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 ;)

Baan Thai Cookery Class Pictures

Chiang Mai Night Market: Pictures

Chiang Mai Night Market: what do you want?

I am not a shopper, especially not for souvenirs. But the Chiang Mai night market is so full of beautiful objects for so very cheap that I cannot help but be tempted.

Shipping out of Chiang Mai isn't too expensive, so if you'd like anything here's your chance to ask! There's a ton a stuff here that I normally see in import stores, plus 'fakes' of major brands of purses, jewelry (Tiffany & co!) and even make up brushes. Tiny elephant pendants, beaded bracelets, and pashmina scarfs are everywhere! The pashminas in particular were priced at 100b and that's before bargaining.... A pashmina for $3.33. Ridiculous! I have pictures I'll post from last night and tonight I will go shopping for any requests. Sunday nights here are famous and best of all.

In the meantime... I will be in a Thai cooking class!

Katie

Ayutthaya & Sukhothai Pictures (take 2)

Ayutthaya & Sukhothai Pictures!

Ayutthaya & Sukhothai Pictures!

Travel Music

Tragedy strikes: I have only 4 songs on my iPhone. You see, I went through considerable effort picking out which albums I wanted on the iPhone according to the space available and synced it too. My friends that were present while I stressed and shouted can vouch for this. However, it turns out that my computer hates me and somehow no songs were transferred. Apple lets me re-download from iTunes any purchased music, so after that process I now officially have four songs on my iPhone. Two of those songs may or may not be by a certain Lady GaGa. For a six hour bus ride this is criminal!! I guess my only option is to buy music (that I've probably already bought on CD) on iTunes so I can add music wirelessly.

I've thought before about which albums/bands I consider "must haves" if I were stuck on an island and could only take three, but now that I'm faced with the real choice I feel stuck. My music tastes have really evolved over the last couple of years. Do I pick blues? Metal? Indie rock? More lady gaga?

What albums would you want with you while you travel? How many would you buy?

What do you recommend I buy? I have a couple in mind but would love to see if anyone else guesses them!

Much love,

Katie

Bangkok & Malaria update

What a whirlwind! I'm on a bus to Northern Thailand now after two days and three nights in Bangkok. It's so hard to describe Bangkok without resorting to the usual clichés. The air vibrates from the heat and energy. People, cars, motorbikes, tuk tuks, markets, street food, banners, lights, buildings, dogs, smiles, temples, canals, Buddhas, monks, honking, papaya, shouting, seafood, taxis, amulets, chiles, lime, satay, shoes, underwear, fried bananas, sweat, mosquitos, tourists, ferries, umbrellas, people.

Did I get everything? Of course not! What a city, and I didn't even make it to Patpong with the go-go bars.

My kind couchsurfer host picked me from the airport at 12:30am. When morning struck he guided me to a tiny anonymous restaurant where I had the most delicious papaya salad and satay beef for breakfast. Evidently it's papaya season, and here they shredded it like carrots and tossed it with lime, garlic, green peas (in the shell, like snap peas maybe?), fish sauce, cherry tomatoes, coconut sugar, peanuts... This is such a must when I return home. I've got some pictures on my point & shoot camera for you guys when I return.

Then onward through the tourist checklist: Grand Palace with the Emerald Buddha, and Wat Pho with the reclining Buddha, more and more and more Wats (a Wat is a Buddhist temple; evidently building one bets you a lot of good karma so there are hundreds in Bangkok spanning the centuries), then some fried rice and a trip through the canals. What a different world... University students in their smart pleated skirts & button downs stepped expertly from the long boat shuttle onto their family's waterside steps and walked down a boardwalk to their old teak stitled houses. What a life! We
ended the evening with street pad Thai, mango, papaya, and a blues bar on Khao San road. I tell you, nothing like seeing a Georgia license plate on the wall behind three Thai dudes playing classic blues & rock and roll to make you feel nostalgic. I even drank a jack on the rocks :)

The next day started with me throwing up, then some fresh seafood picked out in the market and cooked up. Yum! My couchsurfing host recommended I visit the nearby hospital to ask about the malaria medication. Evidently Bangkok is home to one of the premier research centers for tropical diseases - how convenient! This was an interesting exercise in Thai healthcare at a private/university hospital. I filled out a form with medical information and travel plans, then was sent in to see the travel clinic doctor. When I explained what happened, he laughed! Then he had me guess my likelihood as a backpacker for two months of catching malaria... Ready? 1/10,000. He said he never recommends foreign travelers to take the anti-malaria medicine, and they only see maybe 4 cases a year. Then he talked to me about my vaccinations and asked why I didn't have the Japanese Encephalitis shot. When I told him it was over $200 in the US and my doctor said the risk was very low, he laughed again! While the risk is indeed even lower than malaria, the disease cannot be treated if contracted and is very very serious. I had been nervous about the risk I was making. He said they vaccinate everyone in SE Asia because it's potentially deadly and that I could have the shot as well for 538 baht. For those following along at home, 1USD = 30 baht, which makes the shot under $20. Of course I said YES PLEASE! :D

Then I move to the cashier, pay for the vaccine plus 100b to see the doctor (that's just over $3 folks) and receive the shot in hand. Off I go to the nurse, get poked, sit around for observation for half an hour and then I left! An afternoon well spent, in my opinion. I'm really excited to feel as protected as smartly necessary while I travel.

Phew, this is a long post and I have so many other thoughts. The hostel I stayed in was over 100 years old with teak everything! Beautiful. They also had "super special" pad Thai down the street, which wrapped deliciously oily noodles and huge shrimp in an omelette! I'll post a picture. It was SO amazing. Like I'm craving it right now and I just ate dinner (trucker stop food of steamed veggies & rice, nothing interesting).

I set my alarm for 6:15am this morning and was woken up at 6:10am by a Skype phone call! Surprise, it's Maggie!! I had to catch a train at 7am so I couldn't talk long, but wow was it amazing to see my baby sister. What a gift. I hope you did well on your test dear :)

7am-8:45 train to Ayutthaya to see ancient ruin. 9:30am-3pm bicycle around city visiting ruins and sweating like a pig! Pictures to come... I loved it. 3pm-6:44pm sitting on a bus replying to emails and writing this blog post all to be sent when I connect to wifi tonight. 6:44pm-9pm still bored on a bus to Sukhothai. At 9pm I will arrive and take a tuk tuk to Sila resort hostel, where they rent bikes for free! Tomorrow I plan to bike to the ruined ancient capital in Sukhothai to see the sunrise over the ruins. I'm so excited!! Then bike around all day again, sweat like buckets, and head that night or tomorrow to Chiang Mai.

I'd like to take this moment at the end where no one is still reading to note that I have done all of this by myself and have not yet picked up any travel companions going my way. I've made friends! But i've have had no one but myself to rely on to get around and I've made it. Not perfectly... I almost missed the bus because I circled by bicycle around a giant busy bridge for 30 minutes trying to find the street so I could return to the damn train station, get my bag and return the bike... But I'm doing it! I bet some of you deep down thought I didn't have it in me :P

Much love to everyone... I love getting your emails & comments. Extra special thanks for the advice on malaria medication. I'm going to be so good about the bug spray I promise!

Pictures to come <3

Katie