Returning & Adjusting to Home

Hi friends,

I realize I haven't written in a while. It's extraordinary how much faster life moves now I'm back. I returned April 17th, fought jetlag and greeted old friends, then started a new job on the 23rd. I thought the days between returning and restarting "the real world" would give me time to recover, or at least reorient. I didn't remember the speed at which I used to run my life. One blink, no pauses and I'm finishing my third week at work without even thinking about it.

Is it that easy to slip back into an American professional life? To spend $20 on a burger and beers? Wear a dress and heels? Advocate for increased bicycle ridership? Sing along to Disney songs and Radiohead at karaoke?

Well, yes actually.

I resumed my old life so quickly that I didn't finish processing my trip. Asia now tickles at the rear of my thoughts like a recent ex, or a complex problem with a solution just out of reach. Flashbacks hit me whenever I find quiet space, and I suffer from intense cravings for noodle soup like you wouldn't believe.

The other day I ordered pho to go from a place around the corner from my apartment. I pulled on a hoodie and my chacos for the walk. As I strolled along the quiet, lit, wide, clean sidewalk, a car passed by me and stopped at the red light. Normal American City life, right? My attention faded from the street and returned back to Bangkok. I closed my eyes to concentrate on the loud honking, the roads crowded with careening scooters driving on the wrong side, the stream of people navigating through the street vendors hawking clothes and lottery tickets and spiced meat that wafts over the burning heat even at night.

I breathe deep. Hold. Hold inside me.

Then I walk into a bright white hipster soup & beer restaurant, pay $8 for a poor imitation of my memories, and begin the journey home again.

Katie

Ko Tao Pictures

Ko Tao, Thailand take 2

(I hit send WAY before I wanted to, sorry for the lengthy boring unedited post before this!)

Ok. Anyway I arrived in the airport too late to make the Ko Tao ferry, so I hopped aboard the Ko Phan Ngan one instead. I stayed one night in a hostel just between sunset and sunrise beaches. The little alleyways connecting the two were entirely hostels, bars, loud music, and 'western' restaurants. Neon signs and flyers shouted Full Moon Party! Half Moon Party! Buy two buckets get one free! Happy shakes! Free body paint with bucket! Yet the place was eerily empty as the party ended a few days before. It's hard to imagine what the beaches look like covered in masses of drunk westerners playing with paint and fire. I met someone who was burned on the neck from playing fire jump rope. Um?

I ate on the beach with my toes dug deep into the soft white sand. The tide slowly crept up to me as I sipped a mojito, a Singapore Sling, a Mai Tai. The moon finally broke through the clouds and I could understand how the first visitors felt inspired to celebrate. It looks huge and beckoning. I sat for hours writing in my journal and enjoying the salty air. Inhale. Exhale. Stress disappear... If I hadn't already booked my ticket to Ko Tao the next morning, I probably would have stayed another night or two.

But onward to Ko Tao, where my new dive shop picked me up, set me up in my beachfront bungalow and gave me a book to begin studying instantly. First dive tomorrow. No pressure!

The instructors did a great job rehearsing various skills with me, and I felt way more comfortable in the water than I thought. Soon I was exploring coral reefs with my small class and New Zealander instructor. It's hard to explain just how amazing diving can be. There's so many fish and sea anemones and coral and urchins and slugs... Despite all I had just seen in my travels, I felt like this was one of the most amazing things I've ever done. Just unbelievable and unreal. It's like swimming in an aquarium! (I know how dumb this sounds.) The density of fish is crazy and amazingly they don't 'run away' from you. You're just as much a part of what's going on, observing and interacting. I could push water towards a giant school of fish and watch them all shift direction seamlessly, like an emergent being moving at once. Brightly colored Christmas Tree worms would close up for a minute and slowly pop back open. Triggerfish would signal for us to back away from their nest like a dog baring its teeth. I saw giant grouper, sting rays, angelfish, banner fish, baby fish, squid eggs, sea slugs, giant hermit crabs... So cool!

After the certification, I talked over the next few days with the dive center. Everyone in my dive class agreed to taking a day off for Songkran New Year then spending two days getting the Advanced certification. This meant 30m dives, a shipwreck dive, a night dive, a navigation dive and a drift dive. It only got more amazing.

What a life, really... Spending all day on a boat off a gorgeous island in between diving. The staff would cut up fresh pineapple and set out cookies after we came up. Nothing could taste better!

I think I'm hooked. Anybody want to go diving with me?



Katie

Ko Tao, Thailand

Hello friends!

Yes I've been home a few days now, but this is an excellent opportunity for me to reminisce about Southern Thailand.

Initially I imagined lying on a sandy white beach with a lone palm tree over my head while I read a book a day. You know, relaxing without a care in the world. No more 'must see' sights. A place to fix my dismal farmers tan. A badly needed vacation.

With that in mind, I started researching islands. Yes, it's a hard life picking out which tropical island you'll relax on for a week! I wanted quiet, hiking opportunities, a cheap beachfront bungalow, decent food options nearby, and close to an airport so I could fly from Hanoi.

From Surat Thani (which had the cheapest tickets), three islands are nearby: Ko Phan Ngan, Ko Samui, and Ko Tao. Evidently Ko Samui was initially that paradise, but giant resorts followed the backpackers in. Now it's a fully developed island lacking any Thai authenticity (or budget accommodation!) The same process is underway on Ko Phan Ngan - an island famous for the Full Moon Parties. I wanted to dodge the party scene, so Ko Tao was next. Since it's most known for scuba diving sites, I figured i could find a beach all to myself.

Over time though, the idea of scuba diving started to appeal to me. I traveled with a dive instructor in Thailand and Laos, and she did so much to make scuba sound amazing. I also have some scuba gear at the top of my closet (long story) still unused. So I did a little research and learned that an open water certification was just two days and included three nights accommodation. Done!

Katie

N Vietnam Pictures: Hanoi, The Ship, Approaching Rain, Easter Mass

Hanoi & Ha Long Bay

I realize I'm very slow on my updates; I have been scuba diving in Thailand the past week and taking time to absorb the end of my travels. Right now I'm in the airport waiting to fly back to Bangkok, where I spend one night before taking off for LAX.

I do plan on updating a bit when I get back; after I round out Koh Tao I will likely share more essay-like posts about my reflections. Think more 'Humility' post vs 'this is what I did today posts!'

That being said... I owe you a report on Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. I consider these locations the spiritual end to my travels as a backpacker, and honestly by Hanoi I was wearied by the tourist attraction circuit. Usually I at least made the effort to 'see the sights' of a given location, but in Hanoi I just walked and ate and hung out with new friends.

Upon arrival (after my canceled flight, remember) I made my way to the famous Hanoi Backpackers Hostel. Friends from Ho Chi Minh recommended the place to me and I was immediately struck by the number of folks staying there. It's a vast backpacker factory, complete with restaurant, bar, lounge, BBQ, computers etc on at least seven floors. (I asked later - they house about 200 beds at minimum $6/pop.) After all the gritty family run guesthouses I've stayed in, the bright colors and Western style was very jarring. Nevertheless, I figured this was the end of my trip across Indochina and it was appropriate to try the backpacker scene full stop before I left.

So I booked a booze cruise ticket with the hostel to Ha Long Bay.

Stories from the boat party are best left to private conversation. It's clearer to me now that I am not a hard partier, but I had a great time anyway.

The boat ride was absolutely gorgeous. You know what Ha Long Bay looks like: giant limestone karst jut out of the bay while screened in mist. We took a short kayaking trip to experience the scenery up close and paddled inside a cave, where I slipped and scraped myself up a bit. Figures.

At the end of the day, I stood quietly on the top deck watching the light fade away. I wanted Ha Long Bay to seep into my bones. I wanted all of my travels to reflect and magnify inside of me until I truly accepted all that I had experienced. It's happened. I'm here, on the deck of a ship in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. I have traveled through Southeast Asia without approval from my family or some of my close friends and made it by myself just fine. Cheers, Vietnam. Thank you for your beauty.

The next morning the clouds darkened and rain fell as we sailed back to the harbor. Everyone rushed inside the dining hall. I pled for a glass of hot tea and snuck out the back door under the deck to watch the last of the mountains disappear. My heart began to turn towards home.

Back in Hanoi, I made a half-hearted effort to visit the Temple of Literature. The lines were massive and tour groups trekked through like ants. Gradually but strongly I began to feel that I should not be there at all. It's April 8th, Easter, and the first thing I'm doing is visiting a temple. After all the blessings God has granted me, I couldn't ignore His pull on this holy day. So I bought my ticket and left for the giant Catholic cathedral in town. I arrived in time for the French service. To hear Easter mass in French while in a gothic Cathedral in Vietnam - well, it really defines the 'universal' Catholic church. Afterwards I felt overcome with gratitude and love. Maybe I was even shining because four Vietnamese university students asked to take a picture with me. They enjoyed it so much that they even asked for an individual picture each with me! Of course I then needed a picture with them for myself :). Only one spoke English and the rest just giggled and smiled really big. Very cute.

Actually, I think of all the countries I was the most popular in Vietnam. I was asked several times if I was part Vietnamese because I'm small. Many folks complimented me on my smile. I even was asked by two separate & lovely young women to be their English speaking pen pal!

On the way to the Hanoi airport late at night, the taxi driver even felt the need to ask me in broken English if I liked Vietnamese boys and if I would want a Vietnamese boyfriend. I demurred and said I liked boys close to where I live. He then asked me if Vietnamese penises were smaller than American penises!! I pretended to not understand his hand gestures and we didn't talk much after that.

From Hanoi to Bangkok overnight to Surat Thani to Ko Phan Ngan overnight to Ko Tao... And to be continued :)

Katie

Central Vietnam Pictures: My Som, me, mountains, Tu Duc Tomb

Central Vietnam: Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh Trail, and Hue

I flew from Ho Chi Minh City (where the airport power went out twice) to Danang in Central Vietnam. A hastily negotiated motorcycle ride down the coast brought me 45 minutes south to "Hoi An - Ancient City." Now, Hoi An is a legitimately beautiful place. Yellow French colonial buildings line tiny alleyways snaking toward the water. The city has rich roots in French, Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese culture from its days as a large trading & merchant town. I gamely paid for a ticket that let me inside five 'ancient' sites and wandered inside a Japanese bridge from 1000s, Chinese Buddhist temples, and a very old, still in use wooden merchant house. I thought the house in particular was really interesting because it had both Japanese and Chinese influences and gorgeous mother of pearl inscriptions and designs on vertical support columns.

Honestly though, at this point the sniffles I had in HCMC blossomed into a full on head cold, and not sleeping last night made me a zombie in Hoi An. I walked blankly back to my room and slept from 5pm-8am the next day.

Thankfully I packed some DayQuil, so the next morning I tackled the tailor shops. My Vietnamese sales lady was so good I actually had fun shopping - or rather, "dress designing." I decided against getting a custom suit because I don't foresee needing one for a really long time. Instead, I got a cocktail dress, a summer dress, and a gray blazer that fits very smartly. Then I had a sudden burst of inspiration and asked for two pairs of jeans as well: a skinny pant and a trouser pant. Next stop was the shoe store. Now, I have a little foot but it's wide in the toe and somewhat high at the top. Shoes can be very difficult and the thought of custom designed shoes was really exciting. I did A LOT of damage here that I'm too embarrassed to report on. But I'm excited for my clothes to arrive in the US soon!

In between fittings, I met with an "Easy Rider" to discuss a guided motorcycle trip to Hue (about three hours north along the coast). I had grand images of a drive similar to pacific coast highway in California, despite the rainy and misty weather. Anh, my driver, shook his head and quickly convinced me to drive out into the mountains along the Ho Chi Minh trail, stay the night in a small town, and head back to Hue for some sightseeing before dropping me off at the airport at 8pm.

The drive, my friends, was utterly gorgeous. We passed through so many shades of green that I can't even describe it. We stopped at a small home where brooms were made and watched an automatic loom weave some cloth. I made rice paper very badly and ate it! We saw a pineapple plantation and a minority village, where thankfully I was just a boring visitor barely worth a wave. The next day we stopped by a waterfall, a rubber tree plantation and a pepper tree, where Anh tricked me into eating a pepper that destroyed my mouth for half an hour.

Riding on the back of his motorcycle was exhilarating. We dashed up and down the mountains until the foot rests I used vibrated too much for my feet. Just wow. I couldn't stop thinking about how much my life has changed in the past two years and how I could have never predicted this moment. I felt so utterly young and alive and full of potential. I held my arms out from my sides and felt the clear air rush past while I laughed among the peaks and rice paddy valleys.

By Hue I had very little desire to hit the tourist circuit (my traveling high for the day was already reached!) but I made an obligatory stop amongst the crowds to Tu Duc tomb and the famous pagoda. They were actually really beautiful and so different than the Wats I've been tracking down in the rest of Asia. The tombs were massive but old, worn, ruined. The weathered wood and peeling paint in the mist gave the whole site a great atmosphere.

I convinced Anh to take me to the beach before the airport. We sat on a bamboo platform watching the light fade from the gray sky until the horizon disappeared. I dug my toes into the sand and drank a beer, letting the past few days & weeks settle in. It's hard not be reflective as a trip comes to a close and the ocean waves were so soothing.

Anh dropped me off at the airport with a tear for the last flight out to Hanoi. Un/fortunately it was canceled, so Vietnam Airlines put me up in a three star hotel. I had a shower curtain for the first time in my trip! I linked up with a woman and her teenage son in the hotel lobby the next morning, where staff argued that we weren't on the first flight out. The woman made a few calls and next thing you know we were boarding an 8:30am plane to Hanoi. Perfecto for me, barely iffy for her. I hope she made her connection to Ha Long Bay.

I had my own plans for Ha Long Bay to come later... :)

Katie

Humility: Cu Chi Tunnels & War Remnants Museum

Humility is considered a virtue. We value the humble on an individual level and typically resent boasters. Collectively as Americans however, our culture strongly emphasizes patriotic pride. Popular music sings, "Proud to be an American" and a politician is damned if he's caught without an American flag pin.

I've grown up casually believing America is number one and has the moral high ground. History class was flavored with lessons on how "those countries" (read: those that don't have America's form of government or enlightened leaders) made poor decisions or affronted human rights. Without much thought I assumed as truth that America was always right and did everything best. Maybe we've made mistakes but you know, the American way is still the best way.

Then I came to Vietnam, which immediately invokes the Vietnam War and jungles to American ears. I visited the Cu Chi Tunnels and the War Remnants museum to learn more about the "American War."

What I learned was humility.

The tunnels are a huge network of tiny tunnels hand built by the local people during the war a few hours outside Ho Chi Minh City. A lyrical war veteran led us around the site, showing us bomb craters bigger than my apartment and half exploded American tanks. We scooted in a crouch through the tunnels at breakneck speed while giggling to cover the claustrophobic nervousness. I emerged sweaty, dirty and triumphant. I can imagine how the clever locals and Viet Cong could come out of 'nowhere' to surprise the invading troops and then disappear again.

We also saw homemade hunting traps modified for war. Sharpened bamboo poles hid under trap doors or sprang shut at a moment's touch. I admired the ingenuity of the moving traps, then remembered that they injured Americans. It was a sobering moment, imagining the Americans as the enemy.

Next we visited the War Remnants Museum, where I flexed my listening muscle. The first floor highlighted an entire globe protesting "the War of American Aggression against Vietnam." Featured photographs included the famous picture of a person putting a flower into the barrel of a police rifle. On the second floor, we learned about the modern history of Vietnam's colonization, occupation in WWII and the many years of French rule. A clipping from a Geneva Convention document described the temporary partition of Vietnam in advance of unifying elections. Western countries including the US signed the promise to not interfere with the results or in Vietnam's affairs in any way. Unfortunately for America, the winning government was communist. We balked, helped install a puppet 'democratic' government in the South sympathetic to the US and made the North/South division permanent. Insert a decade long war until the US pulls their troops out.

I took a break with a Canadian friend. We sat quietly for a few minutes, unsure what to say. Then he turned to me hesitantly and asked, "Why? Why did it go on for so long?" I was at a loss; I didn't even know the US had lost the war. I said the first thing that popped into my mind.

"Pride."

The next room was dedicated to remembering American War Crimes, including the Mai Ling massacre, massive bombings of towns and the use of napalm. The photographs of the massacre in particular are unreal. Soldiers roused an entire village out of their homes and gunned them down while a photographer snapped pictures. Over 500 men, women, and children were murdered.

The next floor documented damage from Agent Orange and other associated defoliants. It's hard to describe the horror of these chemicals. The genetic mutations resulted in horrifying deformities that are still passed on today. Babies are born with missing limbs in areas woefully lacking sufficient health care. Agent Orange has utterly ruined an entire people that cannot reproduce without fear.

I ran into another American (rare occurrence, actually) at a bar in Hanoi a couple of nights ago. She was pretty drunk and excited to see a compatriot as we exchanged hometowns. Then her mood darkened and she grabbed me tightly. "Did you know?" she implored, staring at me intently. "Did you know about Agent Orange? I didn't. I pride myself on being an educated American and defend us against those that accuse us of ignorance. But I didn't know. I saw... A woman with no arms. I saw a baby with six toes. How is this happening? How did I not learn about this in school?"

She continued to tell me how she emailed her HS asking why this wasn't taught. She promised that she was going to raise awareness and change the world. Then she spilled her drink and patted me reassuringly. "People like you empower me. Thank you." And she was gone.

I am proud of her.

The museum exhibitions ended with heroic photojournalists' pictures illustrating the war. They were simply spectacular. I believe there was another room dedicated to peace, but the museum shut off the lights and ushered us outside at closing. I stood in the sun with my Canadian friends, shifting my weight uncomfortably. My instincts were reaching for justifications and explanations, for the "American side." I wanted to defend my country to my new Canadian friends.

But I kept silent. I let it sink in. Every moment I formulated arguments was a moment that I wasn't really listening to the Vietnamese story. It was a new story to me and I needed to hear it. I learned humility.

I still love America. Really, I do. I love our diversity and our freedom. I love that my drunk American friend can return home and actually speak out against past government actions.

Now I feel deeply that Americans are just the same as anyone else in the world - people. We're subject to the same failings as anyone else, including in war, government and human rights. We're all imperfect and we must be humble enough to acknowledge our failings to strive against them.

We cannot let our pride as a country blind us to our past mistakes, or we will repeat them.

Thank you, Vietnam, for your story. I'm sorry.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

I admit, I was very nervous about HCMC. I read about taxis that would kidnap your things and unfriendly people.

Yet less than two hours after I arrived, I was grinning like an idiot walking around. My heart felt joyful and at home. Love cannot be explained, and I have fallen hard for the city formally known as Saigon. Unlike quaint Luang Prabang, which was a lovely place to visit, Ho Chi Minh City's vibrant and frenetic pace nurture a new desire to LIVE there. Should my life go off the expected track, look for me in Saigon slurping some soup.

And oh, the food was incredible. I already uploaded some pictures. Let me describe:

First, I stopped at a random food stall by the large traffic circle because (rule of thumb #1) I saw many Vietnamese people eating there. With a few points, smiles, and demonstrations of money, I received my com, or cooked rice. On top was a crispy pork (BBQ, I suspect) with a honey flavor and somewhat chewy texture topped with chopped green onions. It was served with a not-too-spicy clear broth with red chilies + green beans and the usual tomato/cucumber/ slices. A clear broth soup with a potato relative and green onions & parsley accompanied the meal.

The next picture was breakfast. I ordered exactly what the neighboring table's folks were eating (to their great merriment). What I received astonished me. A dark, spicy savory soup featured carrots and tender oxtail. With the soup came a small side dish of lime and salt/pepper that I poked at blankly. One of the neighboring men laughed at me and showed me how to squeeze the line juice into the salt/pepper and mix into a dipping sauce. Yesss this was so good. Even better, I was next given a soft baguette to dip into the soup. The men across from me watched my every move with great amusement, and eventually I cajoled them over to explain what I was eating. "Bo Kho," one wrote in careful block letters. Then he drew an adorable picture of a cow with horns. I added the tail and gestured to his approving laughter.

Breakfast of course comes with coffee, and mine was served strong with sweetened condensed milk at the bottom, Vietnamese style. The resulting drink is very rich, even thick.

These descriptions are getting killer long. No wonder I put off writing this post!

Next picture was lunch, an enjoyable rice dish with many types of meats and some veggies dumped on top. Nothing remarkable.

Then before dinner we caught a Vietnamese woman ordering this dish off a mobile cart in front of our hotel. We cornered them instantly and soon a new friend and I had some sort of papaya salad with sweetened beef jerky, peanuts, basil, chili sauce and a 'crispy thing' on top.

Next picture (next blog post) is breakfast the following day. I wandered around a market until a woman hustled me into her food stall and sold me an omelette looking dish with shrimp and bean sprouts. I sat down gamely as she brought over a plate of lettuce and basil, showing me quickly how to create the wrap that I then dipped in soy sauce. So tasty.

While I ate, another woman came over and offered to sell me a drink. It's milk sweetened with coconut and many types of beans & tapioca. I enjoyed it very much but I couldn't finish eating all the beans.

Lastly, this creation was sticky rice on a banana leaf, topped with all sorts of condiments that I couldn't identify, but I guess: pork sausage, ham, a tiny egg, fried chicken, chili, soy sauce, pulled pork, etc.

Obviously my favorite time was mealtime. I actually neglected the tourist hotspots in favor of roaming the city for an entire day, eating and drinking and walking. I tried to track down Anthony Bourdain's 'Lunch Lady' but ended up eating with three kind & chatty old Vietnamese men. Forget anyone that says these people aren't friendly! I had a really good time listening to stories about their lives. They even bought me a beer :)

After I bid adieu my feet hit the pavement again. I soaked up the busy sidewalks, the trees jutting out of concrete and the upscale boutiques. I watched unbelievably crazy motorbike drivers jostle around bicycles, cars, and each other. You know what, I realize why I like Saigon so much: it feels like Los Angeles. :)

Katie

PS more on HCMC next: a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels and War Remnants museum with new friends.

Apologies on being way behind on posts... I spent the last two days on motorbike!

Ho Chi Minh Street Food Part 2

Ho Chi Minh City Street Food

More pictures from Angkor

Angkor and Siem Reap

This is a story best told in pictures, and yet no photograph can capture the immensity.

I bent my body backwards, twisted from the ground, angled towards the trees, and I had no luck. Anthony Bourdain once remarked that Angkor Wat caused him to give up taking travel pictures over ten years ago.

Of course, he has a camera crew following him whereever he goes. Cheater. You guys just have me, my iPhone, and my little Kodak point & shoot.

sorry.

---

In words:
I met my grumpy tuk tuk driver at 5am. We headed in the pitch black just a few kilometers north of the city and he dumped me out by a food cart. Coffee and croissant in hand, I follow flashlights and the sound of others murmuring in the darkness up stairs and across some uneven walkway. I can barely make out the outline of some building before we cross in and out. This next walkway stretches forever and with a chill I notice the famous sillihouette. Crowds are all around me now and we move as one over to some lake waiting for the sunrise. Folks laugh nervously and others complain about the early time. I munch on my croissant and feel like complaining about my bad coffee.

The sun shyly hides behind clouds as she stirs awake. Light slowly spreads across the fields. Angkor Wat gradually brightens before our eyes while people fiddle with their tripod and guidebooks.

By 6am I'm convinced the sun has denied us a glamorous show, so I break away from the crowd and head into the temple. It's unbelievably quiet and only three or four people follow me inside.

What can be said that hasn't been said before? I'm standing alone in the middle of the world's largest religious monument. I'm staring at the remnants of a civilization that I knew nothing about before I came to Asia. Apsaras stare back at me from every corner. How did I not know the word Apsara before I came here? Or Shiva? Or Ganesha?

I knew -of- Hinduism and Buddhism, but I didn't know they inspired art and buildings like this. In hindsight it seems obvious. I guess two decades of staring at Christian iconography in cathedrals and museums left me somewhat narrow minded in scope and imagination.

There's something else you should know. It's not just Angkor Wat. There's a huge complex of ancient ruins spanning 881-1218 AD. I saw next Angkor Thom (1190-1218), the name for another capital city walled in. The main temple known as Bayon features hundreds of gigantic king faces staring down at you. There's a large 'elephant terrace' and 'leper king terrace' with meticulous bas reliefs leading to the royal palace. Then I visited Ta Prohm (1186), also known as 'tree temple' or tomb raider temple. It was left in its original condition after 'discovery' by the French, and now enormous silk cotton trees infiltrate the walls and ceilings. It's magnificent. The afternoon ended with Thomannon and Chau Say Teuda.

The next morning we drove 30km out to see Banteay Srei (967), built for not a king but a Brahamin. It's a small temple of gorgeously carved pink sandstone. Just north of there is Kbai Spean, or river of a thousand lingas. My driver joined me for the scenic 1.5km hike up a jungle covered mountain. A stream washes over carvings of lingas and other depictions of gods. (this visit was a favorite). Then back into town for East Mebon (952), Neak Pean (1180-1190), and Preah Khan (1191).

The next day, I revisited Angkor Thom because the crowds were so dense the first time I went to Bayon. Then another swing by Angkor Wat, with an end at the earliest temples: Bakong (881) the first temple built for the god-king, Lolei (893) created as new capital city, and lastly, Preah Ko.

Phew. I didn't even see them all.

The city of Siem Reap itself is pretty divided between locals and tourists, which bothered me. Most of the time though, I was too tired to even think about going out or exploring.

Well, I just crossed the border into Vietnam. On to Ho Chi Minh City!

Katie

Battambang Pictures

Battambang, Cambodia

Battambang is one of Cambodia's largest cities, but you wouldn't know it while visiting. It feels like a busy small town lacking an urban core. In fact, tuk tuk drivers make their living driving visitors to various sights at least 15km away.

As soon as my bus from Phnom Penh pulled into the station, swarms of men surrounded the door and starting shouting at various passengers. "Hello lady! Where are you going? You have tuk tuk? You have place to stay? I know a good place let me take you. Where you from? Hello lady? Come with me! Please! I know a good place to stay. You have reservation? Want to see Battambang? Want to see Killing Caves? You have tuk tuk lady?"

They stand strategically by the bag department of the bus so there's no escape. I randomly picked somebody, got a room and my things settled, and went off into the countryside.

The countryside is Battambang's main draw. The scenery through rural villages and farmland is stunning. Fields of green and brown rice paddies are broken up by palm trees and stilted houses. First I visited the "bamboo train." Colonial Cambodia used to have a train network stretching from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Battambang and more. Years ago it was closed for repairs and villages were cut off from a basic supply line. To adapt, they slapped a bamboo platform on two wheeled axels driven by a small motor & belt system. Wa-la: a bamboo train now turned kitschy tourist attraction. I'll take it!

We hurtled down decades old metal tracks that twisted with the intense heat. Butterflies dodged in front and ducked away, playing in the currents. The wind swept the hot air from the neighboring fields into our faces; the sweltering breeze reminded me of the Los Angeles Santa Anas.

After about 7km we pulled over into a 'station,' or small village. Immediately children swarmed me with gift jewelry from palm leaves and numerous questions. I had the best time playing with them, and they taught me so much Khmer. I can now count to up to 10,000 and hold the basic what is your name/how are you conversation. I can't wait to bring these phrases to Cambodia Town in LB!

After the bamboo train I visited the killing caves. During the Khmer Rouge genocide (1975-1979) prisoners/civilians were struck on the head & tossed 30m into a cave to die. A neighboring temple was converted to a prison. Now the temple is being remade with beautiful paintings donated by visitors & buddhists as a place of hope. The cave has been opened up and two glass cabinets were installed to house some small portion of the bones recovered from the area.

A 17 year old kid acted as guide, explaining the site. It would take an essay to articulate my feelings, but something about this boy repeating this horrible history over and over again for a few bucks from tourists got to me. Once, he followed my gaze up to the opening of the cave and remarked, "it's very sad, isn't it?" I started to tear up. English, Khmer... No language can adequately sum up the tragedy - least of all with the phrase 'very sad.' It doesn't even come close, but that's all the boy had in his vocabulary to repeat over and over.

I ended the night with hope at a NGO run children's circus. These kids were absolutely fantastic, and it was the most fun I've had in an 'entertainment' setting for a long time. Tumbling, contortion, tight rope, juggling, dancing... All of it had me on the edge of my seat and wanting more.

The next morning I set off 11km by bicycle to visit a ruined temple from Angkor times. Kids absolutely adored seeing me pass by and I can't count how many times folks shouted "hello!" One group of boys on bicycles caught up to me and amused themselves by asking questions in English. "hello! What is your name? Where are you from? How old are you? Are you married? Where are you going?" Everytime I asked the question back though the little boy would blush and get nervous - so cute!

In the afternoon I went by motorbike back south to see another old ruined temple. After I explained to my driver (Bernie!) what I wanted, he took me through villages and farmland. We pulled over by a field on the riverbanks, where Bernie pointed out each crop. I saw chillies, pumpkins, watermelons, sweet potatoes, corn, morning glory (green vegetable), and to top it off, folks were spreading out a fishing net while we were there. So. Cool. Then a quick stop at Cambodia's only winery (California has nothing to worry about) and the temple!

Bed never felt so good.

Phew - A lot of words for this post. I'm having fun telling stories versus just updates. I hope y'all don't mind!

Lots of love from the land of Angkor,
Katie

Phnom Penh Pictures (S-21, Royal Palace, Strawberry Pepper Margarita)

Initial Experiences in Cambodia

A few days ago I crossed the border into Cambodia. First I stopped overnight in a riverside town called Kratie. As soon as I put my bags down, I hopped on the back of a scooter and headed 20km away to Kampi. There, I boarded a boat to watch the rare Irrawaddy river dolphin surface and play in the fading sunlight. Perfect.

Back in town, my waitress at the hostel restaurant asked to practice her English with me. We were having a good time until she starting complaining about how little money she made and asked me how much I made. She made sure to tell me that if I left a tip on the table the boss would take it, so I should hand money directly to her. I began to feel uncomfortable. Then a tuk tuk driver from Kampi recognized me as he walked by and sat at my table to chat & ask if I traveled alone. Nervous, I left and booked a ticket out the next day.

I don't mean to generalize, but I have felt a difference in how Laos and Cambodian folks treat tourists. Laos people had an almost endearing shyness to them, but warmed quickly when approached. Here folks are bold, both in asking questions and asking for money. I'm trying not to take it personally when a new 'friend' asks for money at the end, but it's hard to feel like a walking wallet.

Perhaps I let my guard down too much in Laos. In Thailand I immediately dismissed anyone that came up speaking English to me as a scammer, and it seems I need to resume that behavior. I've been approached by an orphanage owner wanting to take me to visit and another man that somehow had something in common with everything I said, and also wanted to take me away to visit his daughter ("she's moving to LA!"). It's funny how "don't go off with strangers" from childhood is advice I have to use again.

The worst may have been a pair of monks in Phnom Penh that I spoke with for over thirty minutes. We had a good time teaching each other English and Khmer, and he explained the history of the temple I sat in. Then he offered to show me the ancient stupa that held the eyebrow of a god. Once we were out of sight, he explained to me that people donate to monks and if I had a 'good feeling' I could donate too. I laughed nervously and asked where the donation box was for the temple. He shook his head and insisted I give him the money. After I fished out a dollar, he asked for money for his friend too. I shook my head and fled. I'm 90% sure Buddhist monks are not allowed to take money (just food) so I am not sure if they were fake or just crafty. Either way, lesson learned!

Thankfully in Battambang I have had much better luck with the locals, but that city deserves its own post. It was so much fun!

Anyway, more on Phnom Penh later. I plan to stay another night after Siem Reap to break up the trip to Ho Chi Minh City. While I was in Phnom Penh the leader of Myanmar was visiting, so the royal place and national museum were closed. I want to visit before leaving.

And now, Siem Reap & Angkor Wat. It's a horrendously hot time to visit and I'm almost out of sunscreen. Wish me luck!

Much love,

Katie

Don Khon of 4000 Islands

I could write so much about Don Khon.

I could write about my lovely new German friends that encouraged me to relax and eat well.

I could write about waking at dawn and cycling in chase of the sunrise.

About cycling with no destination and stumbling upon just waking villages with the scent of sticky rice in the air

About accidentally cycling to magnificent rapids and waterfalls... Then intentionally seeking waterfalls :)

About the oxen that blocked my path and moved when I rang my bicycle bell

About old French rail ports and craggy rocks shielding Cambodia

About children scaling bamboo rods and tree branches to toss down fruit... And who giggle at a white girl on a bike in their forest

About the Lao woman who told me not to marry young; that when she wants noodle soup, her husband wants rice and he always wins. She plans on getting that more expensive concrete house though no matter what he says!

About tying a tube to the guesthouse dock to float & read because I was too nervous about the Mekong's current

About fresh white fish steamed in bamboo leaves with coconut milk, lemongrass, & tomato (oh God so good).

About swinging in a hammock with a good book and a couple beer Laos

It was possibly a traveler's dream.

Today (while in Phnom Penh) I booked hundreds of dollars worth of four flights to squeeze in all I want to do in my last four weeks. The price tag hurts but the thought of missing Halong Bay or Thailand beaches hurts more! Plus an hour long plane ride sounds much more pleasant than a 14 hour bus ride, and now I know I will definitely make it back to Bangkok in time for my flight home. The rest of my itinerary is pretty much set, as much as I hate feeling so committed.

Next stops:
Battambang
Siem Reap (Angkok Wat)
Phnom Penh to get to Ho Chi Minh City
Da Nang
Hoi An
Hue
Hanoi
Halong Bay
Bangkok to get to Surat Thani (islands)
One full week of precious island/beach/relaxation time, probably on Ko Saumi and Ko Tao
Bangkok to get to Hong Kong to get to LOS ANGELES.

These advance plans were necessary because the New Year Holiday is April 13-15th and everything will be booked, which is why tickets were so expensive. Imagine being a foreigner absolutely needing to fly around Thanksgiving... Yeah, like that. Whoops.

Ok, I'm done pretending like I'm a reporter at the Foreign Correspondent's Club in Phnom Penh. I think they see through me...

Champasak, Laos & Wat Phu

Champasak is a province in southern Laos. I took an overnight sleeper bus from Vientiane and woke up in Paske, the capital city of the province.

Bleary-eyed, two new friends and I caught a tuk tuk to the main market in hopes of a ride to Champasak village. The road was bumpy and dusty, and I occupied myself by watching the morning traffic navigate the potholes. With interest I eyed a motorcyclist reach over into his front basket and fiddle around in some bags. To my empty stomach's surprise, he fished out a couple of small fruit. Suddenly he broke out into a grin and sped up alongside the tuk tuk. He reached out his hand and carefully passed three of the fruit to my friend - all while driving in traffic! We laughed and thanked him quickly as he moved ahead.

The fruit - by the way - were delicious. My friend described them as like a cross between a grape and an apricot, but citrus and sweet/sour.

At the market, I ordered coffee and was delivered this thick mixture of coffee, sweetened condensed milk & sugar poured over ice in a bag. It was so rich I could barely drink it all, but the novelty of the bag tickled me. We also ordered these little baguettes with green onion and a salty meat soup mixture poured into the center - so good you forgave the fact you had no idea what you were eating.

Champasak village is really known for Wat Phu, the site of ancient pre-Angkorian Khmer ruins. After napping and relaxing a bit, we negotiated another tuk tuk ten kilometers to the ruins. I learned so much about Hindu inspired art and architecture. Wat Phu is built on a mountain sacred to locals
because its shape resembles the linga, or representation of the god Shiva. There's also a natural spring from the rock face that used to be channel towards the inner sanctuary to bathe a large linga. The ruins are truly impressive and I can't wait to apply what I learned to the Angkor ruins when I visit next week.

Vientiane Pictures

Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane is a sleepy capital city that lacked the charm of Luang Prabang. Thankfully, I met up with some amazing people that made the trip memorable.

I wandered around the first afternoon and pretty saw all there was to see from a tourism standpoint. The rest of the time I just ate and drank! Like in Luang Prabang, Vientiane has dozen of French inspired cafes. On the way to Buddha park, I made new friends with a couchsurfer from NYC. She invited me to dinner with her French host, and we ate the most fantastic upscale French food for cheap (by American standards). I ordered beef with a cognac flambé sauce with green peppers. It came with sides of BBQ potatoes with grilled onions, morning glory greens (not my favorite Lao veggie) and eggplant with cheese.

I'll also throw in a picture of the chicken larb I ate with sticky rice and a big beer Lao. I've already looked up where I can eat this again back home! So good.

Buddha park by the way is very bizarre. Check out the pictures and you'll see what I mean.

By the time this is posted, I'll be in Champasak after a sleeper bus from Vientiane. In the morning will be Wat Phu and then 4000 islands!

Katie

Pictures Cycling Through Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng

Or, "how NOT to let a town develop in SE Asia." It's infamous for backpacker partying, TV bars with American sitcoms and of course, tubing.

To be totally honest with you, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Yeah, the town itself with the tv bars was a total hole and not Laos, but the scenery really is breathtaking. There's a reason folks started coming here in the first place! I woke up early and rented a bicycle. Sitting well in order to smite the sounding furrows, I quickly realized that city bicycles were no match for rocky back country roads. I soldiered on for a beautiful ride through villages set among massive limestone mountains. I dodged puppies, chicks, children and cows until I reached my destination only 7km away - Poukam cave.

Never really fancying myself the adventurer, I approached the cavern with some trepidation. The climb up had me scampering over rocks and trees until I was too high to look down. Inside, the cave opened up into two HUGE rooms with gorgeous rock formations. There was even a Buddha set up for contemplation. I chickened out of squeezing into any of the back rooms though when I heard others say it was too difficult.

On the way back I cycled past a couple of women by looms making scarves. Unable to resist, I stopped and bought a cotton scarf and a silk scarf. I watched one of the women sit at the loom and thread the rocket back and forth.

I also stopped for some cheap noodle soup with chicken. There's nothing quite like eating with chickens and puppies underfoot :). The kids too loved standing thirty feet away and making faces at me. One little boy stood tall and through air punches at me. When I returned with a kick he giggled and ran away. Defeated!

Refreshed, I ducked into another cave. There was a ten or twelve year old by the entrance that served as my guide. If I thought the last path up was hard, then this was terrifying. I had to channel my inner child's fearlessness to believe this was a good idea. Oh, but the cave was worth it. The stalagmites and stalactites were huge and strange. Some were shaped like tentacles, and others like elephant ears. Some stretched up up up like whale's ribcage.
The boy then gestured me down into a small hole. I swallowed hard and reminded myself that I may never be in Vang Vieng exploring caves again. Down into the rabbit hole, up into another massive 'room.' I slipped and slid only to see the floor twenty feet away was a steep 45 degrees down as far as the eye could see. Well. That was going to be it for me! The little boy looked disappointed but I could not imagine how anyone could get back UP such a decline. Nevertheless, the formations were again stunning, and I stood panting and sweating buckets just to look for a long while.

The guide moved down the mountain so very quickly that I could barely keep up. I practically slid down propelled only by adrenaline. I think I deserved my swim in the gorgeous blue lagoon at the bottom!

And if that's true, then after the dusty bike ride back I deserved my tubing trip. I went at possibly the latest time to finish before dark, so I dodged most of the craziness. After I drifted past the bars (~45 minutes) it was just my tube, the lazy river and limestone karst kissing the horizon.

Simply spectacular.

Katie

More pictures of LP

Tamarind Cafe Lao Food

Luang Prabang Days 2-3

I'm failing to update more often because I feel like I have so much to tell you! So I have new agreement for you... I update more regularly but only tell a good story or short summary, or pictures! It only scratches 10% of all that I'm experiencing but any more is a fool's errand (or a full time job).

With that out of the way, I want to tell you about a highlight of LP for me - food! After saying goodbye to my travel companions, I took a shower and dressed myself up the best I could. Dress, scarf, mascara, these new leather sandals I bought in Chiang Mai... (nothing ruins a nice outfit more than these damn comfy chacos!).

I wandered off in search of a nice restaurant that served Lao food like an experience. My dawdling meant I was trying to eat at around 8pm, and I actually got turned away from several places. I think in Laos they don't use a wait list - nothing like being told a place is "full." My stomach persisted though, and I wandered back by this famous one called Tamarind Cafe a second time. I asked if I could please just wait ten minutes, thirty minutes, anything to eat there. The host relented and sent me across the street to a little bar table and stool. It felt like time out sitting there all by myself, watching the others eat delicious delicious food. "Here Katie, you want some food? You want some Lao food? No! Go sit over there until you feel sorry for what you crave!"
Maybe I looked pitiful - he soon brought me roasted peanuts with garlic and bamboo shoots and I was happy :)

On to dinner. To consider Lao food one must immediately think of sticky rice. How to describe? It sticks together and rolls into a ball (or any other shape) very nicely. You pick up a good clump with your left hand and pass a bite sized portion to your right. Then you use the rice to scoop up whatever delicious food you're eating. It's positively addicting.

So, I ordered a sampler platter and an 'entree,' which is a bit of a misnomer because Lao don't have courses - they eat everything at once. Pictures will follow in the next post. Here are my tasting notes. First is the Lao name, then the English description from the menu, and lastly a note or two with my reactions.

Drink: Tamarind cooler with Lao Lao whiskey.
Snack: dried bamboo, garlic and peanuts
Sampling platter, clockwise starting from top left:
- Som Pak Gat: leafy green vegetable, pickled. Tasted bitter and vinegary, but decent with a lot of sticky rice
- Jeow Nor Mai Som: pickled bamboo with a hint of ginger and a light kick. The ginger was very strong in my opinion and the bitter taste was overwhelming. The only dish I didn't finish.
- Sai Oua: Luang Prabang sausage. I was excited about this one because I love sausages, but it was somewhat disappointing - dry and with only a light flavor.
- Sinh Savanh: 'heavenly' dried buffalo meat, sweetly flavored. This was indeed sweeter than I expected, but not overly so. Chewy like you'd expect but not dry. Addicting.
- Miang parcels: delicate flavored pastes of rice and aubergine (little eggplant), & lemongrass and noodles in a leafy wrapping. The first also contained lime and peanuts, a combination that was divine. The second had a very delicate flavor indeed and suffered from mushy texture problems.

Oua Si Khai: Fragant lemongrass stuffed with chicken, kaffir lime & coriander, and a side dipping sauce. Wow. You gotta check out the picture for this one. I got conflicting instructions on whether or not to eat the lemongrass cage, but either way this was delicious. No flavor was too overwhelming, and the dipping sauce was perhaps a sweet chili? Nice complement.

After dinner I ordered a Lao Coffee, which was mixed with tamarind juice and served in a glass with sweet condensed milk heavy at the bottom. I dodged most of the milk but otherwise a perfect end to way too much food.

Final bill? Only 92,000 kip + 8000 kip tip (not expected here) = 12.5 USD. Mission accomplished.

My food budget has just exploded - I think I'm hooked. Bad backpacker.

Oh, and funny side note:
while I was walking to the restaurant in the dark, I passed by half a dozen novice monks on the other side of the street (a common occurrence, I assure you). Usually they're silent and focused on their destination, such that they almost become part of the scenery in Luang Prabang. Yet these broke the fourth wall and shouted kindly at me "you look lovely!" I blushed and replied, "khop jai" as I walked by them. They continued to giggle and say nice things. Then someone asked, "do you remember me?" with a lot of laughter. I was already passed them and so embarrassed that I just laughed too and hurried off. Were these the novices I caught showering the previous day??

Now every time I see one of the young novices with their muscular arms and cheeky grins I blush and feel embarrassed. I feel like such a schoolgirl, and yet they are just schoolboys themselves! Monks aren't even allowed to take something from a female hand; to exchange an item one must set it down on the ground and step away. Yet these mischievous novices make it clear that they're still teenage boys. Hilarious.

I actually befriended a novice briefly at a different Wat while I was walking around. He was super nice and corrected my horrendous pronunciation of Lao cities. I also met a German girl to whom he was teaching Lao, and she teased him for 'collecting' westerners. He blushed and grinned so big that I felt rather vindicated for my own embarrassment. Cheeky bastards :)

With all my love and full stomach,

Katie

Luang Prabang, Laos: Day 1

Friends! My soul has found a quiet place to rest here. Luang Prabang is an French colonial town nestled in a valley between two rivers in the middle of Laos. In 1995 it was designated a UNESCO world heritage site and has somehow managed to preserve its relaxed, beautiful character. The joke goes that Laos PDR actually stands for "Laos, Please Don't Rush." If you've known me for ten minutes at all you know this might as well be my motto also.

The French influence especially shows in the architecture and in the food! There's a fantastic coffee and croissant culture here intermixed with the Lao food. You -know- how I feel about coffee and croissants.

I decided to spend three full days here. On the first day, we wandered the streets drinking coffee and poking our head into shops with handmade Lao products. The guidebooks insist that "atmospheric temples" are everywhere, so around Mt Phousi we got lost in some Wat complex. I heard laughter and shouts from around the corner of this 'serene' place and my curiosity got the best of me. I gingerly stepped closer to the noise pretending to be looking at a particularly uninteresting building when a group of Lao men hollered at us, "Sabaidee!!"

Sabaidee might be my new favorite word. It's the greeting used for everyone and by everyone (cute kids riding with mom in the night market!) - and I humbly submit to general linguistics study that it's impossible to say without a smile.

So we grin back to the men, "Sabaidee!" and before you know it, we're joining them at their table and they're passing me shots of whisky Lao. It turns out that they're teachers for the novice monks, and they're celebrating international women's day with drinking games. I invite myself into their fast paced card game. Ms. Skovgard, it may be to your amazement that these men were playing a form of asshole! Despite your great skill at teaching me this game, I failed miserably and ended up buying a round of Beer Lao.

Now, after an hour of losing regularly I desperately needed to use the restroom. I followed pointed fingers around the uninteresting building and came face to face with a dozen young adult novices in varying stages of undress. I was at the shower! I can't remember the last time I blushed so hard and I fled back to the safety of my drinking buddies. When they caught on they bellowed in laughter and pointed me back. When I peeked back around the corner the novices were grinning and pointing me to the right door. I half ran saying "Sabaidee!" and "Khop Jai!" until I reached safety.

After several games it became clear to me that neither my liver nor my wallet would keep up. We bid adieu to our new friends with an invitation to visit them at Wat Xieng Thong the next morning for some sort of monk related religious event.

While the event was beautiful, we did not run into our friends again. Day 2 brought its own special adventures...

Katie

Leaving Thailand & Entering Laos

Tonight I say farewell to Thailand for a while. It's been a whirlwind of a trip heading North: Bangkok with all the bustle, Ayutthaya's hot hot cycling amongst ruins, Sukhothai's peaceful and intricate ruins, Chiang Mai's cosmopolitan flair and lastly Chiang Khong's sleepy & country riverside town.

Phew.

Tomorrow morning I cross the border into Laos and board the infamous "slow boat" in route to Luang Prabeng. It takes two days to lazily cruise the Mekong, with a stopover in a hole in the wall town called Pakbeng. I've already noticed it's become much harder to book a guesthouse/hostel in advance; most places don't have a website. Today we wandered around Chiang Khong looking at rooms until we found something suitable. In Pakbeng, I'm told most cut out electricity after 10pm. It will therefore be a few days before I'm in touch again, but don't worry! I will be brimming with stories I'm sure.

In other news, I have finally picked up a travel companion! As I got off the bus in Sukhothai, she approached me about splitting a room. Most places now only sleep two regardless if you're just one person, so traveling with someone can help you save. Plus in my case, it's way more fun! Our plans match up pretty well over the next week plus so I hope to keep her around as long as possible. We even picked up another lovely lady today in Chiang Khong, and I expect to make more friends on the slow boat tomorrow.

I know I've been withholding stories and trip reports from some cities - I'm sorry! I try to at least post pictures :). The cooking class yesterday was fantastic. We first visited the market and learned about common Thai ingredients, then cooked so much food I thought I'd burst. The pictures are of pad thai, papaya salad, hot & sour shrimp soup, and sticky rice with mango, with my finished panaeng curry in the background (I ate it all before any pictures!). We made the curry paste from scratch and well, let's just say I won't feel guilty buying ready-made back in the states!

Lots of love to all of you. Picture here is the chedi from the famous Wat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, located on top of a hill. Google the temple's history - the location story and relic is very interesting. I'd retell it here but I'm tired ;)