was said. Free food being given to people others buying it from the numerous stalls. You could get everything you needed without leaving the zone.
It was quite interesting and we didn't feel threatened or in harms way.
The following day lots of walking. Yaya, the Thai girl took us all over. Surely walked more than 10km. We were in Chinatown where you can you find everything you need and then some. We went to a nice park where people were doing aerobics, running, playing badminton. They was different cardio and weight machines for free use in the park. Nice. Oh can forget the Thai chi and dance lessons. :)
The next day was more of a quieter day. Did my own thing. Which included me meeting a Thai man who told me i should leave the country immediately. Sent me in a tuktuk to a gov't travel agency that wanted to sell me a package trip for a week to the islands costing 9500baht. That's over 300$. No thank you. Then I argued with the tuktuk driver who wanted to rip me off. Next thing I know I have agreed for another tuktuk to take me to some temples and a shop so he could get his free gas coupon. After 2 temples we went to the shop. Jewelery. Sure it's beautiful but 500$ for earrings isn't in my budget. Yes they were gold with rubies but no. Next he wants to take me to the bloody gov't travel agency. No take me to the next temple. I went in and did my thing. When I came out the guy was nowhere to be seen. And someone told me that he left with other people. Jerk. I wasn't to far from my hotel so headed back walking. Hey, I didn't end up paying. Went and bought a ticket for ko samui.
That night Pierrot, French guy, had met a Canadian and I joined them for dinner. Then we walked around in the streets went to a bar for a bit and chatted with lots of people. Debated who was a real lady and who wa a lady boy. It is really hard to tell. Good night though late.
I met up with the Canadian guy yesterday and did a couple temples. On facebook I saw that an old friend was in Bangkok and ended meeting up with him after 11 years. Changed my bus ticket for today and went for dinner and a couple drinks. He was off to Tokyo today.
Today the weather isn't great. Rained this morning and is still overcast. Could rain again. So at 6 tonight I'll be on my way south on a night bus. Hopefully I will get some sleep. Island beaches for the next 8 or 10 days for me.
And I'm caught up now. Wow it has been a long time since I have done that. Hehe. Hopefully I will be better at it now. Wifi is common so it's easy to write on my iPod and post a little later, as I'm doing now. ;)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Malaysia
Hmmm...where to begin. It seems odd because I am already on my way out and just catching up with this thing. I will try and be better in the future.
I met Marilyn in Hong Kong and flew to kuala lumpur. We spent our first couple days in KL. Checked out Chinatown, the Petronas towers and the Batu Caves. It was way to hot in the city. The first place we stayed was really nice but the "massage" place one floor down was not so nice. We also bumped in to a Canadian couple I met in India.
We stayed 2 days and had to get away from the city heat. Off to Cameron Highlands for some fresh air. We spent 2 nights here. Went and visited the Boh Tea plantation with a couple Canadian guys. We wanted to do a few other things but it rained in the afternoons.
Our next stop was Taman Negara...the jungle. In our min van we met yet more Canadians. A couple from Alberta. We managed to find a dorm for 10RM (3$). That night we went on a mission to find a "package" tour in the jungle. Not that we really wanted that, but it seemed the easiest way. We checked out a couple places and decided on one. Hans travel. Not a place I would recommend as the guy was not nice to deal with. When we went we were 5. Three groups. He was going to give us a deal for 5 but the last girl decided she didn't want to do it so the price went up. He tried to make the girl feel guilty about not going. As the 4 of us were discussing whether or not we wanted to spend the extra cash he apparently called the guid,e whom we had already met, to cancel. He was so rude to us and about the entire thing. We left not knowing what we would do then. On our way back to the guesthouse we saw the guy who was going to be our guide. We talked to him and apologised. Not sure who brought it up but we came to the decision he would take us on his own. Jungle Trek with an over night in a cave.
The next day the 4 of us ventured off with our bags. It was hot. We went to declare all of our belongings and headed up river by boat. An hour and a half later we started our 8 km trek through the leech infested jungle towards the cave. I have never sweat so much in my life. It was so hot and humid. This cave we stayed seconds as a shelter to the elephants during monsoon and sometimes to tigers. We set up camp and Badrul our trusty guide started a fire. We all chipped in to cook dinner, happy that it would eliminate some of the weight from our bags. Tom-yom soup, beef curry from a can and rice. Pretty good dinner I must say. Badrul lit candles all around the cave which made it look cool. Before bed we took a walk around the cave, saw bats and where the elephants had been. That night I slept like a baby. I did wake up at one point hearing voices talking about hearing sounds from differnt entrances/holes of the cave. I saw the fire wasn't really going though we were told as long as the fire was going the animals would stay away. The others did not get much sleep. They were all kept awake afraid of the sounds. The next morning we had breakfast, packed up and headed out. We stopped for lunch by the swimming hole where I would be able to jump in from the rope swing. Wait a minute...there wasn't much water to swim in let alone jump in to. After lunch we finished the rest of the sweaty 8km hike.
The following morning we were in another mini van. This time to the Perenthian Islands. Ezra and Lisa(Canadians) decided to join Marilyn and I. We got to the jetty and made it to the small island quite late afternoon. We managed to find accomodation quite easily though a little more high class than we were used. Had to pay for it too. But we had a good deal as the 4 of us shared a chalet suite. Nice place to relax and enjoy the sun and beach for 5 days.
After the island Mare and I rushed across the country on a night bus to Penang in order to catch a flight. We had one day in Penang and didn't see as much as we would have liked, but we did make it to a couple temples and didn't miss our flight.
Next stop, Kota Kinabalu. Arriving late at night we called to book a room. We got there about midnight and I wasn't overly impressed. Probably because I was wY over tired and just wanted to sleep. We checked out the city and attempted to go north though we didn't make it. Too many complications in transport. We went out to one of the islands offshore. It was nice though fairly busy. Enjoyed the many markets and the night food stalls.
May 2 we headed out to Mt. Kinabalu park. We had not planned to climb the mountain and stuck to it. It is actually really expensive to do. We did a 5 km hike up to where the climb to the top begins. It was good though the last portion was a bit challenging. We decided that the following day we would move on.
Breakfast and then to the side of the road to wait for a bus. In the mean time I made a sign for the next town. Within 5 minutes we were in a car on our way. A lovely businessman going to meet some clients. Talking to him about our plans he offered to drive us all the way to the Poring Hot Springs. Alright, works for us. Little did we realise it was about 18km further. It was really kind of him. They had a storage room and lockers for our stuff so we were able to enjoy without worrying. It was an interesting setup as the hot spring water is "too" hot. They have made a series of "open bath tubs" where you can fill it yourself adding cold water to make the temperature you like. Looked funny.
Leaving the hot springs back to town seemed a little bit challenging but we found some really kind people from Singapore who had a couple extra seats in their mini bus and a nice driver who took us back into town and dropped us at the bus stop for our next destination.
Orangutans here we come. One long bus ride and 10pm we make it to Sandakan. First hostel choice, closed. Second, good to go. The following morning we went to Sepilok, an orangutan rehabilitation centre. Saw them for the feeding in the morning. They are just so adorable. In the afternoon we got some food and tried to figure out out next adventure.
The following day, after much waiting and uncertainty we went to Turtle Island. It's about an hour by boat and we were accompanied by a couple lovely oldermen (1 Swiss 1 Belgian). There are 3 Malaysian islands where the turtles nest and we got to see it. Was quite interesting, though the "program" as they called it was not as good as I would have hoped for. Saw the turtle lay, them remove and bury the eggs and the hatchlings be released into the sea. Cool!
The next day we were off yet again. This time we were making our way to Sukau, along the Kinabantang river. Everywhere sells packaged tours but we did it on our own. First, bus the the junction where the road goes off to Sukau. When we got there they wanted to charge us 20RM each to town. We thought this was a lot so tried our luck with a sign. First try, bingo! We climbed into the back of the pickup and we were off. They said they were going only halfway but next thing we knew we were outside the guesthouse we had booked and they were asking where we were going. Some more nice people.
Afternoon and morning river cruises where we got to see proboscis monkeys. Google them! The morning cruise was my favourite. It reminded me of when I was a kid fishing with my dad early in the morning.
We got a "taxi" out to the junction by a man who seemed to have paralysed legs. He used a stick to accelerate and brake. On to the luxury bus to Semporna.
Here Marilyn was going to be diving. We stayed at a place offshore called Singamata. This gave me a place to swim and lay in the sun. 2 nights an then we moved into town. I was going to go snorkeling but decided to give diving a try. One dive.
Check back....time to board the plane to Thailand. Don't worry I will be careful in bangkok.
I met Marilyn in Hong Kong and flew to kuala lumpur. We spent our first couple days in KL. Checked out Chinatown, the Petronas towers and the Batu Caves. It was way to hot in the city. The first place we stayed was really nice but the "massage" place one floor down was not so nice. We also bumped in to a Canadian couple I met in India.
We stayed 2 days and had to get away from the city heat. Off to Cameron Highlands for some fresh air. We spent 2 nights here. Went and visited the Boh Tea plantation with a couple Canadian guys. We wanted to do a few other things but it rained in the afternoons.
Our next stop was Taman Negara...the jungle. In our min van we met yet more Canadians. A couple from Alberta. We managed to find a dorm for 10RM (3$). That night we went on a mission to find a "package" tour in the jungle. Not that we really wanted that, but it seemed the easiest way. We checked out a couple places and decided on one. Hans travel. Not a place I would recommend as the guy was not nice to deal with. When we went we were 5. Three groups. He was going to give us a deal for 5 but the last girl decided she didn't want to do it so the price went up. He tried to make the girl feel guilty about not going. As the 4 of us were discussing whether or not we wanted to spend the extra cash he apparently called the guid,e whom we had already met, to cancel. He was so rude to us and about the entire thing. We left not knowing what we would do then. On our way back to the guesthouse we saw the guy who was going to be our guide. We talked to him and apologised. Not sure who brought it up but we came to the decision he would take us on his own. Jungle Trek with an over night in a cave.
The next day the 4 of us ventured off with our bags. It was hot. We went to declare all of our belongings and headed up river by boat. An hour and a half later we started our 8 km trek through the leech infested jungle towards the cave. I have never sweat so much in my life. It was so hot and humid. This cave we stayed seconds as a shelter to the elephants during monsoon and sometimes to tigers. We set up camp and Badrul our trusty guide started a fire. We all chipped in to cook dinner, happy that it would eliminate some of the weight from our bags. Tom-yom soup, beef curry from a can and rice. Pretty good dinner I must say. Badrul lit candles all around the cave which made it look cool. Before bed we took a walk around the cave, saw bats and where the elephants had been. That night I slept like a baby. I did wake up at one point hearing voices talking about hearing sounds from differnt entrances/holes of the cave. I saw the fire wasn't really going though we were told as long as the fire was going the animals would stay away. The others did not get much sleep. They were all kept awake afraid of the sounds. The next morning we had breakfast, packed up and headed out. We stopped for lunch by the swimming hole where I would be able to jump in from the rope swing. Wait a minute...there wasn't much water to swim in let alone jump in to. After lunch we finished the rest of the sweaty 8km hike.
The following morning we were in another mini van. This time to the Perenthian Islands. Ezra and Lisa(Canadians) decided to join Marilyn and I. We got to the jetty and made it to the small island quite late afternoon. We managed to find accomodation quite easily though a little more high class than we were used. Had to pay for it too. But we had a good deal as the 4 of us shared a chalet suite. Nice place to relax and enjoy the sun and beach for 5 days.
After the island Mare and I rushed across the country on a night bus to Penang in order to catch a flight. We had one day in Penang and didn't see as much as we would have liked, but we did make it to a couple temples and didn't miss our flight.
Next stop, Kota Kinabalu. Arriving late at night we called to book a room. We got there about midnight and I wasn't overly impressed. Probably because I was wY over tired and just wanted to sleep. We checked out the city and attempted to go north though we didn't make it. Too many complications in transport. We went out to one of the islands offshore. It was nice though fairly busy. Enjoyed the many markets and the night food stalls.
May 2 we headed out to Mt. Kinabalu park. We had not planned to climb the mountain and stuck to it. It is actually really expensive to do. We did a 5 km hike up to where the climb to the top begins. It was good though the last portion was a bit challenging. We decided that the following day we would move on.
Breakfast and then to the side of the road to wait for a bus. In the mean time I made a sign for the next town. Within 5 minutes we were in a car on our way. A lovely businessman going to meet some clients. Talking to him about our plans he offered to drive us all the way to the Poring Hot Springs. Alright, works for us. Little did we realise it was about 18km further. It was really kind of him. They had a storage room and lockers for our stuff so we were able to enjoy without worrying. It was an interesting setup as the hot spring water is "too" hot. They have made a series of "open bath tubs" where you can fill it yourself adding cold water to make the temperature you like. Looked funny.
Leaving the hot springs back to town seemed a little bit challenging but we found some really kind people from Singapore who had a couple extra seats in their mini bus and a nice driver who took us back into town and dropped us at the bus stop for our next destination.
Orangutans here we come. One long bus ride and 10pm we make it to Sandakan. First hostel choice, closed. Second, good to go. The following morning we went to Sepilok, an orangutan rehabilitation centre. Saw them for the feeding in the morning. They are just so adorable. In the afternoon we got some food and tried to figure out out next adventure.
The following day, after much waiting and uncertainty we went to Turtle Island. It's about an hour by boat and we were accompanied by a couple lovely oldermen (1 Swiss 1 Belgian). There are 3 Malaysian islands where the turtles nest and we got to see it. Was quite interesting, though the "program" as they called it was not as good as I would have hoped for. Saw the turtle lay, them remove and bury the eggs and the hatchlings be released into the sea. Cool!
The next day we were off yet again. This time we were making our way to Sukau, along the Kinabantang river. Everywhere sells packaged tours but we did it on our own. First, bus the the junction where the road goes off to Sukau. When we got there they wanted to charge us 20RM each to town. We thought this was a lot so tried our luck with a sign. First try, bingo! We climbed into the back of the pickup and we were off. They said they were going only halfway but next thing we knew we were outside the guesthouse we had booked and they were asking where we were going. Some more nice people.
Afternoon and morning river cruises where we got to see proboscis monkeys. Google them! The morning cruise was my favourite. It reminded me of when I was a kid fishing with my dad early in the morning.
We got a "taxi" out to the junction by a man who seemed to have paralysed legs. He used a stick to accelerate and brake. On to the luxury bus to Semporna.
Here Marilyn was going to be diving. We stayed at a place offshore called Singamata. This gave me a place to swim and lay in the sun. 2 nights an then we moved into town. I was going to go snorkeling but decided to give diving a try. One dive.
Check back....time to board the plane to Thailand. Don't worry I will be careful in bangkok.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Indian finale......finally
.
Well, back to India. In jaisalmer I did a 2 day 1 night camel safari. I did it with 2 couples. One being the English couple I was traveling with and a French couple staying at our hotel. It was good fun. Lots of laughs though hot as anything. The camel driver subsequently fell for me. Nice cute boy. But camel driver who had aspired to be one for years.
After Jaisalmer we headed to Johdpur where we only stayed one day. Anna and I checked out the fort which was nice but didn't get to do too much else.
From here we made our way on a night bus to Udaipur. This is where Octopussy was filmed. We arrived early, around 6 I think at a guesthouse we had called. Upon arrival we realized the place wasn't that great. Adam and I left Anna with our stuff and went to check out some other places. When we got back we ended up leaving for somewhere else. Good thing because the guy there was a jerk. Anna and I , again did more sightseeing than Adam. They headed out after a couple days to Goa and I ended up staying in Udaipur for another day with a retired man, John, traveling from the stats.
From here I made my way with John to Mt. Abu, a hill station in the south of Rajasthan. I don't know what I was expecting but not really what I had found. That was ok though. Did a couple short walks/hikes before catching a LONG bus to Amedhabad where I was going to catch a flight to Goa. I met a few nice and helpful people though did have one man stare at me for about 2 hours until I said screw the heat and put my scarf over my entire head. When I got of the bus I got an auto into town. Has an argument with the driver because he spoke no English and I thought he was trying to charge me 3 times the rate. Had him come into the guesthouse and got things straightened out. Paid, got a room, Internet and bank. I asked the hotel man where i could eat. Said I was craving pizza. He suggested a place called pinkie pizza so I ventured out to find it. I found the people here so friendly and genuine. Not out to rip you off, though the city doesn't have too much to offer. I eventually found the little hole in the wall known as Pinkie Pizza where I managed to get some food. Not pizza mind you, but filled the spot. Also got a couple little "bags" of water in which you just rip off a corner and drink it. I figured it I wad to be sick that night, I would know why. I took a photo of the lovely men working there. Just very sweet and helpful. The next morning I was off to the airport. I decided to take the local bus and save some cash. Everyone in the street seemed against me in the start telling me to take an auto, but I said no. When the bus came I almost abandoned the idea but the ticket man knew where I was going so on I got. A little bit later a couple and little girl got on. The little girl kept staring at me And when I'd smile at her she turned away. I dug through my bag and found a quarter for her telling her "das(10) roupees". She put it in her pocket without even looking at it. It wasn't till others around asked that she took it out and passed it around. People would get on the bus and shake my hand. It was an amazing day. When we got about 1 km from the airport I was told I needed to get off. The woman and little girl got off too and offered me chai. So we went across the street had q chai and then they accompanied me to the airport in an auto which they insisted on paying. I took a photo of them before making my way to the terminal. Waved goodbye and walked inside. My photo confirmed my thoughts that this little girl was downsyndrome. Sweet as anything.
Off to Goa.
I was going to meet up with Anna and Adam very briefly on Palolem. This beach is a little over an hour by taxi. I was lucky to find 3 others going to roughly the same area to share.
Goa! Anna and Adam introduced me to some people they knew there which was great. I met some really amazing people. I did have a bit of a hard time at the start and Anna told me to go back to Hare Krishna Hare Rama bar where the I had met the staff who were all great.
I made mt way there the next day and spent the rest of my time in Palolem there. I met a great German woman, Abbie, that I ended spending a lit of my time with. She and I had a great time. Can't wait to see her again. I would have liked to gone off and done more things but that will have to wait for next time. I spent my birthday here which was really nice. Abbie was there for dinner and Flower(another friend) came out for a drink. A group of English I had met were there. The boys at the restaurant had got me a cake and sang happy birthday. One of the guys got me a gift. It really was a special day. I played a game with the English called "wet head" which was a lot of fun. Then we headed to the "all night" bar. It was a really nice time.
I had a blast I goa. Met some amazing people both tourists and locals/workers.
I headed out to Bangalore on a night bus on April 12 to catch my flight. The chapter on India was sadly ending, but it's not finished yet. The night bus was long and sad and extremely bumpy as I had a sleeper at the very back. Luckily inwas sharing with a young Indian girl.
In Bangalore I just walked around a bit. Found some bookstores and chilled. Met an odd Indian man just to finish off the country right. Off to the airport and on to the next destination.
Well, back to India. In jaisalmer I did a 2 day 1 night camel safari. I did it with 2 couples. One being the English couple I was traveling with and a French couple staying at our hotel. It was good fun. Lots of laughs though hot as anything. The camel driver subsequently fell for me. Nice cute boy. But camel driver who had aspired to be one for years.
After Jaisalmer we headed to Johdpur where we only stayed one day. Anna and I checked out the fort which was nice but didn't get to do too much else.
From here we made our way on a night bus to Udaipur. This is where Octopussy was filmed. We arrived early, around 6 I think at a guesthouse we had called. Upon arrival we realized the place wasn't that great. Adam and I left Anna with our stuff and went to check out some other places. When we got back we ended up leaving for somewhere else. Good thing because the guy there was a jerk. Anna and I , again did more sightseeing than Adam. They headed out after a couple days to Goa and I ended up staying in Udaipur for another day with a retired man, John, traveling from the stats.
From here I made my way with John to Mt. Abu, a hill station in the south of Rajasthan. I don't know what I was expecting but not really what I had found. That was ok though. Did a couple short walks/hikes before catching a LONG bus to Amedhabad where I was going to catch a flight to Goa. I met a few nice and helpful people though did have one man stare at me for about 2 hours until I said screw the heat and put my scarf over my entire head. When I got of the bus I got an auto into town. Has an argument with the driver because he spoke no English and I thought he was trying to charge me 3 times the rate. Had him come into the guesthouse and got things straightened out. Paid, got a room, Internet and bank. I asked the hotel man where i could eat. Said I was craving pizza. He suggested a place called pinkie pizza so I ventured out to find it. I found the people here so friendly and genuine. Not out to rip you off, though the city doesn't have too much to offer. I eventually found the little hole in the wall known as Pinkie Pizza where I managed to get some food. Not pizza mind you, but filled the spot. Also got a couple little "bags" of water in which you just rip off a corner and drink it. I figured it I wad to be sick that night, I would know why. I took a photo of the lovely men working there. Just very sweet and helpful. The next morning I was off to the airport. I decided to take the local bus and save some cash. Everyone in the street seemed against me in the start telling me to take an auto, but I said no. When the bus came I almost abandoned the idea but the ticket man knew where I was going so on I got. A little bit later a couple and little girl got on. The little girl kept staring at me And when I'd smile at her she turned away. I dug through my bag and found a quarter for her telling her "das(10) roupees". She put it in her pocket without even looking at it. It wasn't till others around asked that she took it out and passed it around. People would get on the bus and shake my hand. It was an amazing day. When we got about 1 km from the airport I was told I needed to get off. The woman and little girl got off too and offered me chai. So we went across the street had q chai and then they accompanied me to the airport in an auto which they insisted on paying. I took a photo of them before making my way to the terminal. Waved goodbye and walked inside. My photo confirmed my thoughts that this little girl was downsyndrome. Sweet as anything.
Off to Goa.
I was going to meet up with Anna and Adam very briefly on Palolem. This beach is a little over an hour by taxi. I was lucky to find 3 others going to roughly the same area to share.
Goa! Anna and Adam introduced me to some people they knew there which was great. I met some really amazing people. I did have a bit of a hard time at the start and Anna told me to go back to Hare Krishna Hare Rama bar where the I had met the staff who were all great.
I made mt way there the next day and spent the rest of my time in Palolem there. I met a great German woman, Abbie, that I ended spending a lit of my time with. She and I had a great time. Can't wait to see her again. I would have liked to gone off and done more things but that will have to wait for next time. I spent my birthday here which was really nice. Abbie was there for dinner and Flower(another friend) came out for a drink. A group of English I had met were there. The boys at the restaurant had got me a cake and sang happy birthday. One of the guys got me a gift. It really was a special day. I played a game with the English called "wet head" which was a lot of fun. Then we headed to the "all night" bar. It was a really nice time.
I had a blast I goa. Met some amazing people both tourists and locals/workers.
I headed out to Bangalore on a night bus on April 12 to catch my flight. The chapter on India was sadly ending, but it's not finished yet. The night bus was long and sad and extremely bumpy as I had a sleeper at the very back. Luckily inwas sharing with a young Indian girl.
In Bangalore I just walked around a bit. Found some bookstores and chilled. Met an odd Indian man just to finish off the country right. Off to the airport and on to the next destination.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Woah Johnny.
Well, it has really been weeks since I have writen on my blog. I am not really good at keeping up with it. I haven't writen in my journal in a week either. Not good.
But this shows I am having a great time.
So...back to February.
18th - 25th
I spent these days on an 8 day retreat...Intro to Buddhism and Meditation. It was quite an interesting course. I really enjoyed the time I got to spend there. I also met some wonderful people. Not going to say much more on this.
From here I headed to Delhi to meet up with a couple friends for a few days. In Delhi got to see the Lotus temple which was quite cool. Went to a party with at a friends friends house. Quite fun.
Feb 28
Elephant festival in Jaipur. I really wanted to go to this, but be in Delhi with some friends for Holi on the first. I decided to take a bus to Jaipur for one night and a night bus back to Delhi for the 1st. It was a busy few days but great. The festival wasn't exactly what I was expecting but the elephants looked amazing. All were painted up for the festival.It was great.
Mar 1
Holi! Festival of Colours! Great great time. It was really an amazing, sureal experience. We went to the uni campus with a group of people. There were so many people and so many colours. Just great!
Mar 2-5
Jaipur.
This time I decided to couchsurf. Thought it would be interesting. The guy was really nice and helpful. Jaipur wasn't what I expected it to be. I found the men here more forward than usual. It was really quite annoying. Tiring.
From Jaipur I headed to Pushkar, and on the bus met a really sweet wonderful English couple
Mar 5 - 8
Pushkar.
We spent 3 days and nights here. I got a hotel with Adam and Anna when we got there and really enjoyed our stay there. It was a smaller town and quite quiet. No pressure to do sight seeing. Nice to relax. The only bad thing was getting my phone stolen..life goes on.
Mar 9 - Now
Jaisalmer.
We got a night bus from Pushkar here. We got sleepers on the bus. This means there are seats below and beds above. It was quite funny. It felt a lot like being in a sort of cage. We arrived in Jaisalmer and met a hotel guy. They had a recommendation and arranged to be picked up. This hotel is absolutely stunning and we got an amazing deal on it...I'm paying about 5$/night. Just beautiful.
Got back from our 2 day (1.5 day) camel safari. It was a lot of fun. Such a different experience. Bum a little sore, but manageable. :)
I know these blogs are quite boring...maybe better to just check out the map on google.
Things are good and I'm having a great time.
But this shows I am having a great time.
So...back to February.
18th - 25th
I spent these days on an 8 day retreat...Intro to Buddhism and Meditation. It was quite an interesting course. I really enjoyed the time I got to spend there. I also met some wonderful people. Not going to say much more on this.
From here I headed to Delhi to meet up with a couple friends for a few days. In Delhi got to see the Lotus temple which was quite cool. Went to a party with at a friends friends house. Quite fun.
Feb 28
Elephant festival in Jaipur. I really wanted to go to this, but be in Delhi with some friends for Holi on the first. I decided to take a bus to Jaipur for one night and a night bus back to Delhi for the 1st. It was a busy few days but great. The festival wasn't exactly what I was expecting but the elephants looked amazing. All were painted up for the festival.It was great.
Mar 1
Holi! Festival of Colours! Great great time. It was really an amazing, sureal experience. We went to the uni campus with a group of people. There were so many people and so many colours. Just great!
Mar 2-5
Jaipur.
This time I decided to couchsurf. Thought it would be interesting. The guy was really nice and helpful. Jaipur wasn't what I expected it to be. I found the men here more forward than usual. It was really quite annoying. Tiring.
From Jaipur I headed to Pushkar, and on the bus met a really sweet wonderful English couple
Mar 5 - 8
Pushkar.
We spent 3 days and nights here. I got a hotel with Adam and Anna when we got there and really enjoyed our stay there. It was a smaller town and quite quiet. No pressure to do sight seeing. Nice to relax. The only bad thing was getting my phone stolen..life goes on.
Mar 9 - Now
Jaisalmer.
We got a night bus from Pushkar here. We got sleepers on the bus. This means there are seats below and beds above. It was quite funny. It felt a lot like being in a sort of cage. We arrived in Jaisalmer and met a hotel guy. They had a recommendation and arranged to be picked up. This hotel is absolutely stunning and we got an amazing deal on it...I'm paying about 5$/night. Just beautiful.
Got back from our 2 day (1.5 day) camel safari. It was a lot of fun. Such a different experience. Bum a little sore, but manageable. :)
I know these blogs are quite boring...maybe better to just check out the map on google.
Things are good and I'm having a great time.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
India!
Here in India things are going quite well.
After a few days in Delhi, I made my way up to Amritsar. This is not too far from the Pakistan border as well as Kashmir. Here you will find the Golden Temple. This temple is Sikh. It was a very great experience where I learnt quite a bit about Sikhism. This temple was quite stunning. A gold temple in the middle of sort of holy pool. At the temple there is a dorm for foreign tourists provided based on donations. There is also a "free" kitchen that runs completely by the work of volunteers. You are able to eat at any hour as it is open 24 hours. We got to see the entire workings and not only visit but also participate in the making of chapatis. You can peel (red) carrots, wash dishes, stir pots of dal...so many different things. There are big halls where people eat by the thousands. You sit on the floor and someone comes by slopping food in your plate. Then when they come with chapatis you have to put your two hands out and they will put it in your hands. It was quite an experience. It would be a great place to spend some time volunteering and getting to know the people.
Here I met up with a friend from Nepal. I stayed at the golden temple for 3 nights then we headed to McLeod Ganj (Dharamasala). This is the home of the Dalai Lama. It is quite a calm and beautiful place. Not really like the rest of India. More like Nepal. The population is mostly Tibetan as this is the home to government in exile.
We got a nice room with a few of the valley and mountains. So far I have been here 5 days. Tibetan New Year (Losar) was on Feb 14. For this occasion we were lucky to see the Dalai Lama at his temple. It was just amazing to see him so closely and hear him speak, although in Tibetan. He is a beautiful human being.
Since being in this town I have relaxed a lot. We took an Indian cooking class where we made Paneer Butter Masala, Aloo Gobi (Potato Cauliflower), Dal (Lentil) and Chapati. After cooking this all we got to enjoy the amazing meal. It was so tasty and I can't wait to make it when I return home.
Today Dai and I went to a Tibetan cooking class. We made the all famous momos. These are like dumplings filled with various veggie fillings. I love these!! Not only did we make savoury ones, but we also made a chocolate filled one. This was just amazing. Another thing to make when I get home. Who wants some??
Tomorrow I am heading to the Tushita Meditation Centre. I am taking an 8-day residential course. Introduction to Buddism. This will include some meditation, yoga and teachings in Buddism. I will be cut off from the outside world. I think this is going to be a very interesting experience.
I have had a bit of a hard time over the past few weeks due to various things. Being in a new country, being lonely from time to time and the loss of my grams have all played a big part. Being in this place has allowed me to relax and think and just enjoy living. That is something that I think people forget to do a lot. Enjoy Living. We don't do that enough in the western world. We get so caught up in jobs and everything else. For those of you at home, take a step back and think about it. You never know what the future is going to hold. Make sure you enjoy your life. Take some time out for yourself and really enjoy it. Do something for yourself...maybe get a massage. Have that piece of chocolate cake (I did today). Whatever will make you happy. Make you smile. Enjoy life. Work to live. Do not live to work.
I am thinking of all of my family and friends. I hope you are all well.
I am going to be disconnected for the next 8 or 9 days, but my thoughts are with you all.
After a few days in Delhi, I made my way up to Amritsar. This is not too far from the Pakistan border as well as Kashmir. Here you will find the Golden Temple. This temple is Sikh. It was a very great experience where I learnt quite a bit about Sikhism. This temple was quite stunning. A gold temple in the middle of sort of holy pool. At the temple there is a dorm for foreign tourists provided based on donations. There is also a "free" kitchen that runs completely by the work of volunteers. You are able to eat at any hour as it is open 24 hours. We got to see the entire workings and not only visit but also participate in the making of chapatis. You can peel (red) carrots, wash dishes, stir pots of dal...so many different things. There are big halls where people eat by the thousands. You sit on the floor and someone comes by slopping food in your plate. Then when they come with chapatis you have to put your two hands out and they will put it in your hands. It was quite an experience. It would be a great place to spend some time volunteering and getting to know the people.
Here I met up with a friend from Nepal. I stayed at the golden temple for 3 nights then we headed to McLeod Ganj (Dharamasala). This is the home of the Dalai Lama. It is quite a calm and beautiful place. Not really like the rest of India. More like Nepal. The population is mostly Tibetan as this is the home to government in exile.
We got a nice room with a few of the valley and mountains. So far I have been here 5 days. Tibetan New Year (Losar) was on Feb 14. For this occasion we were lucky to see the Dalai Lama at his temple. It was just amazing to see him so closely and hear him speak, although in Tibetan. He is a beautiful human being.
Since being in this town I have relaxed a lot. We took an Indian cooking class where we made Paneer Butter Masala, Aloo Gobi (Potato Cauliflower), Dal (Lentil) and Chapati. After cooking this all we got to enjoy the amazing meal. It was so tasty and I can't wait to make it when I return home.
Today Dai and I went to a Tibetan cooking class. We made the all famous momos. These are like dumplings filled with various veggie fillings. I love these!! Not only did we make savoury ones, but we also made a chocolate filled one. This was just amazing. Another thing to make when I get home. Who wants some??
Tomorrow I am heading to the Tushita Meditation Centre. I am taking an 8-day residential course. Introduction to Buddism. This will include some meditation, yoga and teachings in Buddism. I will be cut off from the outside world. I think this is going to be a very interesting experience.
I have had a bit of a hard time over the past few weeks due to various things. Being in a new country, being lonely from time to time and the loss of my grams have all played a big part. Being in this place has allowed me to relax and think and just enjoy living. That is something that I think people forget to do a lot. Enjoy Living. We don't do that enough in the western world. We get so caught up in jobs and everything else. For those of you at home, take a step back and think about it. You never know what the future is going to hold. Make sure you enjoy your life. Take some time out for yourself and really enjoy it. Do something for yourself...maybe get a massage. Have that piece of chocolate cake (I did today). Whatever will make you happy. Make you smile. Enjoy life. Work to live. Do not live to work.
I am thinking of all of my family and friends. I hope you are all well.
I am going to be disconnected for the next 8 or 9 days, but my thoughts are with you all.
Monday, February 8, 2010
A long awaited update
So...Since Ridi Festival...
What have I done since then...a short visit to Pokhara and then to Bandipur.
Bandipur.
This is a little town between Pokhara and Kathmandu. Very peaceful and quite. A village in the hills. Typical Newar village. The houses seem so typical. Pretty much everything shut down by about 8, and there was usually no power as the power cuts were about 9 hours a day. So bed by 8. I had a really relaxing time. Not too much to do, not too many tourists. There were many hikes you could do from this place, but I just relaxed. Played with some children, wandered around and enjoyed the town.
Bhaktapur.
This is the last of the Durbar Squares. Before 3 kingdoms, and if I'm not mistaken, 3 brothers who wanted to all outdo the other by building something better. This was by far the best. Though it was about 10 dollars to enter, you could get a pass for a long period of time. I spent 2 nights here and enjoyed soaking of the town. Meeting some locals and wandering through the narrow streets. Saw the Kumari (living goddess) in some ceremony thing one night there.
Changu Narayan.
After Bhaktapur I thought I would work my way by foot to this temple on a hill. When I got to the fork in the road I decided I would take the bus. I climbed on and off we went. 30 minutes later we arrived at the top. I started walking over to the temple when a man started talking to me. I tried to just "blow him off" as I had a plan for a couple days and wanted to carry on. It didn't really work. He convinced me to have a "chiya", masala tea, with him. We got talking and he told me about his plans to start a homestay at his place. He insisted on showing me his home, so we hoped on his motorbike (Honda Stunner) and off we went down hill on a dirt road. No helmet. I was holding on for dear life. I met his wife, and he convinced me to stay one night and to spend the day with him showing me around to a few places. Off we went again on the motorbike. This time he got a helmet, but I didn't. It's only necessary for the driver. We went to a few different places. It was definitely an adventure...the driving was difficult and I was nervous at times, but all went well.
Over the next few days after I didn't do too much. I was in Kathmandu and really ready to leave though had to wait for my Indian visa.
On the 29th I got my visa and instead of taking my pre-arranged flight to Delhi I headed over land to Varanasi.
Varanasi.
I ended up spending about 5 days here. It was quite an interesting time. I had a hard time over the first few days but it got better. I am sure most of you know of Varanasi and the Ganges and the burning ghats. A place to see. I met some interesting people. Got henna for free and finally met up with a friend.
Agra.
Saw the Taj Mahal. Amazing place. Really enjoyed this. It still looks fake in the photos. Like it's photoshop or something.
I am now in Delhi. I have been here for 2 days now and tomorrow I am heading to Amritsar. This is north, near the Pakistani border. There is a golden temple here which I will stay at before heading to Dharamasala. This is the home of the Dalai Lama. Feb 14 is Losar, Tibetan New Year. I will actually be here for about 12 days as I am going to do a course in Intro to Buddism and Meditation. Should be quite cool.
Try not to leave it for so long the next post as it is not very exciting. I am just breezing through briefly of how things are.
I have had a hard time adjusting to India. Things are just so different and I am not finding it as easy to meet people as in Europe. Not really the same as hosteling. I will survive! Keep on moving. Something new tomorrow!!
What have I done since then...a short visit to Pokhara and then to Bandipur.
Bandipur.
This is a little town between Pokhara and Kathmandu. Very peaceful and quite. A village in the hills. Typical Newar village. The houses seem so typical. Pretty much everything shut down by about 8, and there was usually no power as the power cuts were about 9 hours a day. So bed by 8. I had a really relaxing time. Not too much to do, not too many tourists. There were many hikes you could do from this place, but I just relaxed. Played with some children, wandered around and enjoyed the town.
Bhaktapur.
This is the last of the Durbar Squares. Before 3 kingdoms, and if I'm not mistaken, 3 brothers who wanted to all outdo the other by building something better. This was by far the best. Though it was about 10 dollars to enter, you could get a pass for a long period of time. I spent 2 nights here and enjoyed soaking of the town. Meeting some locals and wandering through the narrow streets. Saw the Kumari (living goddess) in some ceremony thing one night there.
Changu Narayan.
After Bhaktapur I thought I would work my way by foot to this temple on a hill. When I got to the fork in the road I decided I would take the bus. I climbed on and off we went. 30 minutes later we arrived at the top. I started walking over to the temple when a man started talking to me. I tried to just "blow him off" as I had a plan for a couple days and wanted to carry on. It didn't really work. He convinced me to have a "chiya", masala tea, with him. We got talking and he told me about his plans to start a homestay at his place. He insisted on showing me his home, so we hoped on his motorbike (Honda Stunner) and off we went down hill on a dirt road. No helmet. I was holding on for dear life. I met his wife, and he convinced me to stay one night and to spend the day with him showing me around to a few places. Off we went again on the motorbike. This time he got a helmet, but I didn't. It's only necessary for the driver. We went to a few different places. It was definitely an adventure...the driving was difficult and I was nervous at times, but all went well.
Over the next few days after I didn't do too much. I was in Kathmandu and really ready to leave though had to wait for my Indian visa.
On the 29th I got my visa and instead of taking my pre-arranged flight to Delhi I headed over land to Varanasi.
Varanasi.
I ended up spending about 5 days here. It was quite an interesting time. I had a hard time over the first few days but it got better. I am sure most of you know of Varanasi and the Ganges and the burning ghats. A place to see. I met some interesting people. Got henna for free and finally met up with a friend.
Agra.
Saw the Taj Mahal. Amazing place. Really enjoyed this. It still looks fake in the photos. Like it's photoshop or something.
I am now in Delhi. I have been here for 2 days now and tomorrow I am heading to Amritsar. This is north, near the Pakistani border. There is a golden temple here which I will stay at before heading to Dharamasala. This is the home of the Dalai Lama. Feb 14 is Losar, Tibetan New Year. I will actually be here for about 12 days as I am going to do a course in Intro to Buddism and Meditation. Should be quite cool.
Try not to leave it for so long the next post as it is not very exciting. I am just breezing through briefly of how things are.
I have had a hard time adjusting to India. Things are just so different and I am not finding it as easy to meet people as in Europe. Not really the same as hosteling. I will survive! Keep on moving. Something new tomorrow!!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Slack
I am really bad at sitting down and writing. Not sure what has happened over the past while.
INDIA...got here on the 30th. Varanasi, Agra, now in Delhi.
Stomach has been up and down....frustrating. oh well.
tray and write soon.
INDIA...got here on the 30th. Varanasi, Agra, now in Delhi.
Stomach has been up and down....frustrating. oh well.
tray and write soon.
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