I am sitting in the same lounge I arrived in three months ago to the day in Hong Kong. The person I was before is no more and the person I am, has become. In the end, I feel, we are all in a state of becoming and this makes each moment worth savoring. It is easy to forget when life is difficult or we are doing something we don't enjoy. In these times we may look back at events that made us happy and say "if only I was there..." or "If only I had that again..." I know for myself that I have spent a lot of time throughout my life looking back with regret or forward with anticipation. I feel now that this robs the moment of what it has to offer me, right now.
I write this for myself most of all. I hope to inspire myself when I become sluggish in routine, anxious in tense moments and generally forget to live life as it is. I want to remind myself of something that carried me through happy days throughout Asia. "Sabai, sabai." The thai's say this very often and it has the effect of "everything in it's time." It simply means "ok, ok," but it is said with a cheerful manner that reminds the speaker and listener that nothing can truly be planned or perfect.
I spent the last 5 days of my trip on the island of Koh Chang. I told people i was going there to enjoy the sun and swim in the surf. Tell-tale events developed on my way down that proved I was wrong. Clouds rolled in and by the time I was on the ferry we were caught up in a heavy rain. The rain let up for about an hour, which was enough time for me to rent a motorcycle and make it to the far south west tip of the island. I wanted to get as far away from tourists as possible and simply enjoy my seclusion with the friendly Thai's I had come to love so much. When the rain started again it would end up lasting 4 days.
A record breaking monsoon hit my cliff side cottage nearly incessantly for 4 straight days. The hammock and 180* view of the ocean were rarely available. On that first night there I said to myself, "Sabai, sabai." As things unfolded I ended up reading some amazing books and writing what I consider to be some of my best writing. The few times the rain stopped I would rush outside into the wind to sit in my hammock and soak up the view. I cherished these moments as much as I cherished the time I spent alone with my thoughts. I feel if I had stuck rigidly to a "plan" then I would have found myself very disappointed.
This brought me to the thought that plans are good things, as long as I don't attach to the outcome. Do the best I can with what I have and accept that which transpires. This little sentence may seem trite but to me it has become a guiding light, as well as a good remedy to worry and stress. :-) I shall certainly see how it stand up to the western view of life as well.
The only other advise I have to myself is this :Listen, listen, listen. I can't stress enough how much I have learned by closing my mouth and opening my mind and ears. I would often say something off-handedly to a fellow traveler about local customs or dialects. I assumed they would laugh with me in comradery at the same experience. Instead I saw faces filled with astonishment and was often asked, "really? I never knew. How did you find that out?" So I admonish myself to listen as much as I'm able. Since I know myself well I will also put in an admonishment to be patient with myself. I am a talker after all. :-P
There are a million little stories I could write down about this trip and some i have. But I feel the most important story is the one I'm living. These experiences only have an affect (effect?) on me if I let the knowledge I've gained come out. How I was in Thailand or Veitnam matters very little compared to how I am this very moment. I could tell stories all day but they would be very pale if they had never truly grasped ahold of me. So, a final thought to myself in years to come:
Be who you are, always. Have compassion for all of the sentient creatures of this earth. Be sympathetic with others suffering. Share your love of life with all those around you. Be the person you respect. Don't forget to say "thank you."
Sabai, Sabai
Adam
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
How I went to renew my passport and was almost married in a hilltribe.
I would think that, normally, a trip to the border for a visa extension would be a small part of a larger story/blog. In fact the intended two day trip, beginning on Saturday, looked to be going that way. As I arrived last night at 8 pm I realized that this was a story in and of itself. The trip begins, as many have in the past month, in Chiang mai as i got on a scooter to head somewhere for the day off. Since I had to renew my visa, or incur the wrath of immigration at $10 a day per day, I was doing what many travelers do and heading to the northern tip of Thailand where the town of Mae Sai sits on the Mekong river across from Myanmar (Burma). I asked people around the gym if I should go through the standard route up the middle through Chiang Rai or up to the north and west past Mae Salong. Many people agreed it would be "safer" to go the standard, shorter route to Chiang Rai and then to Mae Sai.
So I set off through the short mountain pass towards Chiang Rai and really enjoyed the first hour. Green mountains, slowly winding curves, rivers and blue skies gave the promise of a great ride. After that the road ran out into open fields and small towns. While still very pleasant I felt that it was a bit mundane compared to Pai or even nearby Chiang Doa. I took my time and stopped in Chiang Rai in the afternoon for an amazing lunch of Penang Kum, curry with shrimp. Altogether the trip was around 270 km's and I arrived in Mae Sai at 4:45. Since all I had to do was walk across the border and back again for my re-entry stamp I figured I had plenty of time. Yet, as I drove up to immigrations a kind but stern guard asked me to return the next day at 8 am. I was initially discouraged but after 10 minutes with my guide book decided I would take the time to venture west in "The golden triangle."
The golden triangle lies 30 Km's west of Mae sai at a point where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet along the Mekong river. In the past this area was a massive producer of opium for sale throughout Asia. Now the area is a center for tourism since they have many hill tribes living in the area. "Hill tribes" is the common name given to all the groups of people who have migrated across the Thai border over the years. They come from Burma, which is now Myanmar, Laos, Tibet and China. Many migrate to avoid violence, persecution and discrimination. That evening I arrived in a small town called Chiang Saen and found a nice guest house. Even as early as 7 pm the town was closing up and it took me a while to find a place that would take the effort to fight through language barriers and feed me. I went to bed early with nothing to really do in town and to get ready for my drive the next day.
In the morning I left early and headed back to the golden triangle and then on to Mae Sai. Crossing the border wasn't to hard and pretty soon I was on the Myanmar side. They sell everything on that side at about half the cost of Thailand. This is great except I hadn't grabbed more money since I'd left Chiang Mai and I only had 1000 baht on me. There are no ATM's on that side of the Mekong I found out so I had to spend what I had and then leave. After grabbing a few more gifts on the Thai side it started raining and I had to wait it out. Now it was mid day and I still had the whole drive to Chiang mai left. I decided to head back a different way then i had come. I chose the less "safe" route towards Mae Salong that led through the high mountains near the Myanmar border. Here's where things got interesting.
Immediately after leaving the main high and going to the side roads I knew I'd chosen correctly. Towns were replaces with villages and highway replaced with little roads winding through the hills. The higher I climbed the better it became. Now I was riding through vast hillside terraces being worked by rural tribes people. I jumped off the state road and was soon traveling along even smaller tracks higher into the hills. The temperature dropped even more as I rode higher and it got even more beautiful. As I drove up a hill I saw a teak wood village hugging the steep hillside above. Each time I stopped to take a picture I would see more and more of this village spread out and realized I was heading towards it. I drove straight by the tiny entrance to the village the first time. As I was looking to turn around a man waved to me and I waved back. I passed him again as I went back to see the village and he yelled "Hallo!" I yelled back and drove on. I went down the hill through the village and quickly realized that I was a rare sight this high in the hills. Feeling a bit awkward, like an uninvited guest, I chose to leave. As i passed that guy for the third time he signaled me to stop.
I got off my bike and asked if he spoke English. He told me he spoke a little and we began to talk. I asked if this was an Ahka village and he looked surprised and said that it was a Yao village. He told me his people had come from china originally, which explained his name Ae Tong. I asked him if he would write his name in Chinese in my journal. He smiled broadly and said he would. He asked if I wanted his cell phone number, to which I replied yes. After he had written that he also wrote my name in Chinese. Then he said, "we are friends now!" "Of course!" I replied. I asked if he would show me the village and he told me to head down to a house he pointed at. He had to go collect bamboo and would be back shortly.
Within minutes I found myself sitting on a rustic teak wood porch amongst curious villagers. I just kept saying "Ae Tong, Ae Tong" so they would know why I was there. A man about my age came up and asked, in fair English, where I was from. Soon I found out that he studied in Chiang Rai in hopes of becoming a tourist guide. He told me he was form the mong people, out near Chiang Saen originally but had married a woman from this village. We talked for a while and he interpreted all the questions villagers had for me. The most common question was about my marital status. Every time I told the mothers I was unmarried they would go find their single daughters and bring them back to stand there with us. Soon i was surrounded by single tribeswomen and feeling a bit overwhelmed. Ae Tong arrived just in time to save me, announcing that we would be eating. The mothers left reluctantly and I have a feeling the young women left in a bit of a hurry. ;-P
As we ate Ae Tong invited me to stay the night with him and his family. I replied that I would love it and soon he asked if I liked Karaoke. Thinking back to the few times I'd done that with friends I replied that I did. He asked if I wanted to go with them to town to sing that night. He also mentioned that he was poor and could I pay for it. I was more than happy to since they were sharing so much with me and after dinner we left to go to "town" Town is a relative word depending on where you are. In this case town was an area that had one restaraunt next to a river and 5 houses nearby. Still, it had the prerequisite karaoke machine so all was set. Until i looked in the song book to find that the only songs they had in English were love songs from my parents generation. I kept trying to explain that I didn't know all the words to the songs, just the choruses, but they kept putting songs on and asking me to sing. We got more dinner and everyone had a great time, even me when i avoided singing. I found out something interesting though. All the songs they sang, perhaps all Thai songs in general, are about two subjects. Being in love with a person who feels the same or being in love with a person who doesn't. For three hours I watched videos showing that theme, ad nauseam, with only the actors changing. Still, for 10 people to sing, drink and eat for an evening it only cost me about $20.
We returned to the village whereupon I realized that the issue of where to sleep was coming up. First, though, i was taken to see where the bathroom was in case I needed it. We headed down to the basement where Ae Tong flipped on a light, then plugged in a cord next to a door, through that door down to a second basement where he open the latch out to stairs, then down the long flight of stairs under the open sky to the bathroom. I mention all of this as foreshadowing for later. We went back up and he opened a door in the upstairs leading into a 8X5 foot room with two sleeping palettes. He pointed to the left one and said that was mine, then said good night and flopped down on the one on the right. All this only after opening the wooden windows to let the night air and mosquito's in.
So there I am in a teak house in the mountains of Thailand, in a hill tribe village, next to a guy I've met hours before and the whole rest of the family a thin wall away from me in the only other room upstairs. That's when the monsoon started. I thought the roof would collapse under that much water to be honest. It was as loud as driving my scooter at full throttle into the wind. I'm from Seattle, so when i say this was a lot of rain I mean it's a lot! And then I realized I had to go to the bathroom. I'll let you re-read the description of how to get there if you want. Still, I was somehow alive by morning.
Ae Tong and I went to visit nearby Ahka people and to buy some Yao goods to bring home to friends. Then I left, after asking which way to Mae Salong. I went along mist shrouded roads that hugged the steep hillside up to Doi (mountain) Mae Salong. I arrived just as the rain came down and found myself sitting with three old women drinking tea. Through hand gestures and halting Thai I told them where I was going and where I'd come from and they offered me oolong tea. I gladly accepted since the temperature was now even colder due to mist and rain. After the rain let up I thanked them and began moving on towards Chiang mai. I thought I must be close after all the driving I'd done but as I left Doi Mae Salong I saw a sign informing me that Chiang Mai was 200 Km's away still. That didn't sound to horrible since I loved the scenery so much. Then it started raining again. And it rained for the next 4 hours.
I arrived home at 7Pm on Monday night after leaving the previous Saturday at 10 am. I had traveled 700 km's, which is just about 420 miles, in that time. I had learned a few things on the way as well. One thing I learned was the importance of the kinds of teachers we listen to. I feel there are four kinds of teachers: those who have done, those who have seen, those who have heard and those who listen to those who have heard. I had asked people which way to go at the beginning and the told me what they had heard from someone else who had heard it. If I had listened to them and gone the "safe" way both times I would never have had the adventure I did. I kept thinking of Robert Frost's "the road less traveled," and it truly did make all the difference. I realized that I must always look at where each of my teacher's get their information and to remember that every time I listen to a person they are a teacher to me right then.
The second thing I learned is that no matter how much you think you have seen and done you can still have massive moments of culture shock. Sitting in the village in the morning I suddenly went "Whoa! where the heck am I?" I watched as tiny children ran around their mothers legs playing and laughing in mixed Thai and Chinese. The mothers wore various items of Yao clothing that was unlike anything I'd seen before. They were going out to chop bamboo and work the fields nearby, all the while carrying there farm tools and wicker baskets. Next to me a tiny old man with a huge ear to ear grin was "waiing" (thai bow) to me and laughing. I wai'd back and looked back at the mist covered hillsides surrounding the village. Suddenly, i heard a chicken clucking and looked back to see the hold man contentedly holding the chicken in his lap and petting it with that same big smile. As I watched this my friends wife came up holding the phone to me saying merely, "sing." Forgetting that this was her husbands name, I thought she wanted an encore of last nights karaoke performance for a friend. As I talked with Sing, it hit me that i was having a moment of total culture shock.
Lastly, I saw more and more of the hearts of the Thai people. They had Jai Dii, open/ free/ sharing hearts. They gave me shelter and food for no other reason than to be kind. They didn't ask anything from me and were very, very grateful when i gave them anything. This spirit of kindness, openess and friendship was one I doubt I will ever forget. When I told this to my friend Bao he replied, "Man, that's like a real adventure!" I think it was.
Adam
So I set off through the short mountain pass towards Chiang Rai and really enjoyed the first hour. Green mountains, slowly winding curves, rivers and blue skies gave the promise of a great ride. After that the road ran out into open fields and small towns. While still very pleasant I felt that it was a bit mundane compared to Pai or even nearby Chiang Doa. I took my time and stopped in Chiang Rai in the afternoon for an amazing lunch of Penang Kum, curry with shrimp. Altogether the trip was around 270 km's and I arrived in Mae Sai at 4:45. Since all I had to do was walk across the border and back again for my re-entry stamp I figured I had plenty of time. Yet, as I drove up to immigrations a kind but stern guard asked me to return the next day at 8 am. I was initially discouraged but after 10 minutes with my guide book decided I would take the time to venture west in "The golden triangle."
The golden triangle lies 30 Km's west of Mae sai at a point where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet along the Mekong river. In the past this area was a massive producer of opium for sale throughout Asia. Now the area is a center for tourism since they have many hill tribes living in the area. "Hill tribes" is the common name given to all the groups of people who have migrated across the Thai border over the years. They come from Burma, which is now Myanmar, Laos, Tibet and China. Many migrate to avoid violence, persecution and discrimination. That evening I arrived in a small town called Chiang Saen and found a nice guest house. Even as early as 7 pm the town was closing up and it took me a while to find a place that would take the effort to fight through language barriers and feed me. I went to bed early with nothing to really do in town and to get ready for my drive the next day.
In the morning I left early and headed back to the golden triangle and then on to Mae Sai. Crossing the border wasn't to hard and pretty soon I was on the Myanmar side. They sell everything on that side at about half the cost of Thailand. This is great except I hadn't grabbed more money since I'd left Chiang Mai and I only had 1000 baht on me. There are no ATM's on that side of the Mekong I found out so I had to spend what I had and then leave. After grabbing a few more gifts on the Thai side it started raining and I had to wait it out. Now it was mid day and I still had the whole drive to Chiang mai left. I decided to head back a different way then i had come. I chose the less "safe" route towards Mae Salong that led through the high mountains near the Myanmar border. Here's where things got interesting.
Immediately after leaving the main high and going to the side roads I knew I'd chosen correctly. Towns were replaces with villages and highway replaced with little roads winding through the hills. The higher I climbed the better it became. Now I was riding through vast hillside terraces being worked by rural tribes people. I jumped off the state road and was soon traveling along even smaller tracks higher into the hills. The temperature dropped even more as I rode higher and it got even more beautiful. As I drove up a hill I saw a teak wood village hugging the steep hillside above. Each time I stopped to take a picture I would see more and more of this village spread out and realized I was heading towards it. I drove straight by the tiny entrance to the village the first time. As I was looking to turn around a man waved to me and I waved back. I passed him again as I went back to see the village and he yelled "Hallo!" I yelled back and drove on. I went down the hill through the village and quickly realized that I was a rare sight this high in the hills. Feeling a bit awkward, like an uninvited guest, I chose to leave. As i passed that guy for the third time he signaled me to stop.
I got off my bike and asked if he spoke English. He told me he spoke a little and we began to talk. I asked if this was an Ahka village and he looked surprised and said that it was a Yao village. He told me his people had come from china originally, which explained his name Ae Tong. I asked him if he would write his name in Chinese in my journal. He smiled broadly and said he would. He asked if I wanted his cell phone number, to which I replied yes. After he had written that he also wrote my name in Chinese. Then he said, "we are friends now!" "Of course!" I replied. I asked if he would show me the village and he told me to head down to a house he pointed at. He had to go collect bamboo and would be back shortly.
Within minutes I found myself sitting on a rustic teak wood porch amongst curious villagers. I just kept saying "Ae Tong, Ae Tong" so they would know why I was there. A man about my age came up and asked, in fair English, where I was from. Soon I found out that he studied in Chiang Rai in hopes of becoming a tourist guide. He told me he was form the mong people, out near Chiang Saen originally but had married a woman from this village. We talked for a while and he interpreted all the questions villagers had for me. The most common question was about my marital status. Every time I told the mothers I was unmarried they would go find their single daughters and bring them back to stand there with us. Soon i was surrounded by single tribeswomen and feeling a bit overwhelmed. Ae Tong arrived just in time to save me, announcing that we would be eating. The mothers left reluctantly and I have a feeling the young women left in a bit of a hurry. ;-P
As we ate Ae Tong invited me to stay the night with him and his family. I replied that I would love it and soon he asked if I liked Karaoke. Thinking back to the few times I'd done that with friends I replied that I did. He asked if I wanted to go with them to town to sing that night. He also mentioned that he was poor and could I pay for it. I was more than happy to since they were sharing so much with me and after dinner we left to go to "town" Town is a relative word depending on where you are. In this case town was an area that had one restaraunt next to a river and 5 houses nearby. Still, it had the prerequisite karaoke machine so all was set. Until i looked in the song book to find that the only songs they had in English were love songs from my parents generation. I kept trying to explain that I didn't know all the words to the songs, just the choruses, but they kept putting songs on and asking me to sing. We got more dinner and everyone had a great time, even me when i avoided singing. I found out something interesting though. All the songs they sang, perhaps all Thai songs in general, are about two subjects. Being in love with a person who feels the same or being in love with a person who doesn't. For three hours I watched videos showing that theme, ad nauseam, with only the actors changing. Still, for 10 people to sing, drink and eat for an evening it only cost me about $20.
We returned to the village whereupon I realized that the issue of where to sleep was coming up. First, though, i was taken to see where the bathroom was in case I needed it. We headed down to the basement where Ae Tong flipped on a light, then plugged in a cord next to a door, through that door down to a second basement where he open the latch out to stairs, then down the long flight of stairs under the open sky to the bathroom. I mention all of this as foreshadowing for later. We went back up and he opened a door in the upstairs leading into a 8X5 foot room with two sleeping palettes. He pointed to the left one and said that was mine, then said good night and flopped down on the one on the right. All this only after opening the wooden windows to let the night air and mosquito's in.
So there I am in a teak house in the mountains of Thailand, in a hill tribe village, next to a guy I've met hours before and the whole rest of the family a thin wall away from me in the only other room upstairs. That's when the monsoon started. I thought the roof would collapse under that much water to be honest. It was as loud as driving my scooter at full throttle into the wind. I'm from Seattle, so when i say this was a lot of rain I mean it's a lot! And then I realized I had to go to the bathroom. I'll let you re-read the description of how to get there if you want. Still, I was somehow alive by morning.
Ae Tong and I went to visit nearby Ahka people and to buy some Yao goods to bring home to friends. Then I left, after asking which way to Mae Salong. I went along mist shrouded roads that hugged the steep hillside up to Doi (mountain) Mae Salong. I arrived just as the rain came down and found myself sitting with three old women drinking tea. Through hand gestures and halting Thai I told them where I was going and where I'd come from and they offered me oolong tea. I gladly accepted since the temperature was now even colder due to mist and rain. After the rain let up I thanked them and began moving on towards Chiang mai. I thought I must be close after all the driving I'd done but as I left Doi Mae Salong I saw a sign informing me that Chiang Mai was 200 Km's away still. That didn't sound to horrible since I loved the scenery so much. Then it started raining again. And it rained for the next 4 hours.
I arrived home at 7Pm on Monday night after leaving the previous Saturday at 10 am. I had traveled 700 km's, which is just about 420 miles, in that time. I had learned a few things on the way as well. One thing I learned was the importance of the kinds of teachers we listen to. I feel there are four kinds of teachers: those who have done, those who have seen, those who have heard and those who listen to those who have heard. I had asked people which way to go at the beginning and the told me what they had heard from someone else who had heard it. If I had listened to them and gone the "safe" way both times I would never have had the adventure I did. I kept thinking of Robert Frost's "the road less traveled," and it truly did make all the difference. I realized that I must always look at where each of my teacher's get their information and to remember that every time I listen to a person they are a teacher to me right then.
The second thing I learned is that no matter how much you think you have seen and done you can still have massive moments of culture shock. Sitting in the village in the morning I suddenly went "Whoa! where the heck am I?" I watched as tiny children ran around their mothers legs playing and laughing in mixed Thai and Chinese. The mothers wore various items of Yao clothing that was unlike anything I'd seen before. They were going out to chop bamboo and work the fields nearby, all the while carrying there farm tools and wicker baskets. Next to me a tiny old man with a huge ear to ear grin was "waiing" (thai bow) to me and laughing. I wai'd back and looked back at the mist covered hillsides surrounding the village. Suddenly, i heard a chicken clucking and looked back to see the hold man contentedly holding the chicken in his lap and petting it with that same big smile. As I watched this my friends wife came up holding the phone to me saying merely, "sing." Forgetting that this was her husbands name, I thought she wanted an encore of last nights karaoke performance for a friend. As I talked with Sing, it hit me that i was having a moment of total culture shock.
Lastly, I saw more and more of the hearts of the Thai people. They had Jai Dii, open/ free/ sharing hearts. They gave me shelter and food for no other reason than to be kind. They didn't ask anything from me and were very, very grateful when i gave them anything. This spirit of kindness, openess and friendship was one I doubt I will ever forget. When I told this to my friend Bao he replied, "Man, that's like a real adventure!" I think it was.
Adam
Monday, September 1, 2008
How I went to renew my passport and was almost married in a hilltribe.
I would think that, normally, a trip to the border for a visa extension would be a small part of a larger story/blog. In fact the intended two day trip, beginning on Saturday, looked to be going that way. As I arrived last night at 8 pm I realized that this was a story in and of itself. The trip begins, as many have in the past month, in Chiang mai as i got on a scooter to head somewhere for the day off. Since I had to renew my visa, or incur the wrath of imagration at $10 a day per day, I was doing what many travelers do and heading to the northern tip of thailand where the town of Mae Sai sits on the Mekong river across from Mynamar (Burma). I asked people around the gym if I should go through the standard route up the middle through chiang rai or up to the north and west past Mae Salong. Many people agreed it would be "safer" to go the standard, shorter route to chiang rai and then to Mae Sai.
So I set off through the short mountain pass towards Chiang Rai and really enjoyed the first hour. Green mountains, slowly winding curves, rivers and blue skies gave the promise of a great ride. After that the road ran out into open fields and small towns. While still very pleasant I felt that it was a bit mundane compared to Pai or even nearby Chiang Doa. I took my time and stopped in Chiang Rai in the afternoon for an amazing lunch of Penang Kum, curry with shrimp. Altogether the trip was around 270 km's and I arrived in Mae Sai at 4:45. Since all I had to do was walk across the border and back again for my re-entry stamp I figured I had plenty of time. Yet, as I drove up to immagrations a kind but stern guard asked me to return the next day at 8 am. I was initially discouraged but after 10 minutes with my guide book decided I would take the time to venture west in "The golden triangle."
The golden triangle lies 30 Km's west of Mae sai at a point where Thailand, Myanamar and Laos meet along the Mekong river. In the past this area was a massive producer of opium for sale through out asia. Now the area is a center for tourism since they have many hilltribes living in the area. "Hilltribes" is the comman name given to all the groups of people who have migrated across the thai border over the years. They come from Burma, which is now Myanamar, Laos, Tibet and China. Many migrate to avoid violence, persecution and discrimination. That evening I arrived in a small town called Chiang Saen and found a nice guest house. Even as early as 7 pm the town was closing up and it took me a while to find a place that would take the effort to fight through language barriers and feed me. I went to bed early with nothing to really do in town and to get ready for my drive the next day.
In the morning I left early and headed back to the golden triangle and then on to mae sai. Crossing the border wasn't to hard and pretty soon I was on the Myanamar side. They sell everything on that side at about half the cost of thailand. This is great except I hadn't grabbed more money since I'd left Chiang Mai and I only had 1000 baht on me. There are no ATM's on that side of the Mekong I found out so I had to spend what I had and then leave. After grabbing a few more gifts on the thai side it started raining and I had to wait it out. Now it was mid day and I still had the whole drive to Chiang mai left. I decided to head back a different way then i had come. I chose the less "safe" route towards Mae Salong that led through the high mountains near the Myanamar border. Here's where things got interesting.
Immeadeatily after leaving the main high and going to the side roads I knew I'd chosen correctly. Towns were replaces with villages and highway replaced with little roads winding through the hills. The higher I climbed the better it became. Now I was riding through vast hillside terraces being worked by rural tribespeople. I jumped off the state road and was soon traveling along even smaller tracks higher into the hills. The temperature dropped even more as I rode higher and it got even more beautiful. As I drove up a hill I saw a teak wood vilalge hugging the steep hillside above. Each time I stopped to take a picture I would see more and more of this village spread out and realized I was heading towards it. I drove straight by the tiny enterance to the village the first time. As I was looking to turn around a man waved to me and I waved back. I passed him again as I went back to see the village and he yelled "Hallo!" I yelled back and drove on. I went down the hill through the village and quickly realized that I was a rare sight this high in the hills. Feeling a bit ackward, like an univited guest, I chose to leave. As i passed that guy for the third time he signled me to stop.
I got off my bike and asked if he spoke english. He told me he spoke a little and we began to talk. I asked if this was an Ahka village and he looked suprised and said that it was a Yao village. He told me his people had come from china originally, which explained his name Ae Tong. I asked him if he would write his name in chinese in my journal. He smiled broadly and said he would. He asked if I wanted his cell phone number, to which I replied yes. After he had written that he also wrote my name in chinese. Then he said, "we are friends now!" "Of course!" I replied. I asked if he would show me the village and he told me to head down to a house he pointed at. He had to go collect bamboo and would be back shortly.
Within minutes I found myself sitting on a rustic teak wood porch amongst curious villagers. I just kept saying "Ae Tong, Ae Tong" so they would know why I was there. A man about my age came up and asked, in fair english, where I was from. Soon I found out that he studied in Chiang Rai in hopes of becoming a tourist guide. He told me he was form the mong people, out near Chiang Saen originally but had married a woman from this village. We talked for a while and he interpretted all the questions villagers had for me. The most common question was about my marital status. Every time I told the mothers I was unmarried they would go find their single daughters and bring them back to stand there with us. Soon i was surrounded by single tribeswomen and feeling a bit overwhelmed. Ae Tong arrived just in time to save me, announcing that we would be eating. The mothers left reluctantly and I have a feeling the young women left in a bit of a hurry. ;-P
As we ate Ae Tong invited me to stay the night with him and his family. I replied that I would love it and soon he asked if I liked Karaoke. Thinking back to the few times I'd done that with friends I replied that I did. He asked if I wanted to go with them to town to sing that night. He also mentioned that he was poor and could I pay for it. I was more than happy to since they were sharing so much with me and after dinner we left to go to "town" Town is a relative word depending on where you are. In this case town was an area that had one restraunt next to a river and 5 houses nearby. Still, it had the prerequisite karaoke machine so all was set. Until i looked in the song book to find that the only songs they had in english were love songs from my parents generation. I kept trying to explain that I didn't know all the words to the songs, just the choruses, but they kept putting songs on and asking me to sing. We got more dinner and everyone had a great time, even me when i avoided singing. I found out something interesting though. All the songs they sang, perhaps all thai songs in general, are about two subjects. Being in love with a person who feels the same or being in love with a person who doesn't. For three hours I watched videos showing that theme, ad nauseam, with only the actors changing. Still, for 10 people to sing, drink and eat for an evening it only cost me about $20.
We returned to the village whereupon I realized that the issue of where to sleep was coming up. First, though, i was taken to see where the bathroom was in case I needed it. We headed down to the basement where Ae Tong flipped on a light, then plugged in a cord next to a door, through that door down to a second basement where he open the latch out to stairs, then down the long flight of stairs under the open sky to the bathroom. I mention all of this as foreshadowing for later. We went back up and he opened a door in the upstairs leading into a 8X5 foot room with two sleeping pallettes. He pointed to the left one and saif that was mine, then said good night and flopped down on the one on the right. All this only after opening the wooden windows to let the night air and misquitos in.
So there I am in a teak house in the mountains of thailand, in a hilltribe village, next to a guy I've met hours before and the whole rest of the family a thin wall away from me in the only other room upstairs. That's when the monsoon started. I thought the roof would collapse under that much water to be honest. It was as loud as driving my scooter at full throttle into the wind. I'm from seattle, so when i say this was a lot of rain I mean it's a lot! And then I realized I had to go to the bathroom. I'll let you re-read the description of how to get there if you want. Still, I was somehow alive by morning.
Ae Tong and I went to visit nearby Ahka people and to buy some Yao goods to bring home to friends. Then I left, after asking which way to mae salong. I went along mist shrouded roads that hugged the steep hillside up to Doi (mountain) Mae Salong. I arrived just as the rain came down and found myself sitting with three old women drinking tea. Through hand gestures and halting thai I told them where I was going and where I'd come from and they offered me oolong tea. I gladly accepted since the temperatuare was now even colder due to mist and rain. After the rain let up I thanked them and began moving on towards Chiang mai. I thought I must be close after all the driving I'd done but as I left Doi Mae Salong I saw a sign informing me that Chiang Mai was 200 Km's away still. That didn't sound to horrible since I loved the scenery so much. Then it started raining again. And it rained for the next 4 hours.
I arrived home at 7Pm on Monday night after leaving the previous saturday at 10 am. I had traveled 700 km's, which is just about 420 miles, in that time. I had learned a few things on the way as well. One thing I learned was the importance of the kinds of teachers we listen to. I feel there are four kinds of teachers: those who have done, those who have seen, those who have heard and those who listen to those who have heard. I had asked people which way to go at the beginning and the told me what they had heard from someone else who had heard it. If I had listened to them and gone the "safe" way both times I would never have had the adventure I did. I kept thinking of Robert Frost's "the road less traveled," and it truly did make all the difference. I realized that I must always look at where each of my teacher's get their information and to remember that every time I listen to a person they are a teacher to me right then.
The second thing I learned is that no matter how much you think you have seen and done you can still have massive moments of culture shock. Sitting in the village in the morning I suddenly went "Whoa! where the heck am I?" I watched as tiny children ran around their mothers legs playing and laughing in mixed Thai and chinese. The mothers wore various items of Yao clothing that was unlike anything I'd seen before. They were going out to chop bamboo and work the feilds nearby, all the while carrying there farm tools and wicker baskets. Next to me a tiny old man with a huge ear to ear grin was "waiing" (thai bow) to me and laughing. I wai'd back and looked back at the mist covered hillsides surrounding the village. Suddenly, i heard a chicken clucking and looked back to see the hold man contendly holding the chicken in his lap and petting it with that smae big smile. As I watched this my friends wife came up holding the phone to me saying merely, "sing." Forgetting that this was her husbands name, I thought she wanted an encore of last nights karaoke performance for a friend. As I talked with Sing, it hit me that i was having a moment of total culture shock.
Lastly, I saw more and more of the hearts of the Thai people. They had Jai Dii, open/ free/ sharing hearts. They gave me shelter and food for no other reason than to be kind. They didn't ask anything from me and were very, very grateful when i gave them anything. This spirit of kindness, openess and friendship was one I doubt I will ever forget. When I told this to my friend Bao he replied, "Man, that's like a real adventure!" I think it was.
Adam
So I set off through the short mountain pass towards Chiang Rai and really enjoyed the first hour. Green mountains, slowly winding curves, rivers and blue skies gave the promise of a great ride. After that the road ran out into open fields and small towns. While still very pleasant I felt that it was a bit mundane compared to Pai or even nearby Chiang Doa. I took my time and stopped in Chiang Rai in the afternoon for an amazing lunch of Penang Kum, curry with shrimp. Altogether the trip was around 270 km's and I arrived in Mae Sai at 4:45. Since all I had to do was walk across the border and back again for my re-entry stamp I figured I had plenty of time. Yet, as I drove up to immagrations a kind but stern guard asked me to return the next day at 8 am. I was initially discouraged but after 10 minutes with my guide book decided I would take the time to venture west in "The golden triangle."
The golden triangle lies 30 Km's west of Mae sai at a point where Thailand, Myanamar and Laos meet along the Mekong river. In the past this area was a massive producer of opium for sale through out asia. Now the area is a center for tourism since they have many hilltribes living in the area. "Hilltribes" is the comman name given to all the groups of people who have migrated across the thai border over the years. They come from Burma, which is now Myanamar, Laos, Tibet and China. Many migrate to avoid violence, persecution and discrimination. That evening I arrived in a small town called Chiang Saen and found a nice guest house. Even as early as 7 pm the town was closing up and it took me a while to find a place that would take the effort to fight through language barriers and feed me. I went to bed early with nothing to really do in town and to get ready for my drive the next day.
In the morning I left early and headed back to the golden triangle and then on to mae sai. Crossing the border wasn't to hard and pretty soon I was on the Myanamar side. They sell everything on that side at about half the cost of thailand. This is great except I hadn't grabbed more money since I'd left Chiang Mai and I only had 1000 baht on me. There are no ATM's on that side of the Mekong I found out so I had to spend what I had and then leave. After grabbing a few more gifts on the thai side it started raining and I had to wait it out. Now it was mid day and I still had the whole drive to Chiang mai left. I decided to head back a different way then i had come. I chose the less "safe" route towards Mae Salong that led through the high mountains near the Myanamar border. Here's where things got interesting.
Immeadeatily after leaving the main high and going to the side roads I knew I'd chosen correctly. Towns were replaces with villages and highway replaced with little roads winding through the hills. The higher I climbed the better it became. Now I was riding through vast hillside terraces being worked by rural tribespeople. I jumped off the state road and was soon traveling along even smaller tracks higher into the hills. The temperature dropped even more as I rode higher and it got even more beautiful. As I drove up a hill I saw a teak wood vilalge hugging the steep hillside above. Each time I stopped to take a picture I would see more and more of this village spread out and realized I was heading towards it. I drove straight by the tiny enterance to the village the first time. As I was looking to turn around a man waved to me and I waved back. I passed him again as I went back to see the village and he yelled "Hallo!" I yelled back and drove on. I went down the hill through the village and quickly realized that I was a rare sight this high in the hills. Feeling a bit ackward, like an univited guest, I chose to leave. As i passed that guy for the third time he signled me to stop.
I got off my bike and asked if he spoke english. He told me he spoke a little and we began to talk. I asked if this was an Ahka village and he looked suprised and said that it was a Yao village. He told me his people had come from china originally, which explained his name Ae Tong. I asked him if he would write his name in chinese in my journal. He smiled broadly and said he would. He asked if I wanted his cell phone number, to which I replied yes. After he had written that he also wrote my name in chinese. Then he said, "we are friends now!" "Of course!" I replied. I asked if he would show me the village and he told me to head down to a house he pointed at. He had to go collect bamboo and would be back shortly.
Within minutes I found myself sitting on a rustic teak wood porch amongst curious villagers. I just kept saying "Ae Tong, Ae Tong" so they would know why I was there. A man about my age came up and asked, in fair english, where I was from. Soon I found out that he studied in Chiang Rai in hopes of becoming a tourist guide. He told me he was form the mong people, out near Chiang Saen originally but had married a woman from this village. We talked for a while and he interpretted all the questions villagers had for me. The most common question was about my marital status. Every time I told the mothers I was unmarried they would go find their single daughters and bring them back to stand there with us. Soon i was surrounded by single tribeswomen and feeling a bit overwhelmed. Ae Tong arrived just in time to save me, announcing that we would be eating. The mothers left reluctantly and I have a feeling the young women left in a bit of a hurry. ;-P
As we ate Ae Tong invited me to stay the night with him and his family. I replied that I would love it and soon he asked if I liked Karaoke. Thinking back to the few times I'd done that with friends I replied that I did. He asked if I wanted to go with them to town to sing that night. He also mentioned that he was poor and could I pay for it. I was more than happy to since they were sharing so much with me and after dinner we left to go to "town" Town is a relative word depending on where you are. In this case town was an area that had one restraunt next to a river and 5 houses nearby. Still, it had the prerequisite karaoke machine so all was set. Until i looked in the song book to find that the only songs they had in english were love songs from my parents generation. I kept trying to explain that I didn't know all the words to the songs, just the choruses, but they kept putting songs on and asking me to sing. We got more dinner and everyone had a great time, even me when i avoided singing. I found out something interesting though. All the songs they sang, perhaps all thai songs in general, are about two subjects. Being in love with a person who feels the same or being in love with a person who doesn't. For three hours I watched videos showing that theme, ad nauseam, with only the actors changing. Still, for 10 people to sing, drink and eat for an evening it only cost me about $20.
We returned to the village whereupon I realized that the issue of where to sleep was coming up. First, though, i was taken to see where the bathroom was in case I needed it. We headed down to the basement where Ae Tong flipped on a light, then plugged in a cord next to a door, through that door down to a second basement where he open the latch out to stairs, then down the long flight of stairs under the open sky to the bathroom. I mention all of this as foreshadowing for later. We went back up and he opened a door in the upstairs leading into a 8X5 foot room with two sleeping pallettes. He pointed to the left one and saif that was mine, then said good night and flopped down on the one on the right. All this only after opening the wooden windows to let the night air and misquitos in.
So there I am in a teak house in the mountains of thailand, in a hilltribe village, next to a guy I've met hours before and the whole rest of the family a thin wall away from me in the only other room upstairs. That's when the monsoon started. I thought the roof would collapse under that much water to be honest. It was as loud as driving my scooter at full throttle into the wind. I'm from seattle, so when i say this was a lot of rain I mean it's a lot! And then I realized I had to go to the bathroom. I'll let you re-read the description of how to get there if you want. Still, I was somehow alive by morning.
Ae Tong and I went to visit nearby Ahka people and to buy some Yao goods to bring home to friends. Then I left, after asking which way to mae salong. I went along mist shrouded roads that hugged the steep hillside up to Doi (mountain) Mae Salong. I arrived just as the rain came down and found myself sitting with three old women drinking tea. Through hand gestures and halting thai I told them where I was going and where I'd come from and they offered me oolong tea. I gladly accepted since the temperatuare was now even colder due to mist and rain. After the rain let up I thanked them and began moving on towards Chiang mai. I thought I must be close after all the driving I'd done but as I left Doi Mae Salong I saw a sign informing me that Chiang Mai was 200 Km's away still. That didn't sound to horrible since I loved the scenery so much. Then it started raining again. And it rained for the next 4 hours.
I arrived home at 7Pm on Monday night after leaving the previous saturday at 10 am. I had traveled 700 km's, which is just about 420 miles, in that time. I had learned a few things on the way as well. One thing I learned was the importance of the kinds of teachers we listen to. I feel there are four kinds of teachers: those who have done, those who have seen, those who have heard and those who listen to those who have heard. I had asked people which way to go at the beginning and the told me what they had heard from someone else who had heard it. If I had listened to them and gone the "safe" way both times I would never have had the adventure I did. I kept thinking of Robert Frost's "the road less traveled," and it truly did make all the difference. I realized that I must always look at where each of my teacher's get their information and to remember that every time I listen to a person they are a teacher to me right then.
The second thing I learned is that no matter how much you think you have seen and done you can still have massive moments of culture shock. Sitting in the village in the morning I suddenly went "Whoa! where the heck am I?" I watched as tiny children ran around their mothers legs playing and laughing in mixed Thai and chinese. The mothers wore various items of Yao clothing that was unlike anything I'd seen before. They were going out to chop bamboo and work the feilds nearby, all the while carrying there farm tools and wicker baskets. Next to me a tiny old man with a huge ear to ear grin was "waiing" (thai bow) to me and laughing. I wai'd back and looked back at the mist covered hillsides surrounding the village. Suddenly, i heard a chicken clucking and looked back to see the hold man contendly holding the chicken in his lap and petting it with that smae big smile. As I watched this my friends wife came up holding the phone to me saying merely, "sing." Forgetting that this was her husbands name, I thought she wanted an encore of last nights karaoke performance for a friend. As I talked with Sing, it hit me that i was having a moment of total culture shock.
Lastly, I saw more and more of the hearts of the Thai people. They had Jai Dii, open/ free/ sharing hearts. They gave me shelter and food for no other reason than to be kind. They didn't ask anything from me and were very, very grateful when i gave them anything. This spirit of kindness, openess and friendship was one I doubt I will ever forget. When I told this to my friend Bao he replied, "Man, that's like a real adventure!" I think it was.
Adam
Friday, August 29, 2008
The real journey has only begun
I realize that for most of this trip I have viewed this blog as a "travelogue." It was a journal of my outward experiences. As I reached a new place I described what I saw and how I felt about what I was experiencing. Now, being stationary in Chiang mai I have not seen many new things so i chose not to describe the experience I was having. What i have experienced here is not an external journey but an internal one. Sitting in contemplation has led me to experience that which comes from within me, or more precisely that which resides within me. With very few external experiences I have instead faced aspects and truths about myself on a daily, hourly and even minute by minute basis.
In reading the teachings of the Buddha I have come to understand the reality of "the hungry ghost." This is the part of me, and every person if you choose to beleive the Buddha, that desires ever more and more but can never be truly satisfied. Coming from a culture that tends to present me with the idea that "more is better," I never truly faced the reality of this ghost. Through daily meditation focused on mindfulness I have begun to grasp the reality of this ghost in my life. I have looked at that which I desire and realized that there could never truly be an end to those desires. Instead I have begun to learn to acknowledge these desires, accepting them as part of my natural self, and to simply let them be. No attempts to control them or satiate them, simply being aware of their presences and then practicing letting go of my desire to fulfill them.
Now I find myself in a constant state of relaxed acceptance. I can't begin to explain my personal experience of watching a desire or emotion come up, acknowledging it and then letting go. I still find myself amazed and a bit sceptical. How could i have always had this capacity for peaceful living and never truly found a way to experience it in my daily life? I am in constant thankfulness that I have begun to feel this lightness of being, slowly becoming free of so many jumbled, incessant thoughts.
During my trip it was often a ritual that I would arrive in a town and find a nice watering hole to get a beer and make friends. In fact one of the main pass times of travelers I found is drinking, especially (but not exclusively) among the younger generation. Yet since I have arrived in Chiang mai I have not had a drop of alcohol. This too has been a new experience on my journey. I chose to do this initially for my training, seeing alcohol as unneccesary and harmful to what I arrived here for. Now, more and more, I find that the urge to drink is reduced or nearly gone by simply allowing myself to be in the moment and experience what is really happening without clouding it with an intoxicant.
I don't write all of this to sound like i have all the answers, in fact I probably still have a million more questions compared to any answers. I write this to share what has transpired for me internally on this leg of my journey. Even my muay thai training has become secondary to the experience of just being. In fact, I find it easier to practice every day with this new found awareness. Before I might be tempted to compare myself to the others training at the gym or imagining what I was "supposed" to be experiencing or accomplishing. Now I am content to experience what is actually happening at the moment it is happening. I can listen to my body so much clearer without the constant drone of my own thoughts, desires, fears and ambitions. I find myself much more capable of enjoying, accepting and being part of the amazing experience I've been having.
Which leads me to a thought about what I have been experiencing at the gym. First, I have learned that a key element, if not the key element, of Muay thai is a strong body. I've learned a few new things technically speaking, developed a more balanced stance and so forth. What I've really learned is the simple fact that these kick boxers are is great shape! Of course there is strategy involved and little tricks to pick up but most of all the true power of muay thai comes from developing a body that is strong in all aspects. Developing strong muscles is only a part of this training. Flexibility, endurance, speed and rythm are equally developed, if not more so. I've really come to enjoy simply working out on a daily basis, something I often forgot or chose not to do in the past. The time at this gym has re-awakened a part of me that simply enjoys the act of developing myself as a whole person. Combine with that the new awareness I have gained internally and I think it's safe to say, "I will not be the same person I was when I left." Which, by the way, feels like a lifetime ago. In some ways, it may have been a different life.
On a different note, I am very excited for the next two days. I have to get my visa renewed before the 3rd of september or I will get a 500 baht($15) fine for every day I go over. In thailand that means you have to leave the country, get an exit visa, get stamped on the other border and return. Once at the border it only takes about 10 minutes. The problem most people have is getting to the border. Many people, even as far south as Bangkok, go to the town of Mae sai which is the farthest northern town in thailand. This border town sits across a small bridge from the Burmese border and only a few kilometers from the Golden triangle, where Thailand, Burma and Laos meet. From Chiang mai it is about 300 kilometers (180 miles) to Mae sai. I looked on a map and read a few reveiws that talk about driving a motorbike to this town. I've decided to take the Saturday and Sunday to go to Mae sai by motorbike. The ride will take me through mountain passes and small villages that rarely see tourists. Having come to love the experience of driving on Thai roads I look forward to this journey like you wouldn't believe. I will do in 2 days what I did in vietnam in four, so I might be a bit sore but no worse for ware.
Writing this post has been a new experience for me as well. I'm not ussually one to talk about what truly goes inside my head or heart with just anyone. Writing this has left me feeling very exposed yet I feel I have only spoken the truth and this knowledge makes the act much easier. Again, thank all of you who read this and have traveled with me through my journey. I am so thankful to be surrounded by all of the amazing people I am gifted to know. I cherish my loving family, friends, teachers and students. This journey has showed me what a gift it is to simply be around so many people of such great quality. Wish me luck on this last little leg of my journey and I'll post again soon, whether or not I've "done" anything. :-P
Namaste,
Adam
In reading the teachings of the Buddha I have come to understand the reality of "the hungry ghost." This is the part of me, and every person if you choose to beleive the Buddha, that desires ever more and more but can never be truly satisfied. Coming from a culture that tends to present me with the idea that "more is better," I never truly faced the reality of this ghost. Through daily meditation focused on mindfulness I have begun to grasp the reality of this ghost in my life. I have looked at that which I desire and realized that there could never truly be an end to those desires. Instead I have begun to learn to acknowledge these desires, accepting them as part of my natural self, and to simply let them be. No attempts to control them or satiate them, simply being aware of their presences and then practicing letting go of my desire to fulfill them.
Now I find myself in a constant state of relaxed acceptance. I can't begin to explain my personal experience of watching a desire or emotion come up, acknowledging it and then letting go. I still find myself amazed and a bit sceptical. How could i have always had this capacity for peaceful living and never truly found a way to experience it in my daily life? I am in constant thankfulness that I have begun to feel this lightness of being, slowly becoming free of so many jumbled, incessant thoughts.
During my trip it was often a ritual that I would arrive in a town and find a nice watering hole to get a beer and make friends. In fact one of the main pass times of travelers I found is drinking, especially (but not exclusively) among the younger generation. Yet since I have arrived in Chiang mai I have not had a drop of alcohol. This too has been a new experience on my journey. I chose to do this initially for my training, seeing alcohol as unneccesary and harmful to what I arrived here for. Now, more and more, I find that the urge to drink is reduced or nearly gone by simply allowing myself to be in the moment and experience what is really happening without clouding it with an intoxicant.
I don't write all of this to sound like i have all the answers, in fact I probably still have a million more questions compared to any answers. I write this to share what has transpired for me internally on this leg of my journey. Even my muay thai training has become secondary to the experience of just being. In fact, I find it easier to practice every day with this new found awareness. Before I might be tempted to compare myself to the others training at the gym or imagining what I was "supposed" to be experiencing or accomplishing. Now I am content to experience what is actually happening at the moment it is happening. I can listen to my body so much clearer without the constant drone of my own thoughts, desires, fears and ambitions. I find myself much more capable of enjoying, accepting and being part of the amazing experience I've been having.
Which leads me to a thought about what I have been experiencing at the gym. First, I have learned that a key element, if not the key element, of Muay thai is a strong body. I've learned a few new things technically speaking, developed a more balanced stance and so forth. What I've really learned is the simple fact that these kick boxers are is great shape! Of course there is strategy involved and little tricks to pick up but most of all the true power of muay thai comes from developing a body that is strong in all aspects. Developing strong muscles is only a part of this training. Flexibility, endurance, speed and rythm are equally developed, if not more so. I've really come to enjoy simply working out on a daily basis, something I often forgot or chose not to do in the past. The time at this gym has re-awakened a part of me that simply enjoys the act of developing myself as a whole person. Combine with that the new awareness I have gained internally and I think it's safe to say, "I will not be the same person I was when I left." Which, by the way, feels like a lifetime ago. In some ways, it may have been a different life.
On a different note, I am very excited for the next two days. I have to get my visa renewed before the 3rd of september or I will get a 500 baht($15) fine for every day I go over. In thailand that means you have to leave the country, get an exit visa, get stamped on the other border and return. Once at the border it only takes about 10 minutes. The problem most people have is getting to the border. Many people, even as far south as Bangkok, go to the town of Mae sai which is the farthest northern town in thailand. This border town sits across a small bridge from the Burmese border and only a few kilometers from the Golden triangle, where Thailand, Burma and Laos meet. From Chiang mai it is about 300 kilometers (180 miles) to Mae sai. I looked on a map and read a few reveiws that talk about driving a motorbike to this town. I've decided to take the Saturday and Sunday to go to Mae sai by motorbike. The ride will take me through mountain passes and small villages that rarely see tourists. Having come to love the experience of driving on Thai roads I look forward to this journey like you wouldn't believe. I will do in 2 days what I did in vietnam in four, so I might be a bit sore but no worse for ware.
Writing this post has been a new experience for me as well. I'm not ussually one to talk about what truly goes inside my head or heart with just anyone. Writing this has left me feeling very exposed yet I feel I have only spoken the truth and this knowledge makes the act much easier. Again, thank all of you who read this and have traveled with me through my journey. I am so thankful to be surrounded by all of the amazing people I am gifted to know. I cherish my loving family, friends, teachers and students. This journey has showed me what a gift it is to simply be around so many people of such great quality. Wish me luck on this last little leg of my journey and I'll post again soon, whether or not I've "done" anything. :-P
Namaste,
Adam
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
More training and a trip to Pai
Well, that knee problem I had got a bit worse last week as i was training and I was unable to continue running or jumping rope. Even today, a week later, I am restricted to just boxing and light kicking technique. The coaches are understanding and take it easy on my leg while demanding more from my boxing technique and power. Just yesterday I was in the ring with one of the coaches, Chelsea, who is a champion himself. As we were working on the simple technique of Jab-Cross he was yelling "no, more power. KNOCK OUT! KNOCK OUT!" It's a very intense way to train to say the least and I was drained by the time practice ended.
I am hoping to get a chance to practice clenching with the coaches after I saw what Be did in the ring. He fought last Thursday night at Thapae stadium and was scheduled to fight the next night as well at a different stadium. He wanted to finish the fight quickly so he would have energy for the next day. In the first round he went against tradition and came out strong and fast, as opposed to slow like most boxers do in the first two rounds. By the end of the first round he was rushing to the clinch again and again, driving his knees into his opponents chest with ridiculous speed and power. The bell rang and he barely took a break. As soon as the second round started he pushed his opponent into the corner and knocked him out from knees within 20 seconds. Afterwards he ran over to make sure his opponent was ok, paid his respects and checked if there was anything he could do.
Over the weekend I took Saturday and Sunday to drive out to Pai, 60 some miles from Chiang mai. The road to get there goes through about 30 miles of winding mountain pass with tight hairpin turns and mercurial weather. On the back of my little scooter I blasted into the mountains and had some of the most fun in a while. Going up hill my scooter was lucky to do 25 mph but coming down I would often end up doing 40 mph through tight corners. The best part was being able to stop when ever I wanted to take pictures, chill out and get coffee. I found a neat little cafe where i talked with the owner for an hour or more coming and going. We walked about his farm and his daughter who went to college in England. He asked me about home and I told him about the Northwest. Pai was a sleepy little town until recently but now expensive resorts dot the hill- and riverside. I found a little guest house out of the way that had every thing I needed, namely a bed and a shower. I took my time getting back Sunday, spending many hours up in the mountains and stopping at amazing vistas of the valleys below.
I am finally starting to upload pictures on Flicker.com. Just look for Adam shilling and you should be able to see some of my pictures. Sadly, the Internet is so slow that i can only get about 5 pictures on per hour and I have about 1000 in total. I will have to put the rest up when i get home but this should give you an idea of the beginning of my trip back in June. Anyway, I'm going to go get ready for more practice. My knee is no longer inflamed and I hope to be able to spend the last week going at full strength. Hope all is well and I'll write again soon.
Adam
I am hoping to get a chance to practice clenching with the coaches after I saw what Be did in the ring. He fought last Thursday night at Thapae stadium and was scheduled to fight the next night as well at a different stadium. He wanted to finish the fight quickly so he would have energy for the next day. In the first round he went against tradition and came out strong and fast, as opposed to slow like most boxers do in the first two rounds. By the end of the first round he was rushing to the clinch again and again, driving his knees into his opponents chest with ridiculous speed and power. The bell rang and he barely took a break. As soon as the second round started he pushed his opponent into the corner and knocked him out from knees within 20 seconds. Afterwards he ran over to make sure his opponent was ok, paid his respects and checked if there was anything he could do.
Over the weekend I took Saturday and Sunday to drive out to Pai, 60 some miles from Chiang mai. The road to get there goes through about 30 miles of winding mountain pass with tight hairpin turns and mercurial weather. On the back of my little scooter I blasted into the mountains and had some of the most fun in a while. Going up hill my scooter was lucky to do 25 mph but coming down I would often end up doing 40 mph through tight corners. The best part was being able to stop when ever I wanted to take pictures, chill out and get coffee. I found a neat little cafe where i talked with the owner for an hour or more coming and going. We walked about his farm and his daughter who went to college in England. He asked me about home and I told him about the Northwest. Pai was a sleepy little town until recently but now expensive resorts dot the hill- and riverside. I found a little guest house out of the way that had every thing I needed, namely a bed and a shower. I took my time getting back Sunday, spending many hours up in the mountains and stopping at amazing vistas of the valleys below.
I am finally starting to upload pictures on Flicker.com. Just look for Adam shilling and you should be able to see some of my pictures. Sadly, the Internet is so slow that i can only get about 5 pictures on per hour and I have about 1000 in total. I will have to put the rest up when i get home but this should give you an idea of the beginning of my trip back in June. Anyway, I'm going to go get ready for more practice. My knee is no longer inflamed and I hope to be able to spend the last week going at full strength. Hope all is well and I'll write again soon.
Adam
Monday, August 18, 2008
Lessons in and out of the ring.
A week has passed and I have some new insights into Muay thai as it's practiced in Thailand. I was talking with a German guy named Andy who trains here at the gym. He finished his service in the German military and has now spent two months straight doing muay thai. I say "straight" because he does all the classes and works out on the sunday off. Oh, I should mention he says all of three sentences in any training session, a man of few words. Anyway, I mentioned that my knee was really bothering me and he looked at me and said more than normal, "Something always hurts, that's muay thai here." How right he is. Now, as I talk to the other people training here, the general concensus is that something will always hurt. If my knee stops hurting then something else will start. I'm not saying all this to complain or sound tough. I just mention it to point out a huge flaw in the Thai system of training. They don't give the body enough time to heal and strengthen properly. This is probably why most fighters are at the end of their careers in their early twenties.
Still, I am having some of the best experiences every day. After 4 days of general conditioning I was put in the ring where the more experienced students train. I put on 16 oz gloves and shin guard while my coach put on a punching mitt, forearm muay thai pad and belly pad. We then went through basic combinations of punches, kicks, knees and elbows. They expect you to go at full strength on them and are rarely caught of guard when you inevitably make a mistake from misunderstanding them. Since the coaches speak "little English" and we speak "nee noy Thai" it's often a case of trial and air. Many times they will yell for me to do a combination and when I don't understand them, they will do the combination on me. I've now learned to cover my ribs and head even during a training session after the first couple kicks and punches landed with solid force.
After this training the coach often puts on gloves and shin guards and spars with me. The sparring is done lightly but with great speed and control on their part. If I land a kick or punch to hard they'll often smile a little and then rattle of a blinding combo yelling out the points they're landing on me. After the first few times like this I learned to respond as if it was real and have now seen some pretty cool combos from them. The better I defend the more creative and intense they get. I have no doubt that my form is better in even this short time and know by the end that I'll have added substantially to my own style as well as my understanding of strict Thai boxing as opposed to the more MMA style I'm used to.
Still, six days of boxing is monotonous and I took last Sunday to drive into the country side. I drove north about 50 miles to the tiny, teak wood town of Chiang doa. I traveled up into the caves set in the mountain (3rd largest in Thailand) and spent hours driving the back roads without running into a single Thai or tourist. The trip really rejuvenated me for the week and, even with the monsoon I drove through on the way home, my spirits were up from where they had been. I think it's important to change ones surroundings every so often to avoid getting in a mental, physical or emotional rut. Fortunately I am in a country that has breath-taking splendor within half an hour in every direction. This weekend I'm probably going to take an extra day to drive out to Pai to raft the river and spend some time hiking. I keep reminding myself that this is still my vacation and even though I'm training I still need to take this last month to really absorb the culture and landscape of this amazing country. Well, I'm going to go put some ointment on my knee and jog to get ready for class. I'll write again when I have something to say. Until then, I hope everyone has a great week.
Adam
Still, I am having some of the best experiences every day. After 4 days of general conditioning I was put in the ring where the more experienced students train. I put on 16 oz gloves and shin guard while my coach put on a punching mitt, forearm muay thai pad and belly pad. We then went through basic combinations of punches, kicks, knees and elbows. They expect you to go at full strength on them and are rarely caught of guard when you inevitably make a mistake from misunderstanding them. Since the coaches speak "little English" and we speak "nee noy Thai" it's often a case of trial and air. Many times they will yell for me to do a combination and when I don't understand them, they will do the combination on me. I've now learned to cover my ribs and head even during a training session after the first couple kicks and punches landed with solid force.
After this training the coach often puts on gloves and shin guards and spars with me. The sparring is done lightly but with great speed and control on their part. If I land a kick or punch to hard they'll often smile a little and then rattle of a blinding combo yelling out the points they're landing on me. After the first few times like this I learned to respond as if it was real and have now seen some pretty cool combos from them. The better I defend the more creative and intense they get. I have no doubt that my form is better in even this short time and know by the end that I'll have added substantially to my own style as well as my understanding of strict Thai boxing as opposed to the more MMA style I'm used to.
Still, six days of boxing is monotonous and I took last Sunday to drive into the country side. I drove north about 50 miles to the tiny, teak wood town of Chiang doa. I traveled up into the caves set in the mountain (3rd largest in Thailand) and spent hours driving the back roads without running into a single Thai or tourist. The trip really rejuvenated me for the week and, even with the monsoon I drove through on the way home, my spirits were up from where they had been. I think it's important to change ones surroundings every so often to avoid getting in a mental, physical or emotional rut. Fortunately I am in a country that has breath-taking splendor within half an hour in every direction. This weekend I'm probably going to take an extra day to drive out to Pai to raft the river and spend some time hiking. I keep reminding myself that this is still my vacation and even though I'm training I still need to take this last month to really absorb the culture and landscape of this amazing country. Well, I'm going to go put some ointment on my knee and jog to get ready for class. I'll write again when I have something to say. Until then, I hope everyone has a great week.
Adam
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Muay thai is hard. Period.
I'm sitting in an Internet cafe down the road from where I'm staying for the next month. I'm sore all over and looking forward to bed soon even though it's only 8:30 PM. Let me back up a little to explain how I got here, shall I?
When I arrived in Chiang mai on the night train I was just going into to my first day of antibiotics from something I'd gotten in Cambodia. I wanted to find the gym that Joel had told me about, Chay yai, and then rest for the weekend before training began. I got a tuk-tuk (after the usual 5 minute argument that $4 was to much for 6 km's) and he took me right to the gym. I use the term "gym" loosely, as it was really just an old boxing ring covered with a metal roof, with heavy bags hanging on metal bars in the open. I met the manager, whose name is pronounced noom, who was presently suffering from a head cold. He took me to a guest house and got me all set up with the owners for an extremely reasonable price (about $3 a day) and then got me a scooter so I could get around for the month. Then he told me he'd see me at 4 at the gym.
I went to the gym expecting to watch practice or maybe sign something but actually found myself trying on Thai shorts and soon I was jumping rope with the rest of the group. They use a rope called a "heavy rope," which lives up to it's name. Within 5 minutes I was having trouble keeping a rhythm going and my arms were killing me. I was then put through all the paces with a trainer for about 45 minutes straight, followed by 30 minutes on the heavy bag and then weight lifting and ab work. The only break I was given was when I would grab a little glass of water from the communal tub, rest for 20 seconds or so, and then jump back into the training. Since there are enough instructors to go around the 8 students I was never asked to hold pads for anyone. This is good in terms of quality and quantity of training and bad in terms of getting a chance to catch your breath. I was spent by the end of an hour and a half and did stretching and ab work until the end of class half an hour later. I repeated the process the next morning at 8am and between the two classes and my stomach trouble I was bedridden for the day.
The next day was Sunday and the gym is closed Sunday. I spent most of the day in my room, ill and broken. Since then things have gone up and up dramatically. I have been able to finish training sessions now and I'm beginning to acclimate to the level of work required for every class. The other students tell me that soon all of this will become rote, as every day follows the same pattern. I should say how grateful I am for the other students practicing here. Each one is extremely skilled and fit, most of them several months into training here in Thailand. Yet each one has reminded me to drop my ego and just work as hard as my body allows. They remind me that no one is watching me and that my training is my own, so don't worry about anyone else. It feels like being back at MKG with the sign that says "no ego" right at the top of the gym rules.
It is a little hard to go from traveling constantly with not a care in the world to staying in one place and training from 8am-10am and again at 4-6pm. In fact I was thinking about this today, my fourth training day, and asked myself what I would tell a student in the same situation. I realized that I had my goal laid out and the will to see it through but I hadn't yet asked anyone to support me in sticking to my goal. In my youth classes we call this person a "success coach." So I thought I would ask all of you wonderful people reading my blog to be my success coach. If you feel like it I would love to have some words of encouragement as the days go by and I keep trying to keep my spirits up. You can leave a comment on this site if you'd like or email me at abshilling@gmail.com. I love to hear from you guys at home and I know even a few words will push me on through a rough day of training.
As usual, I hope all is well at home and that everyone is happy and healthy. I'm gonna head to bed now since my eyelids are closing and my muscles are aching. Talk to you soon and look forward to hearing from you.
Namaste,
Adam
When I arrived in Chiang mai on the night train I was just going into to my first day of antibiotics from something I'd gotten in Cambodia. I wanted to find the gym that Joel had told me about, Chay yai, and then rest for the weekend before training began. I got a tuk-tuk (after the usual 5 minute argument that $4 was to much for 6 km's) and he took me right to the gym. I use the term "gym" loosely, as it was really just an old boxing ring covered with a metal roof, with heavy bags hanging on metal bars in the open. I met the manager, whose name is pronounced noom, who was presently suffering from a head cold. He took me to a guest house and got me all set up with the owners for an extremely reasonable price (about $3 a day) and then got me a scooter so I could get around for the month. Then he told me he'd see me at 4 at the gym.
I went to the gym expecting to watch practice or maybe sign something but actually found myself trying on Thai shorts and soon I was jumping rope with the rest of the group. They use a rope called a "heavy rope," which lives up to it's name. Within 5 minutes I was having trouble keeping a rhythm going and my arms were killing me. I was then put through all the paces with a trainer for about 45 minutes straight, followed by 30 minutes on the heavy bag and then weight lifting and ab work. The only break I was given was when I would grab a little glass of water from the communal tub, rest for 20 seconds or so, and then jump back into the training. Since there are enough instructors to go around the 8 students I was never asked to hold pads for anyone. This is good in terms of quality and quantity of training and bad in terms of getting a chance to catch your breath. I was spent by the end of an hour and a half and did stretching and ab work until the end of class half an hour later. I repeated the process the next morning at 8am and between the two classes and my stomach trouble I was bedridden for the day.
The next day was Sunday and the gym is closed Sunday. I spent most of the day in my room, ill and broken. Since then things have gone up and up dramatically. I have been able to finish training sessions now and I'm beginning to acclimate to the level of work required for every class. The other students tell me that soon all of this will become rote, as every day follows the same pattern. I should say how grateful I am for the other students practicing here. Each one is extremely skilled and fit, most of them several months into training here in Thailand. Yet each one has reminded me to drop my ego and just work as hard as my body allows. They remind me that no one is watching me and that my training is my own, so don't worry about anyone else. It feels like being back at MKG with the sign that says "no ego" right at the top of the gym rules.
It is a little hard to go from traveling constantly with not a care in the world to staying in one place and training from 8am-10am and again at 4-6pm. In fact I was thinking about this today, my fourth training day, and asked myself what I would tell a student in the same situation. I realized that I had my goal laid out and the will to see it through but I hadn't yet asked anyone to support me in sticking to my goal. In my youth classes we call this person a "success coach." So I thought I would ask all of you wonderful people reading my blog to be my success coach. If you feel like it I would love to have some words of encouragement as the days go by and I keep trying to keep my spirits up. You can leave a comment on this site if you'd like or email me at abshilling@gmail.com. I love to hear from you guys at home and I know even a few words will push me on through a rough day of training.
As usual, I hope all is well at home and that everyone is happy and healthy. I'm gonna head to bed now since my eyelids are closing and my muscles are aching. Talk to you soon and look forward to hearing from you.
Namaste,
Adam
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Thoughts on the temples
Just a quick update on my experience in Seam Reap visiting the temples surrounding Angkor Wat. When I first was told by others to visit Angkor Wat I thought it was a single temple but once I got there I found that it was a whole complex of temples, palaces, grave and other remnants of the ancient Khmer Empire. The most intriguing part of the temples was the mixture of Hindu and Buddhist statues and bas reliefs. This is due to the fact that for the first half of a millennium the temples were all dedicated to Hindu gods like Vishnu and Shiva. Later, as Buddhism was introduced, the temples were dedicated to Buddha. Yet they never removed the old Hindu parts of the temples and many temples, including Angkor Wat, have both influences throughout the halls and antechambers.
All in all I found that I really loved looking at the temples that were still consumed by jungle as opposed to the fully restored temples. Angkor Thom was fascinating in this respect because you walked through massive swaths of jungle as you traveled between temples within the complex. Angkor Thom was once a vast city that dominated the region, spanning many kilometers in every direction. It was hard to imagine the reality of this massive walled city containing a bustling and lively culture so long ago. It was easy to avoid other tourists in this area as I spent time walking through paths and around fallen monuments.
My driver convinced me to got o Angkor Wat to see the sunrise, saying I would avoid the later crowds. Sadly, every driver told their customer this and I found myself facing Angkor Wat with another 1,000 people waiting for the same thing. Once I'd snapped a few pictures of the sunrise across the reflecting pool I went inside to see what all the fuss was about. The whole time I looked around I found myself asking, "Is this it?" It was impressive in it's own way but I truly felt that it wasn't as great as it had been made out to be. Later i traveled to a temple that had great elephant trees growing through rock walls and temples. The sites were breathtaking and I clicked 4 times as many pictures of this small temple as compared to Angkor Wat.
The third day we got up early again but this time drove 50 miles out of the city to an old temple called Buenge Maele (sp?). This massive temple was still completely given over to jungle. My guide and I climbed over fallen walls, under vast tree roots and through old religious buildings and libraries. It took 45 minutes to traverse and I kept thinking of Indiana Jones as I climbed up crumbling walls into dry moats and old walk ways. In that whole time I saw only one other tourist, as opposed to the mass of humanity I had left behind in the Angkor Wat area. I realized that I enjoyed experiencing these kinds of places in solitude and silence. It allowed me to stop and truly marvel at the architecture and layout of these beautiful ruins. The silence was meditative and my minds slowed down as I let me self "be" instead of "do."
Anyway, that's the short description of what I felt about the Angkor Wat area. I took over 400 pictures in 3 days and I am currently working with my family to set up a flick'r account to show my pictures. Long story short, I can't use my credit card to do anything online because I no longer have a billing address while I'm away. So, hopefully, I will have this account set up sooner rather than later but who knows what other snags I'll run into. I'm writing this in Bangkok as I'm waiting for the screening of "The Dark Knight" on IMAX. In a day I will leave on the night train for Chang Mai to sign up for 30 days of Muay Thai madness. I'm a bit nervous because my level of conditioning is way down from where it was two months ago. No doubt the first time in the ring will show me how much I've lost in terms of stamina on this trip. Oh well, that's why I'm going there for intense training. Wish me luck!
Namaste,
Adam
All in all I found that I really loved looking at the temples that were still consumed by jungle as opposed to the fully restored temples. Angkor Thom was fascinating in this respect because you walked through massive swaths of jungle as you traveled between temples within the complex. Angkor Thom was once a vast city that dominated the region, spanning many kilometers in every direction. It was hard to imagine the reality of this massive walled city containing a bustling and lively culture so long ago. It was easy to avoid other tourists in this area as I spent time walking through paths and around fallen monuments.
My driver convinced me to got o Angkor Wat to see the sunrise, saying I would avoid the later crowds. Sadly, every driver told their customer this and I found myself facing Angkor Wat with another 1,000 people waiting for the same thing. Once I'd snapped a few pictures of the sunrise across the reflecting pool I went inside to see what all the fuss was about. The whole time I looked around I found myself asking, "Is this it?" It was impressive in it's own way but I truly felt that it wasn't as great as it had been made out to be. Later i traveled to a temple that had great elephant trees growing through rock walls and temples. The sites were breathtaking and I clicked 4 times as many pictures of this small temple as compared to Angkor Wat.
The third day we got up early again but this time drove 50 miles out of the city to an old temple called Buenge Maele (sp?). This massive temple was still completely given over to jungle. My guide and I climbed over fallen walls, under vast tree roots and through old religious buildings and libraries. It took 45 minutes to traverse and I kept thinking of Indiana Jones as I climbed up crumbling walls into dry moats and old walk ways. In that whole time I saw only one other tourist, as opposed to the mass of humanity I had left behind in the Angkor Wat area. I realized that I enjoyed experiencing these kinds of places in solitude and silence. It allowed me to stop and truly marvel at the architecture and layout of these beautiful ruins. The silence was meditative and my minds slowed down as I let me self "be" instead of "do."
Anyway, that's the short description of what I felt about the Angkor Wat area. I took over 400 pictures in 3 days and I am currently working with my family to set up a flick'r account to show my pictures. Long story short, I can't use my credit card to do anything online because I no longer have a billing address while I'm away. So, hopefully, I will have this account set up sooner rather than later but who knows what other snags I'll run into. I'm writing this in Bangkok as I'm waiting for the screening of "The Dark Knight" on IMAX. In a day I will leave on the night train for Chang Mai to sign up for 30 days of Muay Thai madness. I'm a bit nervous because my level of conditioning is way down from where it was two months ago. No doubt the first time in the ring will show me how much I've lost in terms of stamina on this trip. Oh well, that's why I'm going there for intense training. Wish me luck!
Namaste,
Adam
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Cambodian experience
After that hastily written blog in Saigon I jumped on a bus to the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Phen. (seriously, I ran from the Internet cafe with about half an hour to pack and eat before the ride.) The crossing went by pretty smoothly. The border guards had a bag scanner like they do for airport security but it was more like "Use it if you want. Or don't. Just don't wake the sleeping guard." This pretty much describes the attitude of Cambodians and their police force.
I took the first 3 days to sit around. I did nothing and just let my body recoup after 3 straight weeks of traveling. I estimate (hastily) that I did 2,500 to 3,000 Km in that time and maybe more. The guest house I stayed at was on a lake and the living area was on stilts in the middle. We watched movies, listened to Ipod's connected to house speakers and generally hung out. I felt my brain start to come back together in that time and wrote copiously in my personal and creative journal, which was a relief after how much I had to think about and digest from the month prior.
For those who do not know, Cambodia is still recovering from a horrendous genocide that took place in 1975-1978. During this time a group known as the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, killed about a 1/3 of the population through torture, starvation and mass killing fields. He taught children to hate their parents and to be the agents of their demise. It is one of the most horrific things I have heard of and I was greatly affected when i went to view the memorial. The first stop was S-21, toul sleng prison. This is the high school turned prison that the Khmer Rouge used to torture, interrogate and execute an person that might disagree with what was going on. The whole complex is set up to show the surviving pictures of 16,000 prisoners and the conditions they stayed in. The peoples expressions in the photos ranged from scared and petrified to defiant and even humorous. To walk through three buildings covering one city block took me three hours.
We traveled to the killing fields next to see where the people were taken for mass death. We arrived at a tiny stretch of land sandwiched between a pasture for cows and field of rice. Nothing seemed odd or special about the place and it would be easy to miss if you didn't know what to look for. Once inside you see a monument standing 15 meters high. Within this hollow obelisk are the skulls of thousands found in the nearby graves. Many of the graves were no larger than two cars side by side and no deeper than the height of a post office box. In these tiny holes up to 1,000 men, women and children would be brutally killed and dumped.
Many of the Cambodians I spent time with would mention the experience they had with the Khmer Rouge in passing, as a detail of their life. Ra, the guest house owner, mentioned to me over a game of cards that his grandfather and father had been killed during those three awful years, while he ran to the countryside to hide as a Khmer farmer. A teacher, Mr. Chem, told us how his family was brutally murdered when he was 11 and how he grew up in the rice field. His story is truly amazing and very inspiring.
He was given an English-Khmer dictionary by another worker and told "read this if you want a better life." He had no idea why this was the case but chose to follow the instructions he was given. I should note that to be seen with this dictionary by a Khmer Rouge guard meant instant death, right there in the field. Well, he would climb a tree and read the words quietly and then practice saying them when no one was around. Over time he learned to speak a little English and became a Tuk-tuk driver in phnom phen. After 6 years of living in his tuk-tuk and working every day he had dilegently saved $350. He returned to his home in Takeo province and opened a Non-government organization known as E.T.O. He know teaches peasant children english and math for free. He estimates that over 3,000 children are currently enrolled. He has almost no money to pay teachers, so most are volunteers. He still travels to his rice paddies 20 km's away at 1 am to gather crops to sell for chalk and paper for students. He laughs often about his pronunciation of words, saying "I don't know, I just read in book, I don't know how you say."
The Cambodian people are an amazing and resilient people. After all they've gone through they are still the most playful people I have run into in SE Asia. They are eager to laugh, play fight, tickle and run around even during business and other "important" activities. They seem to recognize the need to have a young heart in order to get the best out of life. I am currently in Seam Reap visiting Angkor Wat. Today I went around looking at these 800 year old monuments and it is truly breathtaking. Even though enormous trees grow through some structures, others are still preserved as they were 8 centuries ago. I will let everyone know more about these when I blog again. I should be in Thailand by then, getting ready to travel to Chang mai to do Muay thai. To all of my students, I just want to let you know how proud I am of all of you. Audrey and Danny have kept me very up to date and it sound like everything is going well at the school. I knew I could count on you guys to show Audrey the same respect you give me. Here's a challenge for you though: I want you to show her more respect than you show me. While I go and learn respect for my Thai instructors I want all of you to show Audrey and Danny what you can do. To my family, I want to say thank you for the birthday wishes, the ones I received and the ones merely thought of. I love you all and hope everyone is well.
Namaste,
Adam
I took the first 3 days to sit around. I did nothing and just let my body recoup after 3 straight weeks of traveling. I estimate (hastily) that I did 2,500 to 3,000 Km in that time and maybe more. The guest house I stayed at was on a lake and the living area was on stilts in the middle. We watched movies, listened to Ipod's connected to house speakers and generally hung out. I felt my brain start to come back together in that time and wrote copiously in my personal and creative journal, which was a relief after how much I had to think about and digest from the month prior.
For those who do not know, Cambodia is still recovering from a horrendous genocide that took place in 1975-1978. During this time a group known as the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, killed about a 1/3 of the population through torture, starvation and mass killing fields. He taught children to hate their parents and to be the agents of their demise. It is one of the most horrific things I have heard of and I was greatly affected when i went to view the memorial. The first stop was S-21, toul sleng prison. This is the high school turned prison that the Khmer Rouge used to torture, interrogate and execute an person that might disagree with what was going on. The whole complex is set up to show the surviving pictures of 16,000 prisoners and the conditions they stayed in. The peoples expressions in the photos ranged from scared and petrified to defiant and even humorous. To walk through three buildings covering one city block took me three hours.
We traveled to the killing fields next to see where the people were taken for mass death. We arrived at a tiny stretch of land sandwiched between a pasture for cows and field of rice. Nothing seemed odd or special about the place and it would be easy to miss if you didn't know what to look for. Once inside you see a monument standing 15 meters high. Within this hollow obelisk are the skulls of thousands found in the nearby graves. Many of the graves were no larger than two cars side by side and no deeper than the height of a post office box. In these tiny holes up to 1,000 men, women and children would be brutally killed and dumped.
Many of the Cambodians I spent time with would mention the experience they had with the Khmer Rouge in passing, as a detail of their life. Ra, the guest house owner, mentioned to me over a game of cards that his grandfather and father had been killed during those three awful years, while he ran to the countryside to hide as a Khmer farmer. A teacher, Mr. Chem, told us how his family was brutally murdered when he was 11 and how he grew up in the rice field. His story is truly amazing and very inspiring.
He was given an English-Khmer dictionary by another worker and told "read this if you want a better life." He had no idea why this was the case but chose to follow the instructions he was given. I should note that to be seen with this dictionary by a Khmer Rouge guard meant instant death, right there in the field. Well, he would climb a tree and read the words quietly and then practice saying them when no one was around. Over time he learned to speak a little English and became a Tuk-tuk driver in phnom phen. After 6 years of living in his tuk-tuk and working every day he had dilegently saved $350. He returned to his home in Takeo province and opened a Non-government organization known as E.T.O. He know teaches peasant children english and math for free. He estimates that over 3,000 children are currently enrolled. He has almost no money to pay teachers, so most are volunteers. He still travels to his rice paddies 20 km's away at 1 am to gather crops to sell for chalk and paper for students. He laughs often about his pronunciation of words, saying "I don't know, I just read in book, I don't know how you say."
The Cambodian people are an amazing and resilient people. After all they've gone through they are still the most playful people I have run into in SE Asia. They are eager to laugh, play fight, tickle and run around even during business and other "important" activities. They seem to recognize the need to have a young heart in order to get the best out of life. I am currently in Seam Reap visiting Angkor Wat. Today I went around looking at these 800 year old monuments and it is truly breathtaking. Even though enormous trees grow through some structures, others are still preserved as they were 8 centuries ago. I will let everyone know more about these when I blog again. I should be in Thailand by then, getting ready to travel to Chang mai to do Muay thai. To all of my students, I just want to let you know how proud I am of all of you. Audrey and Danny have kept me very up to date and it sound like everything is going well at the school. I knew I could count on you guys to show Audrey the same respect you give me. Here's a challenge for you though: I want you to show her more respect than you show me. While I go and learn respect for my Thai instructors I want all of you to show Audrey and Danny what you can do. To my family, I want to say thank you for the birthday wishes, the ones I received and the ones merely thought of. I love you all and hope everyone is well.
Namaste,
Adam
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
On the Ho Chi Minh trail to Saigon
I am writing this post sitting in a guesthouse in Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh city. I just spent the last 5 days on the back of a motorcyle making my way down through the central highlands of Vietnam. I'll back up a little explain this. In Dalat there is a group of guys known as the "Easy Riders." They started just after the war with 10 guys who would take tourists through the country on the ho chi minh trail from Hanoi to Saigon. Now there are over 80 men wearing the Easy Rider jackets in Dalat. I was approached in Dalat by a guy my own age who offered to show me around Dalat for less than the easy riders were asking. He told me he charged less because he didn't pay the fee to own the jacket. He had started a new company called "Free Riders." This is how I met Tien and spent 5 days riding with him through some of the most beautiful country side I've ever seen.
The first day we went around Dalat looking at local goods such as coffee, rice wine, silk production and a huge assortment of fruits and flowers. The next day we headed high into the mountains and came down long winding roads through endless jungle. We spent the evening near Lak lake and I roomed with four Easy riders who were there as well. The other tourists stayed in nicer accomidations but I really enjoyed the company of these friendly bikers. We ended up playing cards all night together. They taught me a Vietnamese game called Phom and I taught them Texas hold'em. Needless to say the odds were in the favor of the person who knew their game better. I won at poker and quit early at phom.
Over the next two days Tien and I road 350 Km over winding, bumpy, dusty roads through the highlands. We often stopped by the road to lay in hammocks strung up between rubber trees and drank sugar cane juice. The people of the highlands are of the old hill tribes who moved near the roads after they assisted the Viet Cong in the war. They were the friendliest people I've met, often waving vigorously by the road side when they saw I was a foriegner. In those two days I only saw two other foreigners.
The last two days we road the Ho Chi Minh trail towards Saigon. By this point I was driving the bike fairly often to give Tien a break and to enjoy the feeling of driving in the countryside. I won't lie though, I nearly was run off the road a few times by buses and government cars. I'd stop after these incidents, shaken, and look back at Tien. He would smile, looking back at the wild driver careening down the road and say "Crazy driver." He didn't seem to worried or flustered and said I'd done fine. I would often give him back the drivers seat for an hour or so after these events.
When i finally reached Saigon I visited the Cu Chi tunnels north of the city. These tunnels run over 250 Km over the area and were a vital strategy of the Viet Cong during the war. I went inside a few and had to nearly crawl to get by. My guide said "these tunnels for Vietnamese, not American. American to big." I watched a movie that was pretty unsettling. It was shot during the war and showed young women firing rockets at american tanks and then the going back to farming the next day. It is weird to realize that the whole country came up in arms during the war. Later I went to the war memorial museum and was nearly in tears looking at the brutality of war. I saw pictures of people covered in napalm or deformed by the defoliant Agent Orange. I saw a photograph that will haunt me for a long time, of a US G.I. holding up the remains of a man he shot with a gernade launcher. The whole time I just kept thinking that this wasn't about America being wrong but really just war was wrong. Millions of Vietnamese farmers died in the war, killed by both sides, just to fulfill a politcal and economic agenda.
Well, on that depressing note I have to go. I am going to be late for my bus to Cambodia. I've truly loved Vietnam and feel I have expereinced it in some unique ways. I hope all is well at home and I'll check in soon.
Namaste,
Adam
The first day we went around Dalat looking at local goods such as coffee, rice wine, silk production and a huge assortment of fruits and flowers. The next day we headed high into the mountains and came down long winding roads through endless jungle. We spent the evening near Lak lake and I roomed with four Easy riders who were there as well. The other tourists stayed in nicer accomidations but I really enjoyed the company of these friendly bikers. We ended up playing cards all night together. They taught me a Vietnamese game called Phom and I taught them Texas hold'em. Needless to say the odds were in the favor of the person who knew their game better. I won at poker and quit early at phom.
Over the next two days Tien and I road 350 Km over winding, bumpy, dusty roads through the highlands. We often stopped by the road to lay in hammocks strung up between rubber trees and drank sugar cane juice. The people of the highlands are of the old hill tribes who moved near the roads after they assisted the Viet Cong in the war. They were the friendliest people I've met, often waving vigorously by the road side when they saw I was a foriegner. In those two days I only saw two other foreigners.
The last two days we road the Ho Chi Minh trail towards Saigon. By this point I was driving the bike fairly often to give Tien a break and to enjoy the feeling of driving in the countryside. I won't lie though, I nearly was run off the road a few times by buses and government cars. I'd stop after these incidents, shaken, and look back at Tien. He would smile, looking back at the wild driver careening down the road and say "Crazy driver." He didn't seem to worried or flustered and said I'd done fine. I would often give him back the drivers seat for an hour or so after these events.
When i finally reached Saigon I visited the Cu Chi tunnels north of the city. These tunnels run over 250 Km over the area and were a vital strategy of the Viet Cong during the war. I went inside a few and had to nearly crawl to get by. My guide said "these tunnels for Vietnamese, not American. American to big." I watched a movie that was pretty unsettling. It was shot during the war and showed young women firing rockets at american tanks and then the going back to farming the next day. It is weird to realize that the whole country came up in arms during the war. Later I went to the war memorial museum and was nearly in tears looking at the brutality of war. I saw pictures of people covered in napalm or deformed by the defoliant Agent Orange. I saw a photograph that will haunt me for a long time, of a US G.I. holding up the remains of a man he shot with a gernade launcher. The whole time I just kept thinking that this wasn't about America being wrong but really just war was wrong. Millions of Vietnamese farmers died in the war, killed by both sides, just to fulfill a politcal and economic agenda.
Well, on that depressing note I have to go. I am going to be late for my bus to Cambodia. I've truly loved Vietnam and feel I have expereinced it in some unique ways. I hope all is well at home and I'll check in soon.
Namaste,
Adam
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Halong bay, Hoian and the buses that took me there.
Well, as you can probably tell by the length of times between posts Vietnam is crazy. After pulling a group together of 15 other travelers I booked us a private junk in Halong bay. We argued for about an hour and a half with the company to stay two nights on the boat as opposed to one night on the boat and one night at a hotel on Catba island. It turned out to be one of the best choices I could have made since the group got along so well and loved to hang out together. We arrived at halong bay city and were escorted to a fantastic junk with a sun roof, fancy dining room and air conditioned rooms on the bottom deck. The food was excellent after I convinced our guide that fish and seafood were the same thing to me and that tofu was really not cutting it for meals. That's the story with this whole country though. You've got to argue, cajole, get frustrated, leave, come back, try again and maybe you'll get what you want half an hour later.
The first day out to sea we went kayaking in the bay. The tour guide put us in two person canoes with a guy in the back and a girl at the front. A girl I'd met in Hanoi named Maria was in my boat and we both decided to cut out from the rest and go exploring. There are 1900 islands in halong bay and I found out very quickly how confusing that is. We found some cool caves and little floating houses that farm clams. Pretty soon we realized that everyone had followed the guide and that we were lost. We paddled for about 45 minutes before our boat found us and offered us a ride. We tried to save some of our dignity and instead paddled after the boat to shore. On the way we realized that no one would believe we had just got lost looking at caves and talking about politics. Sure enough as we neared the shore the entire group came down to the water and all of the guys started clapping and cheering. I don't know if my sunburn or by blush was a brighter red. The tour guide walked up to me later and said "next time I send two girls together and two guys, yes?"
The group traveled to an island called monkey island later on after lunch. We took bicycles 6km over the mountainous terrain to a beautiful village in the valley. We hiked around the forest and looked in caves. The tour guide and the guys kept cracking jokes throughout the cave. We spent the next day swimming and hiking. The evenings were spent laughing, playing games and generally enjoying ourselves in one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.
Within a few days many of us decided to travel to Hoian together. Hoian is a very beautiful small town near the coast. It was used as a place for R&R by American troops during the war. It sits along 30 km of perfect white sand beach that the GI's called "china beach." We spent the days at the beach and playing in the countryside on motorbikes. I've got to say that driving in Vietnam is insane. No one uses turn signals, stops at red lights or checks before merging and passing. At one point I was driving on a bridge when a truck passed another truck. Then as this was happening a third truck attempted to pass the second truck. I now had a wall of steel flying at me on a bridge at about 80 km per hour. I realized the only thing to do was go native. I began ducking and weaving through traffic, staying right on the tail of the motorbike in front of me. As the trucks passed, horns blaring, I breathed a silent prayer. I looked over at the bike I had followed through this ordeal only to see a young women with her child looking completely unphased by the whole ordeal! Just another day in Vietnamese traffic. Still, I will be renting another bike out here in Dalat to go look at water falls, lakes and countryside.
I guess I should mention that's where I am right now. Dalat is a high altitude town high in the interior mountains. The weather is about twenty degrees cooler and the land is suitable for growing coffee, grapes and other fruits. This is the town where many French people built chalets during their colonial time in Vietnam. The food up here is done in the French way at many places, especially the coffee. They pour the water into a metal cup that slow drips into the cup below. It's very strong and absolutley delicious. I can get a meal of garlic bread (with real garlic), french or italian pasta, coffee, juice and an after dinner glass of port for about $6-$7. This region is also known for it's candied fruits, so I'll be buying those before I go down to Saigon in a few days.
One last thing to mention is how we travel in Vietnam. From Hanoi to Hue we took a reclining bus, as in a bus that has seats that ever so slightly recline. This bus drove from 8 pm until 10:30 am through bumpy and winding road honking all the way. The Vietnamese use the horn to indicate their presence and to let you know they will be attempting to pass you. So the whole ride is spent bouncing in the back with a cacophony of horns and whistles with the occassional horn battle followed by a screeching halt and break neck acceleration. A second bus took us the four hours down to Hoian, which I assume is for the drivers sake so he can get some therapy before he does the return trip. From Hoian to Dalat we spent 12 hours in a "sleeper bus." This bus has tiny bunk beds throughout it. 29 in all, so you can imagine how crammed in you have to be to fit everyone. Then we took a 6 hour bus ride in the most cramped bus up the winding slope of Dalat's mountains without airconditioning. This makes for fast friends as you comisserate with the people around you. But we are finally here so I really can't complain. Well, wish me luck on my adventures tomorrow. I hope everyone is well and I will write again soon.
Namaste,
Adam
P.s. there was no spell check so please exscuse typos. Thanks.
The first day out to sea we went kayaking in the bay. The tour guide put us in two person canoes with a guy in the back and a girl at the front. A girl I'd met in Hanoi named Maria was in my boat and we both decided to cut out from the rest and go exploring. There are 1900 islands in halong bay and I found out very quickly how confusing that is. We found some cool caves and little floating houses that farm clams. Pretty soon we realized that everyone had followed the guide and that we were lost. We paddled for about 45 minutes before our boat found us and offered us a ride. We tried to save some of our dignity and instead paddled after the boat to shore. On the way we realized that no one would believe we had just got lost looking at caves and talking about politics. Sure enough as we neared the shore the entire group came down to the water and all of the guys started clapping and cheering. I don't know if my sunburn or by blush was a brighter red. The tour guide walked up to me later and said "next time I send two girls together and two guys, yes?"
The group traveled to an island called monkey island later on after lunch. We took bicycles 6km over the mountainous terrain to a beautiful village in the valley. We hiked around the forest and looked in caves. The tour guide and the guys kept cracking jokes throughout the cave. We spent the next day swimming and hiking. The evenings were spent laughing, playing games and generally enjoying ourselves in one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.
Within a few days many of us decided to travel to Hoian together. Hoian is a very beautiful small town near the coast. It was used as a place for R&R by American troops during the war. It sits along 30 km of perfect white sand beach that the GI's called "china beach." We spent the days at the beach and playing in the countryside on motorbikes. I've got to say that driving in Vietnam is insane. No one uses turn signals, stops at red lights or checks before merging and passing. At one point I was driving on a bridge when a truck passed another truck. Then as this was happening a third truck attempted to pass the second truck. I now had a wall of steel flying at me on a bridge at about 80 km per hour. I realized the only thing to do was go native. I began ducking and weaving through traffic, staying right on the tail of the motorbike in front of me. As the trucks passed, horns blaring, I breathed a silent prayer. I looked over at the bike I had followed through this ordeal only to see a young women with her child looking completely unphased by the whole ordeal! Just another day in Vietnamese traffic. Still, I will be renting another bike out here in Dalat to go look at water falls, lakes and countryside.
I guess I should mention that's where I am right now. Dalat is a high altitude town high in the interior mountains. The weather is about twenty degrees cooler and the land is suitable for growing coffee, grapes and other fruits. This is the town where many French people built chalets during their colonial time in Vietnam. The food up here is done in the French way at many places, especially the coffee. They pour the water into a metal cup that slow drips into the cup below. It's very strong and absolutley delicious. I can get a meal of garlic bread (with real garlic), french or italian pasta, coffee, juice and an after dinner glass of port for about $6-$7. This region is also known for it's candied fruits, so I'll be buying those before I go down to Saigon in a few days.
One last thing to mention is how we travel in Vietnam. From Hanoi to Hue we took a reclining bus, as in a bus that has seats that ever so slightly recline. This bus drove from 8 pm until 10:30 am through bumpy and winding road honking all the way. The Vietnamese use the horn to indicate their presence and to let you know they will be attempting to pass you. So the whole ride is spent bouncing in the back with a cacophony of horns and whistles with the occassional horn battle followed by a screeching halt and break neck acceleration. A second bus took us the four hours down to Hoian, which I assume is for the drivers sake so he can get some therapy before he does the return trip. From Hoian to Dalat we spent 12 hours in a "sleeper bus." This bus has tiny bunk beds throughout it. 29 in all, so you can imagine how crammed in you have to be to fit everyone. Then we took a 6 hour bus ride in the most cramped bus up the winding slope of Dalat's mountains without airconditioning. This makes for fast friends as you comisserate with the people around you. But we are finally here so I really can't complain. Well, wish me luck on my adventures tomorrow. I hope everyone is well and I will write again soon.
Namaste,
Adam
P.s. there was no spell check so please exscuse typos. Thanks.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
The river Kwai and snakes blood
Well, the monotony of being sick passed very, very quickly. As soon as I felt better on Wednesday I jumped on a train to the town of Kanchnaburi 100km west of Bangkok. This towns sits on the river Kwai and is the home to the bridge that became the subject of a movie by the same name. This bridge was built during the Japanese occupation of Thailand using hundreds of thousands of prisons and slave laborers to complete the task. The bridge is such a small thing to have cost the lives of 70,000 allied prisoners of war.
I spent the night before at a small bungalow on the river. In fact if I had splurged a little I could have stayed in a floating house on the river. The town of kanchanaburi is slowly becoming a tourist hot spot due to the bridges fame but it still has an interesting mix of old Thai and new western feel. I spent the evening hanging out with a group of Thai guys who had moved out of Bangkok to open a tiny bar in the town. They spoke excellent English so we talked about Thailand and America while listening to some of the best music I've heard in a long time.
The trip really boosted my spirits and settled my nerves so I was much calmer when I entered the frantic city of Bangkok on Thursday. I spent the last two days hanging out with a group of Hilarius (and cute!) Dutch girls before I boarded my plane Saturday for Vietnam. Nothing in Thailand could prepare me for the pace and insanity of this country!
I met a PE teacher from New York on the plane and we got along pretty well so we decided to team up and face Vietnam together. As soon as we entered the main lobby of the airport we were accosted by taxi drivers. They got right in your face and saying no didn't deter them for a second. I went to the ATM to grab a million Dong ($66 US) and then we went to find the minibus to town. We asked an information lady how much we should pay and she said $2. When we fought our way through the mass of eager taxi drivers demanding $12 to drive us to town we found the bus. It was filled to capacity and we hunkered down in the back with our bags piled on us.
As we entered the road way I realized that all the complaining I'd done about Thai drivers was unjustified. Clearly, Vietnamese drivers are the worst drivers in south east Asia. I thought we were going to be in a accident about ten times in the ten minute drive to town. When we finally convinced our driver that we wanted to be dropped off the real fun began. We were swarmed by eager bike-taxi drivers and offers for cheap hotels and so forth. The driver asked for our 30,000 Dong and all I had was a 200,000 note. I gave it to him and he pocketed it with a look that said trouble was coming. As Doug and John (the other white passenger on the bus) argued loudly that they did not need a taxi, I watched as our driver got into the bus and started the engine. Thank god for crappy southeast Asian cars! As he began to drive away his minibus back firer and gave a me the chance I needed. I dove through the passenger door as he attempted to restart the truck. I yelled that he owed me 170,000 Dong and that I would not leave until he gave it to me. Five minutes of yelling between four Vietnamese and three foreigners and I got back 160,000. "Welcome to Vietnam!" I said to my new friends.
We finally found a place that had a room but they wanted $18, which is expensive for this country. When I saw the room though I nearly fainted. Air-con, TV, Queen bed with clean covers, private bathroom with a bath tub! After nearly three weeks living in tiny rooms with just a towel for a blanket this was the Hilton. After I was all clean and shiny (and had stopped jumping on the bed out of excitement) I headed over to a guest house across the street. As I attempted to go into the common area I was stopped by a hoard of people with blue and yellow sombreros. I asked what they were all about and the leader of the group said, "Do you wanna drink snake blood?" and I replied the way any good traveler does with, "Of course!" A sombrero was dropped on my head and we trekked off to find this most fabled Vietnamese delight.
To say that snake farms are not suited to 30 screaming tourists is an understatement. The look on the face of the owner was a very mixed expression. It was the fearful look of someone watching the mongol horde fall on their city mixed with the look of someone who has just won the lottery. By the end of the night this guy was going to be holding 4,500,000 Dong in return for a few snakes! Long story short, we proceeded to consume snake in every conceivable way: fried snake skin, snake ribs(think really small pork ribs. really small!), sauteed snake and various other dishes made of snake including a few soups. Of course, we also needed snakes blood shots. We drank a whole assortment of snake fluids that I won't go into detail about here but let's just say I truly feel I am more well acquainted with snakes anatomy than I ever thought possible.
I am sitting in a bustling hostel right now writing this before I plan my trip out to Ha long bay to cliff jump, cave walk and kayak. Hope you all are well and I will check in when I have more to report. To everyone let me say, "Good morning, Vietnam!"
Adam
I spent the night before at a small bungalow on the river. In fact if I had splurged a little I could have stayed in a floating house on the river. The town of kanchanaburi is slowly becoming a tourist hot spot due to the bridges fame but it still has an interesting mix of old Thai and new western feel. I spent the evening hanging out with a group of Thai guys who had moved out of Bangkok to open a tiny bar in the town. They spoke excellent English so we talked about Thailand and America while listening to some of the best music I've heard in a long time.
The trip really boosted my spirits and settled my nerves so I was much calmer when I entered the frantic city of Bangkok on Thursday. I spent the last two days hanging out with a group of Hilarius (and cute!) Dutch girls before I boarded my plane Saturday for Vietnam. Nothing in Thailand could prepare me for the pace and insanity of this country!
I met a PE teacher from New York on the plane and we got along pretty well so we decided to team up and face Vietnam together. As soon as we entered the main lobby of the airport we were accosted by taxi drivers. They got right in your face and saying no didn't deter them for a second. I went to the ATM to grab a million Dong ($66 US) and then we went to find the minibus to town. We asked an information lady how much we should pay and she said $2. When we fought our way through the mass of eager taxi drivers demanding $12 to drive us to town we found the bus. It was filled to capacity and we hunkered down in the back with our bags piled on us.
As we entered the road way I realized that all the complaining I'd done about Thai drivers was unjustified. Clearly, Vietnamese drivers are the worst drivers in south east Asia. I thought we were going to be in a accident about ten times in the ten minute drive to town. When we finally convinced our driver that we wanted to be dropped off the real fun began. We were swarmed by eager bike-taxi drivers and offers for cheap hotels and so forth. The driver asked for our 30,000 Dong and all I had was a 200,000 note. I gave it to him and he pocketed it with a look that said trouble was coming. As Doug and John (the other white passenger on the bus) argued loudly that they did not need a taxi, I watched as our driver got into the bus and started the engine. Thank god for crappy southeast Asian cars! As he began to drive away his minibus back firer and gave a me the chance I needed. I dove through the passenger door as he attempted to restart the truck. I yelled that he owed me 170,000 Dong and that I would not leave until he gave it to me. Five minutes of yelling between four Vietnamese and three foreigners and I got back 160,000. "Welcome to Vietnam!" I said to my new friends.
We finally found a place that had a room but they wanted $18, which is expensive for this country. When I saw the room though I nearly fainted. Air-con, TV, Queen bed with clean covers, private bathroom with a bath tub! After nearly three weeks living in tiny rooms with just a towel for a blanket this was the Hilton. After I was all clean and shiny (and had stopped jumping on the bed out of excitement) I headed over to a guest house across the street. As I attempted to go into the common area I was stopped by a hoard of people with blue and yellow sombreros. I asked what they were all about and the leader of the group said, "Do you wanna drink snake blood?" and I replied the way any good traveler does with, "Of course!" A sombrero was dropped on my head and we trekked off to find this most fabled Vietnamese delight.
To say that snake farms are not suited to 30 screaming tourists is an understatement. The look on the face of the owner was a very mixed expression. It was the fearful look of someone watching the mongol horde fall on their city mixed with the look of someone who has just won the lottery. By the end of the night this guy was going to be holding 4,500,000 Dong in return for a few snakes! Long story short, we proceeded to consume snake in every conceivable way: fried snake skin, snake ribs(think really small pork ribs. really small!), sauteed snake and various other dishes made of snake including a few soups. Of course, we also needed snakes blood shots. We drank a whole assortment of snake fluids that I won't go into detail about here but let's just say I truly feel I am more well acquainted with snakes anatomy than I ever thought possible.
I am sitting in a bustling hostel right now writing this before I plan my trip out to Ha long bay to cliff jump, cave walk and kayak. Hope you all are well and I will check in when I have more to report. To everyone let me say, "Good morning, Vietnam!"
Adam
Monday, June 30, 2008
Hanging out in bangkok
Well, it's now been 5 days in Bangkok and I still feel I haven't even seen a 100th of what the city has to see. This is partly due to the fact that I've been sick for two days with travelers "stomach" shall we say. The great thing I found out yesterday is you don't need to go to a doctor. I walked into a pharmacist and told them what was wrong and they gave me a batch of antibiotics to take care of it. I already feel better but I'm not allowed to eat fruit, egg or spicy food. So far those have made up a big portion of my daily diet so I'm a little upset.
Thailand's landscape is dotted with massive temples. They are amazing to be inside and the feeling you get is one of serenity. I spent time yesterday traveling around different temples including golden mount. From the top you could see all of Bangkok laid out before you. The students I traveled with told me about how the first temple was built by King Rama III but fell through the ground under its own weight. King Rama the IV and V rebuilt as it is now, which is really a sight to see. I am putting pictures up of that little adventure today. So far getting a pictures on this blog has been a real nightmare and it takes up to 15 minutes to load three or four of them. If anyone knows a different service to load pictures I'd love to know. I was thinking of using flickr but it would cost me $20 bucks. That's 640 baht!! I mean I could buy two shirts, some shorts and a fancy meal for that. :-) I may do it anyway though because I really want everyone to see the beauty of Thailand.
I'm stuck inside right now as a powerful thunder storm is throwing rain down by the bucket full. i got caught in it last night and it soaked through to my skin in about three seconds. Jim, his students and I were forced to run for a building overhang to wait out the worst of it for about 45 minutes. Fortunately I love the guest house I am at so I don't mind stretching out int he common area to talk with people and read a book. Well, I'm off to grab some food and watch a movie. Talk to everyone soon!
P.S. To all of my students I just want to say keep up the good work with Audrey and I can't wait to see how you've all progressed by the time I return.
Thailand's landscape is dotted with massive temples. They are amazing to be inside and the feeling you get is one of serenity. I spent time yesterday traveling around different temples including golden mount. From the top you could see all of Bangkok laid out before you. The students I traveled with told me about how the first temple was built by King Rama III but fell through the ground under its own weight. King Rama the IV and V rebuilt as it is now, which is really a sight to see. I am putting pictures up of that little adventure today. So far getting a pictures on this blog has been a real nightmare and it takes up to 15 minutes to load three or four of them. If anyone knows a different service to load pictures I'd love to know. I was thinking of using flickr but it would cost me $20 bucks. That's 640 baht!! I mean I could buy two shirts, some shorts and a fancy meal for that. :-) I may do it anyway though because I really want everyone to see the beauty of Thailand.
I'm stuck inside right now as a powerful thunder storm is throwing rain down by the bucket full. i got caught in it last night and it soaked through to my skin in about three seconds. Jim, his students and I were forced to run for a building overhang to wait out the worst of it for about 45 minutes. Fortunately I love the guest house I am at so I don't mind stretching out int he common area to talk with people and read a book. Well, I'm off to grab some food and watch a movie. Talk to everyone soon!
P.S. To all of my students I just want to say keep up the good work with Audrey and I can't wait to see how you've all progressed by the time I return.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Soi dogs and fried rice
First, I need to make a bit of an addendum to my previous entry. I was pretty jet lagged and said that I had met with Jim the teacher and that he was Max's uncle. Actually he is Alec's uncle, Sue's brother. Lack of sleep can be a powerful memory eraser.
Anyway, I am back from Samui now and in Bangkok again. I had written a fourth blog in Samui but it was deleted as a monsoon came in and we lost power for a while. The weather on Samui was amazingly fickle, clear skies with sun followed in ten minutes by torrential downpours and ten minutes later with clear skies. It was sort of like extreme suntanning. I took a lot of pictures while i was out there but I need to find a service that will let me put them up en masse for everyone to see with out membership or codes.
I was thinking of some of the things that I am slowly becoming used as I spend time in Thailand. It's really amazing how certain things that seem really alien can become common and habitual in such a short time. For instance, dogs. Thailand has about 10 million of these furry mongrels and they go anywhere they feel like, including temples, restaurants and int he street. Still, after a week in samui I just got to expect being chased by soi dogs (street or feral dogs) as I walked through the temple area at night. I also got used to seeing them laying in the road, asleep, with cars going around them. They barely raise an eyebrow at all this commotion and continue resting in "their" road.
Something else that seemed strange was eating fried rice or noodles for breakfast and omelette's for dinner. Even after one week I find I love to eat this way and have just gotten back from breakfast of fried rice with eggs and chilies. Smoothies and fruit at 10 pm are the norm as I walk down the ever bustling street of Khao san road. Food over in Thailand is sort what you want, how you want it, whenever you want it.
Oh, I've also made a traveling buddy. His name is Dan and he's from London, England. He was walking down the street with his finger in a guide book with that "oh my god!" expression on his face I remember having just 9 days ago. I struck up a conversation and soon we were hanging out and grabbing a beer at the local pub. His friends come in tonight and I look forward to getting to know everyone. Well, that's about it for right now. I'll check in again soon and I hope everyone is well.
Namaste,
Adam
Anyway, I am back from Samui now and in Bangkok again. I had written a fourth blog in Samui but it was deleted as a monsoon came in and we lost power for a while. The weather on Samui was amazingly fickle, clear skies with sun followed in ten minutes by torrential downpours and ten minutes later with clear skies. It was sort of like extreme suntanning. I took a lot of pictures while i was out there but I need to find a service that will let me put them up en masse for everyone to see with out membership or codes.
I was thinking of some of the things that I am slowly becoming used as I spend time in Thailand. It's really amazing how certain things that seem really alien can become common and habitual in such a short time. For instance, dogs. Thailand has about 10 million of these furry mongrels and they go anywhere they feel like, including temples, restaurants and int he street. Still, after a week in samui I just got to expect being chased by soi dogs (street or feral dogs) as I walked through the temple area at night. I also got used to seeing them laying in the road, asleep, with cars going around them. They barely raise an eyebrow at all this commotion and continue resting in "their" road.
Something else that seemed strange was eating fried rice or noodles for breakfast and omelette's for dinner. Even after one week I find I love to eat this way and have just gotten back from breakfast of fried rice with eggs and chilies. Smoothies and fruit at 10 pm are the norm as I walk down the ever bustling street of Khao san road. Food over in Thailand is sort what you want, how you want it, whenever you want it.
Oh, I've also made a traveling buddy. His name is Dan and he's from London, England. He was walking down the street with his finger in a guide book with that "oh my god!" expression on his face I remember having just 9 days ago. I struck up a conversation and soon we were hanging out and grabbing a beer at the local pub. His friends come in tonight and I look forward to getting to know everyone. Well, that's about it for right now. I'll check in again soon and I hope everyone is well.
Namaste,
Adam
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Adam on Samui
Ok, it took me a while to figure out how to post since all the links are in Thai. It's Sunday here on the island of Samui and I've been having the most amazing experience getting to know the locals. I am currently staying in a village behind Wat Kunaram, which is the temple to a mummified monk. I am staying with Chang's brother Lek and his family (as well as most of the village since they all share so much). For those that don't know, Chang is Owen and Lucy's dad.
The night I arrived they came out and picked me up in front of the temple and drove me back to their mothers shop. No one spoke much English but "hungry?" was said and I agreed. Soon four different platters of food were brought out to me. Two kinds of fish in curry, a fried egg dish and something else. I have found over the course of a few days that if I don't know what something is, I will still generally like it. I was given a room to myself and fell asleep shortly. Cocka-doodle-doo!! I can't tell you how jarring the sound of a rooster right outside my window was at 5 am. The whole village wakes up and I have now found myself getting up naturally with the roosters.
The whole village is a friendly and open place. Doors are rarely locked and people travel in and out of each others house all the time. They stop by to say hi, watch t.v. or just look at the farang (that means foreigner and it refers to me). Everyone knows "hallo!" and I try my hand at Thai by replying "sawadii kap!"(also hello). The sense of community is astounding having come from a culture that really enjoys privacy. I have never felt this welcome even in my own neighborhood at home! In all honesty the only time I have felt this kind of openness has been at MKG over these last few years (YAAH! for MKG!).
I traveled with Lek and his son to the beach to pick clams for dinner and saw a few more temples yesterday. We stop every day for lunch at the noodle cart on the way back to the house. The food costs about 20-30 baht for the Thai's and that's about 75 cents to a dollar for us. I tried to buy some fruit for the family the other day and I thought I got a pretty good deal. I paid 115 baht for a large pineapple and watermelon. I gave it to the family and they asked how much I paid. I told them and they smiled int hat wonderful Thai way and said, "Good. Good. For farang." That night Lek's wife (I don't know how to spell her name, although it sounds like cop) made a meal for me using the fruit I bought. I've never had a fish meal using pineapple, watermelon and cucumber but I think it was one of the best I've had.
Well, I'm going back to the beach to swim for a while. The weather is clear and sunny and about 85-90 degrees. I hope everyone is well and I'll check in soon.
The night I arrived they came out and picked me up in front of the temple and drove me back to their mothers shop. No one spoke much English but "hungry?" was said and I agreed. Soon four different platters of food were brought out to me. Two kinds of fish in curry, a fried egg dish and something else. I have found over the course of a few days that if I don't know what something is, I will still generally like it. I was given a room to myself and fell asleep shortly. Cocka-doodle-doo!! I can't tell you how jarring the sound of a rooster right outside my window was at 5 am. The whole village wakes up and I have now found myself getting up naturally with the roosters.
The whole village is a friendly and open place. Doors are rarely locked and people travel in and out of each others house all the time. They stop by to say hi, watch t.v. or just look at the farang (that means foreigner and it refers to me). Everyone knows "hallo!" and I try my hand at Thai by replying "sawadii kap!"(also hello). The sense of community is astounding having come from a culture that really enjoys privacy. I have never felt this welcome even in my own neighborhood at home! In all honesty the only time I have felt this kind of openness has been at MKG over these last few years (YAAH! for MKG!).
I traveled with Lek and his son to the beach to pick clams for dinner and saw a few more temples yesterday. We stop every day for lunch at the noodle cart on the way back to the house. The food costs about 20-30 baht for the Thai's and that's about 75 cents to a dollar for us. I tried to buy some fruit for the family the other day and I thought I got a pretty good deal. I paid 115 baht for a large pineapple and watermelon. I gave it to the family and they asked how much I paid. I told them and they smiled int hat wonderful Thai way and said, "Good. Good. For farang." That night Lek's wife (I don't know how to spell her name, although it sounds like cop) made a meal for me using the fruit I bought. I've never had a fish meal using pineapple, watermelon and cucumber but I think it was one of the best I've had.
Well, I'm going back to the beach to swim for a while. The weather is clear and sunny and about 85-90 degrees. I hope everyone is well and I'll check in soon.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Insomnia and pad thai
Well, it's Wednesday the 18th at about 11 am. I got into Thailand at 10 am yesterday and slept from about 10pm until 2 am. When I say sleep I mean that I laid with my eyes closed pretending I wasn't dying from the heat and humidity. It's about 90 degrees, overcast and nearly 100% humidity. I take a shower and dry off only to find out I'm still soaked.
I wanted to post some pictures to show what I've been doing but I'll need to figure that feature out first. Anyway, I love it here and the culture shock comes in ever decreasing waves. Most people are very nice and I haven't really had a problem with anything. A few conmen have tried to grift me but I'm catching on quick to their scams. "the temples are all closed today but if you go to this place (suit shop, secluded temple, "massage parlor") you will have a good time. " These guys speak english too darn well and that's pretty much the tip off.
I love riding in the tuk-tuks, which are open air motorcycles with a back seat. They just zip in and out of traffic and it's a lot like a roller coaster, except no safety features and the operaters probably on amphetamines. Oh yeah, the Pad thai!! I wasn't able to eat yesterday because of jet lag so I finally ate around 10 today. I went to a cart on the side of the road and ordered pad thai (rice noodles, egg, beansprouts, etc) and it cost me 25 baht. That's about 75 cents in U.S. currency. It was probably the best food I've ever had. i may head back for more after I finish this post.
Anyway, I'm off to meet up with Jim (Max Perry's uncle) to go hang out with his adult students learning english. He told me to get ready to be given the Thai third degree: where are you from? how long are you here? have you been to (x) yet? Do you have a girlfriend? Do you want one? (just kidding on that one... I think). I'll post again soon and get pictures up.
Miss you all,
Sifu Adam
I wanted to post some pictures to show what I've been doing but I'll need to figure that feature out first. Anyway, I love it here and the culture shock comes in ever decreasing waves. Most people are very nice and I haven't really had a problem with anything. A few conmen have tried to grift me but I'm catching on quick to their scams. "the temples are all closed today but if you go to this place (suit shop, secluded temple, "massage parlor") you will have a good time. " These guys speak english too darn well and that's pretty much the tip off.
I love riding in the tuk-tuks, which are open air motorcycles with a back seat. They just zip in and out of traffic and it's a lot like a roller coaster, except no safety features and the operaters probably on amphetamines. Oh yeah, the Pad thai!! I wasn't able to eat yesterday because of jet lag so I finally ate around 10 today. I went to a cart on the side of the road and ordered pad thai (rice noodles, egg, beansprouts, etc) and it cost me 25 baht. That's about 75 cents in U.S. currency. It was probably the best food I've ever had. i may head back for more after I finish this post.
Anyway, I'm off to meet up with Jim (Max Perry's uncle) to go hang out with his adult students learning english. He told me to get ready to be given the Thai third degree: where are you from? how long are you here? have you been to (x) yet? Do you have a girlfriend? Do you want one? (just kidding on that one... I think). I'll post again soon and get pictures up.
Miss you all,
Sifu Adam
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Waiting for the plane
I'm sitting in a really amazing lounge at Cathay Pacific airlines waiting for my plane at one in the morning. i never realized the difference between people in coach and those in business and first class. I came into a marble foyer with a beautiful hostess in red silk who welcomed me to the lounge. The chairs are all comfortable and they have free computers with internet. A door leading to the first class lounge is restricted to me and my mind boggles to think of what they're enjoying over there. Lobster? Massages? Anyway, I finally made my blog (obviously, since I'm writing in it. :-P) and i will post pictures of thailand as I travel. My email is Abshilling@gmail.com for anyone who wants to say hi. I'm gonna go back and get pampered some more now. Goodnight.
Adam
Adam
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
