Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tomorrows plans via bike
Biking to an awesome waterfall tomorrow. Khuan si outside luang prahbang... Supposedly one of the nicest ones in the area...about a 70 km roundtrip if I don't get lost. NIce.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Another hammock
Yet another post via a hammock. Just Arrived at Spicy Laos hostel in luang prabang. looks like a great place with a great atmosphere so we shall see how it goes!!!
About to go adventure and find some great dinner...I'm feeling like some vegetables and tofu. It's pinoit rubbing off on me...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Chaing Rai and a slow boat
No matter what happens you always have the music. Someone used that expression to me to other day as an inspirational and semi clitque tone but I knew deep down there was nothing clitque or untrue about it. Although I don't play an instrument there is still music everywhere and its effects are like nothing else in the world. But Im getting ahead of myself and getting a little deeper than anyone probably cares about...I'm floating down the MEkong listening to the greatest rock band ever and I feel so small!
It is now Sunday march 6th and I have been in Thailand since feb 18th, 16 days total. I have been asked how long I have been traveling and feeel as though I have been saying 2 or 3 weeks since February so I guess I've compacted alot into ny time. Since I last posted a few interesting things have happened to me. After a great motorbike ride around chaing rai and it's vicinitys with Maude I stayed the night at my couchsurfing friend Catys house. I didnt plan to leave for Laos after the first night but planned on staying 2 nights and leaving extremely early the next morning. That plan started on Thursday march 2nd. The vortex of awesomness that is chaing rai kept me three until sunday morning when I caught the bus (again as you will soon read) to get to chain kong, the Thai departure city to Laos. I by no means regret anything about my stay in chaing rai and I probably would t change much of anythig if icould, although ny nikon point and shoot did have quite q healthy and growing relashonzhip going before it's demise. Anyway...
On Friday I spent most of the day blogging and riding my (catys) bike around the city. A great and productive day that culminated with me buying a usd camera from a very local camera shop. Caty used the guy when Doing all her photography stuff ( she was a photo journalist as her major at art school) althogh a little bit more expensive than i would have liked to spend, the price of convienance, that it was a canon powershof elph (a step above my previous 2 digis), and the fact the guy was a friend of catys made my decision for me and I was happy about it when I walked out with it. That night I went out to dinner with caty and her awesome roomate amber for dinner. Together there were about 6 farang ( foreigners) but it was great conversation because 4 of them were English teachers. Boom! I racked there brains for information and they were super helpful and we stayed together for yet another night at the peace bar. I am never an advocate for going to the same bar so often but this one was different and every night was uniquely special. Also, my tatoo artist friend pinoit lived and worked supremely close so it was easy to hang out with him throughout the night. Although everyone told me there was no way I was going to wake up I the morning to catch the early bus to the border I told them they were wrong and that although I loved it in CR i was off the next morning. In the end we were both right.
The next morning I was out ofthe house by 7am with a ride to the bus staion from amber before she headed off to teach. I fell immediatly asleep but when I awoke about 2.5 hrs later I was surronded by beautiful and lush green fields surronded by mountains. As I grabbed my camera and inserted the memory card a message read "memory card missing" that's strange I thought but maybe my high def cars wasn't compatible. I tried my other card but to no avail. Worrying, I asked some of the ohe passengers around me If I could try there cards. 4 differnt cards later I accepted defeat. The camera was defunct and I now knew the Thai words on the screen yesterday translated into English perofectly once I reset the language. Getting off the bus a little later I plopped down on a set of steps in defeat. I knew what I had to do but that did t make it any easier. I grabbed a piece of chicken to eat and boarded the same bus I had just got off. It was back to chaing rai to try and plead my case to the camera man and try and find a new one. Sleeping the 3 hours back I was rejuinated and recharged when I arrived. I walked about 2 km back to caty and ambers house but took a pedi cab the last km, telling myself I deserved the ride. It was a perfect tension easer and reminded me how excited I am to move back to Boston and ride a bike again.
Sparing some details I was eventually able to get my money back from the camera man after much discussion in Thai and English. While he accused me of breaking it I assured him I had not and that if it had been my mistake I wouldn't have come all the way back losing a travel day, etc. He eventually gave methe money back and, after a tip from a fellow bus passenger was able to get a brand new camera from a Thai shopping mall. ( an experince in itself the malls upstairs were filled with elementary school students using cyber cages, karaoke rooms, video game rental rooms, dance studios, and a breakdancing room....wild place butessentially a big shopping mall)
I ended up with a sony that was a little cheaper and better quality than the canon and I was also able to use my visa, saving in the ATM fees and keeping my refunded cash for future needs.
amber and her bf Nek-
That night was spent relaxing with the girls, a yoga instrutor names siri, (. A yoga guru and maseuse from sweeden:) , and ambers boyfriend named Nek. When the girls went to a more formal dinner nek and I hung out drinking some beers and listening to him at guitar and have complete and total man talk. A great experience to try and understand what he was saying and also to discuss normal things with a person from such a different culture. Really awesome. We contiued the chillout session on the porch when the girls arrived back but when nek, amber, and siri headed to the bar I decidied to stay back, knowing a 5:30 wake up would come soon enough. Caty stayed too and we hung out a bit longer listening to music and watching some stuff on her computer before crashing. A nice relaxing end to a pretty wild day. When I woke up the next morning and walked all the way to the bus I was extremely grateful to amber and caty for all their hospitality and kindness. They are exactly what couch surfing is all about (in the ease of meeting a new friend via the www) and I will never forget how helpful and just plain fantastic they were to me.
-caty on the right amber on the left-
Arriving again In Chaing kong, I felt very well prepared for my foray into Laos. Many people get confused and overpay or do unnecesary things to cross over the border but I felt that ihad done enough research to save myself from getting nickle and dimes... It was a process that could include a bus, a taxi, a ferry, a taxi, a ticket office, and then the boat but could be much simplified with some walking and shortcuts. I knew places I could walk, avoidable fees, cheap places for food, and that I had plenty of time because a 10am departure ran on Thai time. (Very similar to Paul time.)
Going through immigration was a breeze and when I got to Laos I instantly became a millionaire. (well i had to trade $200 for the experience) Yup, you heard me right. 1,200,000 Kip rested securely in my pocket.
When I arrived to the area where the boat would take off I felt overwhelmingly good about myself and my future. Around me sat about 50 or more young travelers awaiting departure, all in search of thir own adventure. From all over the world it was an inspiring sight. The topper was when I was speaking with a few guys from california and thy remarked about how many hoops there was to jump through and how difficult or imossible it must have been for someone to get to where they were solo, wihout a group package I jokingly thanked them for the Accolades and enjoyed my first sanwich in 3 weeks as celebration.
Getting on the boat was a great experience and much more roomy and enjoyable than I thought. 6 hrs the first day, a pit stop for a night, then 7 hrs the second day, before arriving In The city of luang prahbang.
The views from the boat traveling on the Mekong were incredible the entire time. Napping, reading, and listening to the many conversations around me was a great pleasure. When the boat docked in the small village you could immediatly tell tourism was the citys major revnue as the dock was riddled with young boys and pushy men trying their best to get you to stay at there guesthouse. Knowing not to get overwhelmed I walked past them all and walked up the street full of guesthouses and restaurants in laos and English. Remarkably, on the boat I had met a man I had seen the previous days attempt into the country. Arjun, from india, and I decided it would be cheaper to share a room and so we did, finding a place for 20,000 Kip, approximately $2.50 each. We got to know each other over a long walk down the main street ofhe city and a great dinner of buffaloe and rice and vegetables. Arjun was traveling for 65 days and was about 2weeks in. From Calcutta he loved to trek and backpack and our conversation seemed to constantly be about the himilayans and his many adventures. A great connection for future travels for sure!!!
I retired pretty early that night as I was heavilly into angels and demons, by Dan brown. After blowing through the DaVinci Code I had picked up Angels and demons at a used bookshop in CR and jumped headfirst into it as well. I typed up this post on the boat only after reading it in it's entirety in less than 24 hours. Awesome, awesome, awesome read.
The boat is soon to be Arriving in luang prabang and my goal is to find the spicy Laos hostel somehow. A new adventure in another country will begin extremely shortly and I anxiously await the challenge!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
It is now Sunday march 6th and I have been in Thailand since feb 18th, 16 days total. I have been asked how long I have been traveling and feeel as though I have been saying 2 or 3 weeks since February so I guess I've compacted alot into ny time. Since I last posted a few interesting things have happened to me. After a great motorbike ride around chaing rai and it's vicinitys with Maude I stayed the night at my couchsurfing friend Catys house. I didnt plan to leave for Laos after the first night but planned on staying 2 nights and leaving extremely early the next morning. That plan started on Thursday march 2nd. The vortex of awesomness that is chaing rai kept me three until sunday morning when I caught the bus (again as you will soon read) to get to chain kong, the Thai departure city to Laos. I by no means regret anything about my stay in chaing rai and I probably would t change much of anythig if icould, although ny nikon point and shoot did have quite q healthy and growing relashonzhip going before it's demise. Anyway...
On Friday I spent most of the day blogging and riding my (catys) bike around the city. A great and productive day that culminated with me buying a usd camera from a very local camera shop. Caty used the guy when Doing all her photography stuff ( she was a photo journalist as her major at art school) althogh a little bit more expensive than i would have liked to spend, the price of convienance, that it was a canon powershof elph (a step above my previous 2 digis), and the fact the guy was a friend of catys made my decision for me and I was happy about it when I walked out with it. That night I went out to dinner with caty and her awesome roomate amber for dinner. Together there were about 6 farang ( foreigners) but it was great conversation because 4 of them were English teachers. Boom! I racked there brains for information and they were super helpful and we stayed together for yet another night at the peace bar. I am never an advocate for going to the same bar so often but this one was different and every night was uniquely special. Also, my tatoo artist friend pinoit lived and worked supremely close so it was easy to hang out with him throughout the night. Although everyone told me there was no way I was going to wake up I the morning to catch the early bus to the border I told them they were wrong and that although I loved it in CR i was off the next morning. In the end we were both right.
The next morning I was out ofthe house by 7am with a ride to the bus staion from amber before she headed off to teach. I fell immediatly asleep but when I awoke about 2.5 hrs later I was surronded by beautiful and lush green fields surronded by mountains. As I grabbed my camera and inserted the memory card a message read "memory card missing" that's strange I thought but maybe my high def cars wasn't compatible. I tried my other card but to no avail. Worrying, I asked some of the ohe passengers around me If I could try there cards. 4 differnt cards later I accepted defeat. The camera was defunct and I now knew the Thai words on the screen yesterday translated into English perofectly once I reset the language. Getting off the bus a little later I plopped down on a set of steps in defeat. I knew what I had to do but that did t make it any easier. I grabbed a piece of chicken to eat and boarded the same bus I had just got off. It was back to chaing rai to try and plead my case to the camera man and try and find a new one. Sleeping the 3 hours back I was rejuinated and recharged when I arrived. I walked about 2 km back to caty and ambers house but took a pedi cab the last km, telling myself I deserved the ride. It was a perfect tension easer and reminded me how excited I am to move back to Boston and ride a bike again.
Sparing some details I was eventually able to get my money back from the camera man after much discussion in Thai and English. While he accused me of breaking it I assured him I had not and that if it had been my mistake I wouldn't have come all the way back losing a travel day, etc. He eventually gave methe money back and, after a tip from a fellow bus passenger was able to get a brand new camera from a Thai shopping mall. ( an experince in itself the malls upstairs were filled with elementary school students using cyber cages, karaoke rooms, video game rental rooms, dance studios, and a breakdancing room....wild place butessentially a big shopping mall)
I ended up with a sony that was a little cheaper and better quality than the canon and I was also able to use my visa, saving in the ATM fees and keeping my refunded cash for future needs.
amber and her bf Nek-
That night was spent relaxing with the girls, a yoga instrutor names siri, (. A yoga guru and maseuse from sweeden:) , and ambers boyfriend named Nek. When the girls went to a more formal dinner nek and I hung out drinking some beers and listening to him at guitar and have complete and total man talk. A great experience to try and understand what he was saying and also to discuss normal things with a person from such a different culture. Really awesome. We contiued the chillout session on the porch when the girls arrived back but when nek, amber, and siri headed to the bar I decidied to stay back, knowing a 5:30 wake up would come soon enough. Caty stayed too and we hung out a bit longer listening to music and watching some stuff on her computer before crashing. A nice relaxing end to a pretty wild day. When I woke up the next morning and walked all the way to the bus I was extremely grateful to amber and caty for all their hospitality and kindness. They are exactly what couch surfing is all about (in the ease of meeting a new friend via the www) and I will never forget how helpful and just plain fantastic they were to me.
-caty on the right amber on the left-
Arriving again In Chaing kong, I felt very well prepared for my foray into Laos. Many people get confused and overpay or do unnecesary things to cross over the border but I felt that ihad done enough research to save myself from getting nickle and dimes... It was a process that could include a bus, a taxi, a ferry, a taxi, a ticket office, and then the boat but could be much simplified with some walking and shortcuts. I knew places I could walk, avoidable fees, cheap places for food, and that I had plenty of time because a 10am departure ran on Thai time. (Very similar to Paul time.)
Going through immigration was a breeze and when I got to Laos I instantly became a millionaire. (well i had to trade $200 for the experience) Yup, you heard me right. 1,200,000 Kip rested securely in my pocket.
When I arrived to the area where the boat would take off I felt overwhelmingly good about myself and my future. Around me sat about 50 or more young travelers awaiting departure, all in search of thir own adventure. From all over the world it was an inspiring sight. The topper was when I was speaking with a few guys from california and thy remarked about how many hoops there was to jump through and how difficult or imossible it must have been for someone to get to where they were solo, wihout a group package I jokingly thanked them for the Accolades and enjoyed my first sanwich in 3 weeks as celebration.
Getting on the boat was a great experience and much more roomy and enjoyable than I thought. 6 hrs the first day, a pit stop for a night, then 7 hrs the second day, before arriving In The city of luang prahbang.
The views from the boat traveling on the Mekong were incredible the entire time. Napping, reading, and listening to the many conversations around me was a great pleasure. When the boat docked in the small village you could immediatly tell tourism was the citys major revnue as the dock was riddled with young boys and pushy men trying their best to get you to stay at there guesthouse. Knowing not to get overwhelmed I walked past them all and walked up the street full of guesthouses and restaurants in laos and English. Remarkably, on the boat I had met a man I had seen the previous days attempt into the country. Arjun, from india, and I decided it would be cheaper to share a room and so we did, finding a place for 20,000 Kip, approximately $2.50 each. We got to know each other over a long walk down the main street ofhe city and a great dinner of buffaloe and rice and vegetables. Arjun was traveling for 65 days and was about 2weeks in. From Calcutta he loved to trek and backpack and our conversation seemed to constantly be about the himilayans and his many adventures. A great connection for future travels for sure!!!
I retired pretty early that night as I was heavilly into angels and demons, by Dan brown. After blowing through the DaVinci Code I had picked up Angels and demons at a used bookshop in CR and jumped headfirst into it as well. I typed up this post on the boat only after reading it in it's entirety in less than 24 hours. Awesome, awesome, awesome read.
The boat is soon to be Arriving in luang prabang and my goal is to find the spicy Laos hostel somehow. A new adventure in another country will begin extremely shortly and I anxiously await the challenge!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Woah, he wrote alot of stuff on here....he must have spent forever adding those pictures...
I added 3 massive posts today so there is more than enough reading material for you if you are intrested. I know sometimes it can be intimidating to read so much but this will be the last time i can post things for at least a few days and maybe a week. I am about to take a 2 day boat ride down the Mekong River into Laos where I will spend some time. When you look at the blog posts, keep in mind they are in order by date (duh) so start at the bottom one or use the table of contents-like link on the left side.
rock and roll.
rock and roll.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
mopeding with maud
Wed, March 3, 2011
Waking up early for breakfast my friend Maud and I waited for our friend Pinoit, the tattoo artist to meet us for breakfast. He was running late so we decided to just walk over to his shop. Of course we missed each other so breakfast happened an hour later than we thought but it was none the less great. We had spent the night with Pinoit and his friend Julian from Montreal the night before and learned a lot about what they were doing in Thailand and about their religious and moral values. We learned about their tattoos and the meanings of them and a lot of the symbolism and ceremony that goes into getting some of them. Some wild stuff involving samurai swords and chanting and being bulletproof and just wild stuff that they truly believe in. Anyway we talked a lot about the benefits of being a vegetarian too and so that next day Maud and I decided to eat entirely vegetarian. Travis would be proud. Basically those two guys believed that vegetable eating was extremely good luck and pleasing to buddah and that is why they did it. They said I didn’t have to give up meat everyday but I should try and give it up on the day of the week was born. (Sunday) intresting thought. Ill let you know how it goes next week.
Anyway for breakfast we had rice and vegetables and tofu. (kind of like every other meal time but regardless) Maud and I decided that we would rent motorbikes that day and go explore as much as we can. She had never ridden one so she was pretty excited but also nervous. That morning I also said goodbye to Lindsey, my bikeing partner and rafting guide. She was running out of baht and wanted to get to laos even though she wasn’t too sure what she would do once she crossed the border. I was extremely extremely tempted to go with her but I again I wasn’t ready o leave the country yet. Little things like having my batteries charged, laundry cleaned and blogs updated trumped the fact that it would have been nice to have a partner on unplanned adventure to a foreign country. When I finally made my decision I thought back to the fact that my friend sent me a message earlier that day asking me where I was and that she was glad I didn’t have a home base because I could end up anywhere in the world the next day. Proof! Anyway, back to the bike adventure.
After some annoying bargaining with my hostel, (if you rent for an entire day, and for the hour why don’t you rent for half a day?!) we were finally off by around 1pm. Late start but we had a good morning otherwise so it was ok. Maud picked up the scooter super quick and was a pro by the end of the day. Our adventure took us out to a waterfall about 25 km away via a map that Pinoit had drew us. He had drawn the same map the day earlier but I couldn’t figure it out but for some reason today it was perfect and the settings we rode through were tremendous.
The waterfall was pretty epic and definitely the best one I have seen since I have been traveling. Maud and I took a great self timer shot (2 actually that had my camera on an incredibly secure homemade tripod of bamboo and twine, resting in sand and mud, covered with paper in case of a fall, while it rested on a slippery rock. This thing was a beautiful piece of engineering and some of you know how much I love the self timer shots. The story of them! So much better than a stranger! (which was non existent regardless) I also bought some of my first souvenirs for when I arrive home. One person I know reads this (and always has) has there name checked off, after a older woman was just too persistent and sincere for me not to help her out. I have been holding off getting any kind of trinkets or gifts because I thus have to carry them on my back for the next 4 weeks but im over that because the journey is the destination, even if that journey is in the bottom of my backpack traveling s.e. asia, the gifts get some miles on them.
After the waterfall, which we had to get to via some crazy crazy roads ( I nearly ended up in a 10 meter ditch when I thought offroad for a few minutes would be ok..probably my closest call to danger but don’t worry I learned a lesson) , we stopped for some lunch of papaya salad at a small road side stand. A woman with a child swaddled on her back and 3 kids doing homework on the floor cooked it for us atmosphere of the place was great and we enjoyed our break. Fresh papaya salad and tomatoes served in a heaping portion was a great treat. i also rocked the macro lense when i took a picture nad i think it looks pretty yummy on the screen in front of me.
It was also really great to hang out with Maud. A 32 y/o from Amsterdam she was an avid traveler and had a great personality. She really enjoys edm (electronic dance music) and feels the love for the dubstep, especially considering how big it is where she lives. She is super positive person and has an infectious laugh that just makes you smile whenever you see her or look at her. A beautiful person, yet again part of my life by the narrowest margin, as I saw her with a backpack on the day earlier and had directed her to the Chat House hostel because of how cheap and what a great environment it was. So cool. Someone that I will certainly say goodbye to soon but that I know will be an ally for life and a great person to visit next time I am over in Europe.
Our ride back was supposed to take us to the beautiful White Temple but due to darkness and other unknown reasons the temple was closed that night. Too bad because we really wanted to see it all lit up at night with the reflective and beautiful glass pieces. Maud bought an iced cappuccino from a shop though and I will say that it was one of the best I have ever had and I thoroughly enjoyed the sip she let me share. (although she was probably a little annoyed because it was more of a few gulps than a small sip:/ )
Upon entering the city again we went straight to our favorite hangout at the tattoo shop to hang out with Pinoit and eat our vegetarian dinner he ordered us. Super cool.
He loves talking to us and sharing his philosophys and its great.
Such a unique personality Pinoit is not someone I will soon, or ever forever.
After eating dinner I also had a moment of depression as my camera fell off a bicycle seat and onto the cement ground.
^the last picture it ever took. ^
(dont worry though...im getting a new one today...some things just need to be replaced asap, and I found someone who will sell me a used one relatively cheap...another couchsurfing hookup!!)
I saw it happen in slow motion and when I picked it up I could see the lens bent majorly, so that it could not close in on itself. A moment of clarity? Decision making? Regardless, I'll embrace the turn of events. I didn’t want to go on without a camera so I decided that the next day I would do my best to make it right. It would also allow me to do some laundry, catch up on all these blog posts, and spend more time with my friend Caty, who I met on couchsurfing. (from long island, reggae bar meet up) I really wanted to help her paint her new studio/artspace/thing and the moment the camera dropped that was the first thing that came to mind before I started over analyzing the fall of the nearly new Nikon. Cest La Vie. This kind of stuff can only bother you if you let it. Luckily, Im typing this from a beautiful apartment and art space studio about to take a shower, and do laundry before heading out camera hunting and painting. Funny how that works out. She graciously let me stay at her place for the night (and hopefully the next before my early wake up for laos) and we had an awesome night listening to each others ipods and trying to figure out what lil wayne song it is that she liked. She had searched for it for hours the night earlier but can only remember that it has the word world in it and that it has another guest rapper in it. Needle in a hay stack, but a fun project none the less. Unsuccessful obviously but regardless. Before we went to sleep she wooed me with tales of burning man and showed me all her friends pictures and told me all about her experiences after going for the last 5 years (it’s the only reason shes left Thailand in 3 years) I slept on a few comforters and my sleeping bag with a sheet over me and it was one of the more cool and better sleeps I have gotten since I have been traveling. Couch surfing is so rad.
Waking up early for breakfast my friend Maud and I waited for our friend Pinoit, the tattoo artist to meet us for breakfast. He was running late so we decided to just walk over to his shop. Of course we missed each other so breakfast happened an hour later than we thought but it was none the less great. We had spent the night with Pinoit and his friend Julian from Montreal the night before and learned a lot about what they were doing in Thailand and about their religious and moral values. We learned about their tattoos and the meanings of them and a lot of the symbolism and ceremony that goes into getting some of them. Some wild stuff involving samurai swords and chanting and being bulletproof and just wild stuff that they truly believe in. Anyway we talked a lot about the benefits of being a vegetarian too and so that next day Maud and I decided to eat entirely vegetarian. Travis would be proud. Basically those two guys believed that vegetable eating was extremely good luck and pleasing to buddah and that is why they did it. They said I didn’t have to give up meat everyday but I should try and give it up on the day of the week was born. (Sunday) intresting thought. Ill let you know how it goes next week.
Anyway for breakfast we had rice and vegetables and tofu. (kind of like every other meal time but regardless) Maud and I decided that we would rent motorbikes that day and go explore as much as we can. She had never ridden one so she was pretty excited but also nervous. That morning I also said goodbye to Lindsey, my bikeing partner and rafting guide. She was running out of baht and wanted to get to laos even though she wasn’t too sure what she would do once she crossed the border. I was extremely extremely tempted to go with her but I again I wasn’t ready o leave the country yet. Little things like having my batteries charged, laundry cleaned and blogs updated trumped the fact that it would have been nice to have a partner on unplanned adventure to a foreign country. When I finally made my decision I thought back to the fact that my friend sent me a message earlier that day asking me where I was and that she was glad I didn’t have a home base because I could end up anywhere in the world the next day. Proof! Anyway, back to the bike adventure.
After some annoying bargaining with my hostel, (if you rent for an entire day, and for the hour why don’t you rent for half a day?!) we were finally off by around 1pm. Late start but we had a good morning otherwise so it was ok. Maud picked up the scooter super quick and was a pro by the end of the day. Our adventure took us out to a waterfall about 25 km away via a map that Pinoit had drew us. He had drawn the same map the day earlier but I couldn’t figure it out but for some reason today it was perfect and the settings we rode through were tremendous.
The waterfall was pretty epic and definitely the best one I have seen since I have been traveling. Maud and I took a great self timer shot (2 actually that had my camera on an incredibly secure homemade tripod of bamboo and twine, resting in sand and mud, covered with paper in case of a fall, while it rested on a slippery rock. This thing was a beautiful piece of engineering and some of you know how much I love the self timer shots. The story of them! So much better than a stranger! (which was non existent regardless) I also bought some of my first souvenirs for when I arrive home. One person I know reads this (and always has) has there name checked off, after a older woman was just too persistent and sincere for me not to help her out. I have been holding off getting any kind of trinkets or gifts because I thus have to carry them on my back for the next 4 weeks but im over that because the journey is the destination, even if that journey is in the bottom of my backpack traveling s.e. asia, the gifts get some miles on them. 
After the waterfall, which we had to get to via some crazy crazy roads ( I nearly ended up in a 10 meter ditch when I thought offroad for a few minutes would be ok..probably my closest call to danger but don’t worry I learned a lesson) , we stopped for some lunch of papaya salad at a small road side stand. A woman with a child swaddled on her back and 3 kids doing homework on the floor cooked it for us atmosphere of the place was great and we enjoyed our break. Fresh papaya salad and tomatoes served in a heaping portion was a great treat. i also rocked the macro lense when i took a picture nad i think it looks pretty yummy on the screen in front of me.
It was also really great to hang out with Maud. A 32 y/o from Amsterdam she was an avid traveler and had a great personality. She really enjoys edm (electronic dance music) and feels the love for the dubstep, especially considering how big it is where she lives. She is super positive person and has an infectious laugh that just makes you smile whenever you see her or look at her. A beautiful person, yet again part of my life by the narrowest margin, as I saw her with a backpack on the day earlier and had directed her to the Chat House hostel because of how cheap and what a great environment it was. So cool. Someone that I will certainly say goodbye to soon but that I know will be an ally for life and a great person to visit next time I am over in Europe.
Our ride back was supposed to take us to the beautiful White Temple but due to darkness and other unknown reasons the temple was closed that night. Too bad because we really wanted to see it all lit up at night with the reflective and beautiful glass pieces. Maud bought an iced cappuccino from a shop though and I will say that it was one of the best I have ever had and I thoroughly enjoyed the sip she let me share. (although she was probably a little annoyed because it was more of a few gulps than a small sip:/ )
Upon entering the city again we went straight to our favorite hangout at the tattoo shop to hang out with Pinoit and eat our vegetarian dinner he ordered us. Super cool.
He loves talking to us and sharing his philosophys and its great. Such a unique personality Pinoit is not someone I will soon, or ever forever.
After eating dinner I also had a moment of depression as my camera fell off a bicycle seat and onto the cement ground.
^the last picture it ever took. ^
(dont worry though...im getting a new one today...some things just need to be replaced asap, and I found someone who will sell me a used one relatively cheap...another couchsurfing hookup!!)
I saw it happen in slow motion and when I picked it up I could see the lens bent majorly, so that it could not close in on itself. A moment of clarity? Decision making? Regardless, I'll embrace the turn of events. I didn’t want to go on without a camera so I decided that the next day I would do my best to make it right. It would also allow me to do some laundry, catch up on all these blog posts, and spend more time with my friend Caty, who I met on couchsurfing. (from long island, reggae bar meet up) I really wanted to help her paint her new studio/artspace/thing and the moment the camera dropped that was the first thing that came to mind before I started over analyzing the fall of the nearly new Nikon. Cest La Vie. This kind of stuff can only bother you if you let it. Luckily, Im typing this from a beautiful apartment and art space studio about to take a shower, and do laundry before heading out camera hunting and painting. Funny how that works out. She graciously let me stay at her place for the night (and hopefully the next before my early wake up for laos) and we had an awesome night listening to each others ipods and trying to figure out what lil wayne song it is that she liked. She had searched for it for hours the night earlier but can only remember that it has the word world in it and that it has another guest rapper in it. Needle in a hay stack, but a fun project none the less. Unsuccessful obviously but regardless. Before we went to sleep she wooed me with tales of burning man and showed me all her friends pictures and told me all about her experiences after going for the last 5 years (it’s the only reason shes left Thailand in 3 years) I slept on a few comforters and my sleeping bag with a sheet over me and it was one of the more cool and better sleeps I have gotten since I have been traveling. Couch surfing is so rad.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Bob Marley, Pete Tosh,and Mick Jagger. Neo does Buddhism.
Although arriving in chaing rai took a few surprise turns and a little longer than it could or should have,finally getting here was pretty nice. Hugging the Burma border it was beautiful views everywhere I looked and I met lots of interesting people while riding in the back of a truck with lots of locals. On my way I also met a French couple that was biking there way across Thailand. I know some of my friends would be super jealous of that...they were awesome and were doing it on a tandem bike and were eventually going to make it all the way into china. They have done his in France and last year spent minus I. South America riding along...so inspiring that they just went for it and are totally doing it. Not many people can but it's admirable for sure. When I arrived in chaing rai I was able to steal wifi from an apartment above a Internet cafe so I was able to sent caty, a girl I met on couch surfing, a message because we planned on getting together and grabbing a bite to eat or to just meet up. She responded quickly and we made plans for later o. That night to get some drinks at a reggae bar called the peace bar. While I was sitting g outside the www cafe I net another solo traveler names Caroline from France who was on her way to Laos soon. She gave me some good advice on where to stay and we were going to try and meet up that night but regrettably that never happened. We had great conversation for a while and it's amazing how much of an impact she had on my, as well as many others lifes, in such a fleeting moment of stopping and saying hello. I love it.
After walking to the main road with guesthouses (Jet YOd Rd) it seemed like everywhere I looked was either full or too expensive. It was early enough in the day ( 2 or 3) that I was intent on finding a great deal so I trudged along with my backpack and pretended it was t even there. I met a girl and guy named claudio and lindsey. I sat and chatted with them for awhile and when I got ready to keep looking for a hostel lindsay offered to come explore for me. We stopped at lots of places but nothing seemed right until we literally stumbled upon a place called the chat house. Tucked in a corner it had a great atmosphere and was only 80 b a night. Go check out the conversation rate...
It was certainly the jackpot and was well worth my time looking for a place.
I settled in to my new home and we both
Relaxed there for awhile. As we were getting ready to go out again we net a girl named Coleen from california who was also my roomate in the dorm. She was on her way to a wat on a hill so I branched off from Lindsay and planned to meet her near her guesthouse later on ( I basically told everyone I met to meet at the peace bar... Central location and a good meet up spot...)
I hung out with Coleen for the next few hours exploring and eating and marketing and having a great time. We tried some greab food and enjoyed what we thought were fried onions but were in fact fried minnow. Either way they were delicious. While exploring we also saw a big horde of pedi cabbers and I vowed that before I left I was going to take an awesome ride In one and give the guy a supreme tip.
We had a great time together and had alot of similarities and common interests so it was cool to chat with her. A pretty rad california chick.
After wandering in the market we made it over to the peace bar to meet up with caty and one of her friends named Roberto who was actually rehabbing a broken leg and staying a the same hostel as I was. Small world. Hanging out at the bar was awesome as everyone was great company. Watching Roberto play pool, buying flowers from the street children, and hanging out with he co rasta bartenders. Caty, whose from long island (last name diguardi ...) came to visit Thailand and fell in love with it and has been here for 2 years. She speaks Thai pretty well and was friends with all the guys behind the bar. She plans on opening an art space/yoga studio/classroom/activity center in chaing rai. Super rad chick, i hope I can get to know her.
We ended up closing the bar and hanging out I the gardens in the back way past closing and had a really really awesome time. I also met a girl whose name I can't recall now but we talked alot about his she has traveled around thailand teaching english and livig with her Thai husband. She was pretty cool and had an interesting backstory. All the rasta guys were awesome and super cool. The dj played some dubstep for me and the bartender and resident drummer was rockin my uncle jimmys favorite lithuania basketball shirt. I took a picture with him but probably should have taken it before I started enjoying the cold beverages but o well.
An awesome afternoon and night in chaing rai meeting lots of really cool and awesome people.
On Tuesday the first of march I woke up and borrowed Roberto's (living in the hostel with a busted leg for 2 months) moped to go and make plans with Lindsay and Claudio. We made rough plans to bike ride to the white temple later on. I returned the moped, and rented a bike and checked out a really awesome bookstore that trades books and maps. A gem of a place t had thousands of titles super cheap and the atmosphere was incredible. They guy used to own a guesthouse but when he retired he loved to read, had a large collection, and loved meeting travelers. Perfect match for him.
well later has happened. Lindsey and I went off for a bike ride and it was a great ride. Although the map from the guy at the tatoo parlors map was awful and unhelpful we made it there via the most direct road. pretty busy but not awful and we rode at a leisurely pace the entire way and had great conversation. Lindsey is a rafting guide in JAckson Wyoming and basically lives a bad ass outdoor chick lifestyle. I think if matty d could marry her tomorrow I am confident he would. Interestingly enough I was thinking about seasonal jobs the other day and was surprised i didnt know anyone who was a rafting guide or a trekking guide outwest. No more than two days later I have a great connection and someone who told me she would always be willing to help me out if i ever wanted some adventure out west. will do lindsey!
When we got to the white temple it was undoubtedly the coolest temple or wat i have seen yet. It has a great backstory and basically this artist decided he wanted to dedicate a buddhist temple to the community and so he used all his own money and is doing whatever he wants with it. check it out. crazy crazy artwork and the most modern temple you can ever imagine. think a buddhist temple with depictions of the America and the west, space invasions, mutants, crazy colors and trippy designs, and the most grotesque and beautiful artwork you could ever imagine. and then keep in mind that it is a buddhist shrine and temple. Wat Rong Khun - Chiang Rai. seriously do yourself a favor and check it out or ask me about it when I get back. Everything is still being built so it was also really cool to see the artists working to build it. a work in progress expected to be done in 10 years or so it is monstrous and magnificent.
We rode home from the temple with more great conversation and left each other at our respective hostels with tentative plans to meet up later on that night. together lindsey and i have been talking alot about laos but cant seem to make up our minds about anything so its kind of humorous to listen to us try and make decisions. hopefully something will get done and we can continue together but odds are if we meet again in laos it will be by chance. she has no plan and i have kind of a plan but they dont go together and trying to join them just leads to infinite possibilities.
When I got back to my hostel that night I met Maud, a girl I had given directions to on the street earlier in the day. she thanked me profusely for helping her find such a great place and later that night we wandered the market and streets and had a great time together looking at all the market stuff and getting to know each other. I love traveler small talk and especially love when it gets past the basics and into meaningful communication. While we were walking we also saw the clocktower, a massive art installation that the same guy who made the white temple had created. at 9p everynight they play music and a cool light show.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhonesebalsi
After walking to the main road with guesthouses (Jet YOd Rd) it seemed like everywhere I looked was either full or too expensive. It was early enough in the day ( 2 or 3) that I was intent on finding a great deal so I trudged along with my backpack and pretended it was t even there. I met a girl and guy named claudio and lindsey. I sat and chatted with them for awhile and when I got ready to keep looking for a hostel lindsay offered to come explore for me. We stopped at lots of places but nothing seemed right until we literally stumbled upon a place called the chat house. Tucked in a corner it had a great atmosphere and was only 80 b a night. Go check out the conversation rate...
It was certainly the jackpot and was well worth my time looking for a place.
I settled in to my new home and we both
Relaxed there for awhile. As we were getting ready to go out again we net a girl named Coleen from california who was also my roomate in the dorm. She was on her way to a wat on a hill so I branched off from Lindsay and planned to meet her near her guesthouse later on ( I basically told everyone I met to meet at the peace bar... Central location and a good meet up spot...)
I hung out with Coleen for the next few hours exploring and eating and marketing and having a great time. We tried some greab food and enjoyed what we thought were fried onions but were in fact fried minnow. Either way they were delicious. While exploring we also saw a big horde of pedi cabbers and I vowed that before I left I was going to take an awesome ride In one and give the guy a supreme tip.
We had a great time together and had alot of similarities and common interests so it was cool to chat with her. A pretty rad california chick.
After wandering in the market we made it over to the peace bar to meet up with caty and one of her friends named Roberto who was actually rehabbing a broken leg and staying a the same hostel as I was. Small world. Hanging out at the bar was awesome as everyone was great company. Watching Roberto play pool, buying flowers from the street children, and hanging out with he co rasta bartenders. Caty, whose from long island (last name diguardi ...) came to visit Thailand and fell in love with it and has been here for 2 years. She speaks Thai pretty well and was friends with all the guys behind the bar. She plans on opening an art space/yoga studio/classroom/activity center in chaing rai. Super rad chick, i hope I can get to know her.
We ended up closing the bar and hanging out I the gardens in the back way past closing and had a really really awesome time. I also met a girl whose name I can't recall now but we talked alot about his she has traveled around thailand teaching english and livig with her Thai husband. She was pretty cool and had an interesting backstory. All the rasta guys were awesome and super cool. The dj played some dubstep for me and the bartender and resident drummer was rockin my uncle jimmys favorite lithuania basketball shirt. I took a picture with him but probably should have taken it before I started enjoying the cold beverages but o well.
An awesome afternoon and night in chaing rai meeting lots of really cool and awesome people.
On Tuesday the first of march I woke up and borrowed Roberto's (living in the hostel with a busted leg for 2 months) moped to go and make plans with Lindsay and Claudio. We made rough plans to bike ride to the white temple later on. I returned the moped, and rented a bike and checked out a really awesome bookstore that trades books and maps. A gem of a place t had thousands of titles super cheap and the atmosphere was incredible. They guy used to own a guesthouse but when he retired he loved to read, had a large collection, and loved meeting travelers. Perfect match for him.
well later has happened. Lindsey and I went off for a bike ride and it was a great ride. Although the map from the guy at the tatoo parlors map was awful and unhelpful we made it there via the most direct road. pretty busy but not awful and we rode at a leisurely pace the entire way and had great conversation. Lindsey is a rafting guide in JAckson Wyoming and basically lives a bad ass outdoor chick lifestyle. I think if matty d could marry her tomorrow I am confident he would. Interestingly enough I was thinking about seasonal jobs the other day and was surprised i didnt know anyone who was a rafting guide or a trekking guide outwest. No more than two days later I have a great connection and someone who told me she would always be willing to help me out if i ever wanted some adventure out west. will do lindsey!
When we got to the white temple it was undoubtedly the coolest temple or wat i have seen yet. It has a great backstory and basically this artist decided he wanted to dedicate a buddhist temple to the community and so he used all his own money and is doing whatever he wants with it. check it out. crazy crazy artwork and the most modern temple you can ever imagine. think a buddhist temple with depictions of the America and the west, space invasions, mutants, crazy colors and trippy designs, and the most grotesque and beautiful artwork you could ever imagine. and then keep in mind that it is a buddhist shrine and temple. Wat Rong Khun - Chiang Rai. seriously do yourself a favor and check it out or ask me about it when I get back. Everything is still being built so it was also really cool to see the artists working to build it. a work in progress expected to be done in 10 years or so it is monstrous and magnificent.
We rode home from the temple with more great conversation and left each other at our respective hostels with tentative plans to meet up later on that night. together lindsey and i have been talking alot about laos but cant seem to make up our minds about anything so its kind of humorous to listen to us try and make decisions. hopefully something will get done and we can continue together but odds are if we meet again in laos it will be by chance. she has no plan and i have kind of a plan but they dont go together and trying to join them just leads to infinite possibilities.
When I got back to my hostel that night I met Maud, a girl I had given directions to on the street earlier in the day. she thanked me profusely for helping her find such a great place and later that night we wandered the market and streets and had a great time together looking at all the market stuff and getting to know each other. I love traveler small talk and especially love when it gets past the basics and into meaningful communication. While we were walking we also saw the clocktower, a massive art installation that the same guy who made the white temple had created. at 9p everynight they play music and a cool light show.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhonesebalsi
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