Friday, June 12, 2015

Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng once held the reputation as Asia's party town where backpackers died at the rate of 20 per year from heart attacks, broken necks and drowning. Nestled on the side of the river, tourists would rent old tractor inner-tubes, plop in the river and bar hop down the shores to makeshift parties where opium and mushrooms were favored to beer Lao. In 2012, the government cleaned things up and most of the bars closed. Well, it's been three years and five of them have snuck back on the scene at a more mellowed-out scale. Tubing is still hot, but it reminds me more of tubing down the Guadalupe outside San Marcos than legends of the past. Trade the Jell-O shots famous in Texas for Malibu and pineapple slushies and you've got the scene I encountered in Vang Vieng. The day was loads of fun and I survived it with little more than a bruised foot and a hangover. 

Aside from tubing, Vang Vieng is known for endless options for outdoor adventure. Traveling in Southeast Asia is a bit like summer camp for grownups. My favorite activities at camp were usually those that involved a harness or a gun, but since I think the idea of an American shooting a rifle is a bit of a sensitive subject in these parts, rock climbing sounded like a fun option. I booked a full-day rock climbing tour to Sleeping Rock, just 15 minutes from town. My muscles haven't been this sore in years! It was an awesome day that ended with a completely unsafe climb to the top of a peak that I rapelled down landing on the banks of the river. The scenery from the top was gorgeous, like the rest of Laos. This place is seriously the adventurer's paradise. 

Vientiane

After Yangon, I wasn't too excited to go to another big city on my last day in the country, but Vientiane wasn't so bad! For one, it's not as hot here - today has a high of 97, but it's only 82 right now. That's cool enough for a walking tour in my book! I started my morning with a pastry from the Scandanavian Bakery around the corner from my hotel, iHouse. I got a late start because I don't need to leave for the airport until 7:15 and needed to fill the hours somehow (so an HBO movie kept me in bed until 9:30). After fueling up at breakfast, I hit the pavement en route the Patuxai Monument, Laos's answer to the Arch de Triomph. The monument was built with cement donated by the U.S. intended for a new runway back in the days of the secret war. Instead, the Lao government directed their efforts towards a giant middle finger (or arch) to the French in celebration of their independence. I didn't climb up to the top because the city doesn't really seem like one worth taking the stairs to the top for the view. Just not that much to see. 
I continued on my stroll to That Dam, an old misplaced stupa in the middle of a traffic circle. The stupas in Bagan eat stupas like this one for breakfast, so being the spoiled little stupa voyeur I am, it didn't really excite me too much. 

Wat Si Saket seemed like a good next stop as it was nearby, so I popped in for my weekly temple visit. It was pretty, but still doesn't hold a torch to anything in Myanmar. Gosh! That beautiful country ruined me for the rest of Buddhism. 

Though I couldn't go in, I tried to pay a visit to the president at his royal palace afterward. Instead, I just took an awkward picture through the gate before I was seen by security. 


Lunch at Sputnik Burger was the answer to my desire to avoid Lao food. Their Beer Lao Tempura Tilapia sandwich was delicious. I didn't really understand the restaurant's communist James Bond space theme, but the food was great! Feeling like my walking tour had pretty much exhausted the sites in Vientiane already, I opted for some shopping. The guidebook had recommended T'Shop Lai Gallery so I headed over to check out the handmade bath products with little intent to purchase. Twenty dollars later...I have a new collection of organic natural bug repellent, butterfly pea and kaffir lime shampoo, coconut oil and lip balm. I'm sure I needed this stuff, right? With five hours to kill, I decided a book shop was a good next stop. Monument Books around the corner was a bit of a disappointment. Usually I walk into a book store and can't leave without at least two or three books. I didn't really want to spend five hours with any of the pickings in the shop, so I went to Joma Cafe to catch up on my blog. Blessing in disguise! Laos has kept me so busy I was three cities behind. I needed a taste of the Parisian influence left behind in this city where the cafe culture has hung on strong. Now I'm all caught up in time for Bali! If only I had a book to read on the beach. 

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is a town they say that you can do all kinds of fun activities or nothing at all.  I went for the lots of activities plan and had a really good time. After a long shower to get the overnight bus off me, I met up with Maree and Jeremy, an Australian couple who had been on the Gibbon Experience. We had breakfast at a great little French cafe called Le Banneton before bargaining with the tuk-tuk drivers for a fair fare to get to Kuang Si falls. We talked one down to 40,000 kip and satisfied that we were paying the right price, we were on our way. The falls were with the $5 trip! There is a large sun bear sanctuary on site too which was a nice surprise. The bears were so cute!

We also got the chance to see what monks do in their free time - and it's not praying!


For dinner, I met up with my new buddies at the night market for a street food feast. There are rows of stalls with all you can eat for 15,000 kip (or about $2). You literally just fill up a bowl with as much as you can, hand it to a lady to cook it all up on a frying pan and voila! The good news is I've been in Asia long enough that it didn't make me sick either!

We shopped around a bit in the market after we ate, but it had my fill of souvenir shopping, so I didn't pick anything up this time. The next day, I joined Jeremy and Maree again for a kayaking trip to the Pac Ou Caves. It rained most of the day, but since we were already in the river, it didn't really matter. The caves were full of thousands of Buddhas that are taken there annually in some ceremony in October. I think that makes my fifth or sixth cave (I have lost count at this point) on this trip. I've said this before, but now I'm really caved out. 

Huay Xai

I made it to Laos! This part of my journey was never part of the original plan. I should be in Nepal right now volunteering with orphan novice monks. Sadly, the massive earthquake that shook Nepal on April 25 interfered with those plans and the volunteer organization I was meant to be working with has suspended operations until July. I was really looking forward to the project in Nepal, but I guess I'll just have to go another time. With three weeks before my flight back to London, I decided to spend two of them in Laos and end my trip on the beaches of Indonesia. I crossed the border into Laos from Chiang Khong to the town of Huay Xai. Huay Xai is a miserable little town on the Mekong River that is known for little more than being the place to catch a boat to Luang Prabang and home of the Gibbon Experience. All that I cared about was the Gibbon Experience. What is that, you say? A dream come true! That is if you dream of flying through the jungle on zip lines suspended 140 m above the ground and sleeping in treehouses for three days. I certainly do! I opted for the Waterfall version of the Gibbon Experience where you also get to swim in a pretty awesome waterfall for a while. The other options include a 2 day express trek and a 3 day classic trek where you are more likely to see gibbons. Monkeys are cool and all, but I like swimming in waterfalls more. Especially in this heat! 

The hiking was a bit more than I bargained for, but I'm always down for some exercise. A few weeks ago when Sarah and I were in Khao Sok and went trekking, our biggest fear was leeches. We had been warned that they could be lurking in the shallow water we waded through in streams and in the caves. Nobody warned me before coming on the Gibbon Experience that there could be leeches so I was in an ignorant bliss until a leech lodged itself in between Lauren's toes. The little British girl handled it surprisingly well, allowing the guide to detach it and light it on fire with his lighter. It bled quite a bit, but overall seemed like a pretty minor incident. I felt much better about the presence of leeches after that - and it's a good thing - because only ten minutes later, I slipped on a rock while crossing s stream and two leeches found their way to my ankle. One of them didn't have much of a chance to latch on, but the other little bugger got a nice lunch out of my ankle. Aside from a weird looking purple spot, I'm not much worse for the ware. Result: I'm no longer afraid of leeches! How's that for conquering your fears? I don't particularly want another one to snack on me any time soon, but if he did, I'd be happier than if, say, a mosquito carrying malaria bit me (which let's be honest, is pretty likely where I am). I probably should have picked up some malaria tablets before I came. 

We had some visitors to the treehouse on the last night. I heard some rustling and thought there was some sort of critter nearby. I woke up Lauren who didn't seem to care much and rolled over and went back to sleep. I, on the other hand, was on high alert. My backpack was already safely inside our tent-fort-mosquito net, so I figured all that the little critter could be after was the trash or our leftover dinner which we'd tried to put away as well as one can when living in a treehouse. Turns out, he was also safely inside our fort which I discovered this morning based on the hole chewed through my backpack pocket where a bit of peanut brittle had been. So happy I didn't turn on the flashlight to check things out to find a rat in my tent! A couple of leeches and a tree rat were totally worth the rest of the exhilarating experience. I'll put up some better pictures once I have a chance to pull them off my camera. 

Like all good things, the Gibbon Experience had to end. Fortunately for me, I made a few friends who were carrying on in my direction on the overnight bus to Luang Prabang. This bus experience was even worse than the last from Inle Lake to Yangon. I traded one puker for three this time - all in the sleeper bed right above mine! These poor children couldn't stop barfing all night long - for twelve hours straight. At one point, something wet dripped down onto my arm and the bed where Monty (pictures in the center above) was sitting. I'd like to believe it was just water, but am pretty sure that's just wishful thinking. All I know is I am glad that is my last overnight bus!


Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Inle Lake

Another early morning flight made for another full day of touristing. The whole getting up early thing isn't so bad! Maybe I can try to keep it up when I get home. Imagine all the things I could get done if real life was as exciting as vacation. I wake up here everyday with a list of things that I want to do that is longer than feasibly possible, but seem to be doing a pretty good job of ticking the best ones off. On the agenda for day one: (1) rent a bike, (2) book a hiking trip for tomorrow, (3) visit the Mingala Market, (4) bike out to the countryside to Bamboo Hut for lunch, (5) go wine tasting at Red Mountain Winery. 
It's a bit cooler here than it was in Bagan, but it's still really hot. My guide yesterday told me that Myanmar people don't go outside from about 11-4. I should really take a page from their book. The lunch spot I picked, Bamboo Hut, is about a 5 mile ride from Nyaung Shwe off the highway. Following a tip from another traveler, I decided to make the journey part of my day followed by wine tasting. Myanmar isn't known for their wine (surprise, surprise) but I figure wine falls into the category of "local cuisine" so if I didn't give it a try, I couldn't truly say I had tried all that the Myanmar kitchen has to offer, right?
In a not so unfortunate turn of events, it started raining about ten minutes before I reached the winery. While it soaked me to the core by the time I arrived, the rain also gave me an excuse to drink more than the meager tastes in my $2 flight. Though the wine wasn't extraordinary,  it was certainly better than riding my bike the five miles back to my un-air conditioned hotel room. Of the four wines in the tasting, the Sauvignon blanc was the most drinkable, so I ordered another glass to pass the time. 

Day two was even better than the first. I went on a hike with a local guide whose name I forgot five minutes after he told me it. Something like Dooooh, but I'm probably way off. We hiked out into the hill country and visited a cave where a lonely monk was meditating. I thought I was done with caves after that creepy, crawly experience in Thailand or the weird Disney-cave in Kuala Lumpur, but this one was kinda cool. I totally understand how a dark, quiet cave at the top of a hill outside a tiny town near a lake would be a good place to meditate. We hiked on through a Pa-ho village where loud music drew us toward what turned out to be a wedding party. Doooooh exclaimed, "we are lucky!" I didn't understand why we were so lucky, since neither of us knew the bride and groom, until I realized that we were being invited to the party. The betel-chewing grandfather of the bride gave us a tour of the wedding party, asked us to take pictures with him, asked us to take pictures with the bride and groom, and then even asked me to take a picture of him and the newlyweds on my camera. I'm not sure why he wanted me to have his picture, but I've learned the best policy here is not to ask questions. 
After strapping my hiking shoes back on, we heard back to the hills to continue our hike. By noon, we were tired and ready for lunch, just as we reached a Daung Yu village. Myanmar has 142 different ethnic groups which all have different cultures and speak different languages. My guide could understand most of what these two groups said, but apparently they didn't understand the language he spoke very well. No matter! He was able to ask the woman who ran the bamboo hut we came across to make some delicious Shan noodle soup (which he kept calling salad for some reason). Two local guys sitting next to us kept motioning for me to try their rice wine which I declined twice. Doooooh had a different idea, and encouraged me to give it a try. There was some awkward hand gestures exchanged between the four of us, lots of smiling, and then shots were poured. After a few more, we bid our new friends adieu and continued on our hike. Doooooh was in a chatty mood for the rest of the day and shared stories with me about his two girlfriends, the military government and the poor education system in Myanmar. I imparted that I had been teaching English in Thailand for the last three weeks which encouraged him to take me to the school where he used to take English classes. Despite my requests that he not interrupt the class, he walked right into a class session and told the teacher I was an English teacher (eek!). I had a short chat with the teacher and some of the students while trying to get out of taking over the class for the day. Finally, I got my way and we returned to our trek. I had no idea trekking would be such a cultural experience! Myanmar continues to amaze me every day. 

On my third day in Inle Lake, I took a boat tour with the same boat driver who had taken me out to my luxurious lakeside resort, Inle Resort, last night. We began the day at 7:30 so we could make it to the five-day market. The five-day market is a market that rotates around the lake to five different locations every day. On the way there, we passed by a number of fisherman paddling their boats with one leg attached to an oar while handling their nets. The market was near Shwe Inn Tain Pagodas where over 1000 stupas have been dedicated to various people. Without receiving any explanation from signage or otherwise, my best guess is that it was a sort of beautiful cemetery. 
It wouldn't be a tour without a few compulsory workshop visits, so our next stop was a gold and silversmith where I got suckered into buying some silver earrings in the traditional Shan style. They are really pretty and unique looking - and I got her down 3000 kyats with my skillful bargaining powers. Next up was a umbrella and paper-making workshop. The local artisan showed me how paper is made while her adorable two-year-old daughter pretended she was pounding bark to make the paste that ultimately become paper. I was interested in buying a parasol here, but haven't figured out how I plan on getting that home. They are so pretty though. I might look again in Yangon where I can ship things more easily. 

Our next stop was Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, a fairly unexciting pagoda where women weren't allowed to go up inside. I didn't stay long there for obvious reasons. We then visited a lotus, silk and cotton workshop. I never knew that you could spin lotus fiber, but I guess that's the point of visiting these places. You learn something new every day! The lady showing me around said the lotus scarves were 8 times more expensive than the pure silk ones. When she was showing me their shop at the end of the visit, I inquired how much one of these knobby brown scarves ran. The small one I picked up was $160 - and it wasn't even soft or pretty. I opted for a cheaper, prettier blue silk scarf for $15 that I will actually wear. I'm glad I brought a lot of cash today, because this $15 tour quickly turned into much more than that! 
I got Trey a gift at our next destination, a cheroot cigar factory. Cheroot is similar to tobacco and is grown locally in the area surrounding Inle Lake. As I walked in, one of the young girls rolling cigars handed me a basket full of little cheroot cigarettes and a lighter. Though I don't smoke, I gave it a try. After about three puffs, I already had a buzz and bought a pack for my brother and went on my way. Not for me, but I'm sure Trey will enjoy the souvenir (as long as it makes it through customs). 
The floating gardens were the next destination on our journey around the lake. The name is a bit of a undersell, as they are really floating farms. Acres and acres of loofah, tomatoes, lotus and other vegetables I couldn't really see grow in rows like any other farm, only everything is floating. The farmers all tend their crops from boats, paddling along with their one-legged oar. Finally, the tour came to an end at Nga Phe Chaung Monastery which, to be quite honest, was a bit of a disappointment. Lonely Planet described the place as home to jumping cats that had been trained by the monks in residence. For probably the tenth time while in Myanmar, Lonely Planet failed me. The cats used to jump three years ago when that guidebook was written. Now, they are sleepy cats who no longer jump. 

Lonely Planet needs to get someone out to Myanmar and do a rewrite of their guide. It was written in 2013 after the country had just opened up for tourism. A lot has changed in those three years and I've continually be let down by the dated, incorrect or lacking information in the book. The good thing about this country, however is that it's easy to play things by ear and figure out your path along the way. This has been a bit of a challenge for the planner deep inside me, but has also been exciting. I never know what to expect from my day and am constantly pleasantly surprised. 




Bagan

Today marks the first day of my tenth week of travel. What a trip it has been so far! Myanmar hasn't disappointed with its gorgeous sunsets, plentiful temples and curious people. Although I was only in Bagan for two nights, when you wake up at 4:45 to catch the sunrise, you really get more out of your day. I rented an e-bike for the morning to venture out to see the temples before the bike tour is booked for the afternoon. Having little (or no) experience on a scooter, I was a little skeptical, but two minutes into the ride, I decided I'd found my new mode of transportation. It may not have much power, but the e-bike is fun! The receptionist at the Floral Breeze Hotel gave me a map of Bagan and circled all the hot spots. She also pointed out the best place to watch the sunrise. With map in hand and the key in the ignition of my little scooter, I headed out across the hot, red Myanmar countryside. Upon arriving at the first temple on my journey, I realized I had mixed up Shwezigon Paya with Shwesandaw Paya and didn't get to see the spectacular sunrise I was hoping for. Can you blame me? The names are practically the same! Nonetheless, it was pretty cool to be there at 5:30 am and have the whole place to myself. 

To avoid boring you with the details, and since I know very little of them anyway, I'll just show you pictures of the rest of the temples I visited along the way. 
Shwezigon Paya

Htilominlo

Ananda Temple

Thatbyinyu (to be posted when I have better wifi)

Bu Paya (to be posted when I have better wifi)

Shwesandaw Paya (to be posted when I have better wifi)

Dhammayangyi (to be posted when I have better wifi)

Sulamani (to be posted when I have better wifi)

Pyathada (to be posted when I have better wifi)

Returning to my hotel at 9:00, I felt like I'd had a full day already. Nine temples in four hours really takes it out of you! I opted for a nap by the hotel pool until I couldn't take the heat any longer (30 minutes) and returned to the comfort of the AC in my room. 

I fueled up for my afternoon ride with a healthy lunch of lentil soup and tea leaf salad at The Moon in Old Bagan. Myanmar food is pretty unremarkable, especially after spending a month in Thailand, but they make great lentil soup. The herbal tea leaf salad had also become a staple of mine in nearly every meal. It's got a great mixture of crunch, rang and spice combined together for a perfect start (or main part) of every meal.

The afternoon ride was extremely hot - 100 degrees - but if you tried not to think about the heat, it was a nice ride. We visited some local villages, a lacquerware workshop, some temples and a monastery. One of the villages had only recently gotten electricity installed in the last year. They have four wells that provide the water for the whole village. Life here is really different!

The trip ended with a cruise on the Ayarwaddy River at sunset. Having ridden over 60 km in the past four days, I treated myself to a massage at the hotel before retiring for the night. Great day in Bagan!