Oops, it's been a while since my last post. But don't fret I didn't take a plunge into the worlds largest fjord while in Norway and haven't quite been blown off the face of the earth yet by the wind here in Denmark.
Norway was everything everyone said it would be: expensive and beautiful. Kenny rented us a car and we settled into a routine of driving - with my expert navigation skills- walks and hikes, picnics, ferry rides, and camping. Our $5 cups of coffee were enjoyed in short city stop overs and we made the most of peanutbutter and nutella sandwiches while taking in the magnificent views along the long winding roads through the country.
I have been enjoying plenty of authentic Danish's, sipping coffee and having my hair blown crazy much like the blades of the wind turbines that are scattered all over the country. I have been hanging out in Arhus, Denmark for the past couple of weeks. Getting to know the city streets, riding free (though worthless) city bikes, and contemplating life back in the States... which has been a bit unsettling. It should interesting though and I am ready to return to Portland, and rock climing.
I still have one last hurrah though and am headed to London for the weekend to meet up with my friend from my Nepal trek. She has it all planned out, I can't wait!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Half-Way to "The Top of Europe"
With some dumb luck I got to an up close and face to face encounter with the massive Eiger north face. I had a nice hike planned out, but because there is still too much snow the trail was closed. I was bummed but realized I could still get to my destination, the town Kleine Scheidegg. So not thinking and being so used to my Swiss Pass allowing me to go and do whatever I wanted I boarded a tram. The ticket man came to check the tickets so I whipped out my pass as usual. Then he told me that it is only good for half-off and I needed to purchase a ticket and he would come back and sell it to me. K. Scheideggis an extremely popular destination for Japanese tourists, it is a stop-over before boarding the train to Junfraujoch, the revolving restuarant at the top of Europe, a very expensive journey. So as they overwhelmed him with questions with their broken engrish he simply passed right by me. I felt bad and made eye contact with him as I got off, also a little worried that I might be hunted down, but he didn't seem to care... phew, because I am not even sure I had enough cash on me as it is all so expensive! I looked a little out of place in this town with crazy Japanese and many others dressed in formal attire heading to Jungfraujoch, but passed by the Japanese Tourist Office and commotion of getting aboard the train and followed the trail to the Eiger. It was so amazing, to be so close this mountain and the others surrounding it that are even higher. I loved it.
The last day of my Swiss Pass was today and was sad to leave Switzerland behind. I was even more sad to leave the greatest hosts EVER. I can't beleive how kind, fun, hostpitable and generous they were and to let me stay for so long. It was so great. Anyone who has plans to travel there must look them up. I introduced them to Couch Surfing so they now have an account Tania and Stephi in Murten, state of Fribourg. They LOVED having a guest and are excited for more to come. Also, Murten besides having these ladies is a very unique village definitely worth seeing that most probably never would. Thank you ladies so much and I can´t wait until we meet again!!
The last day of my Swiss Pass was today and was sad to leave Switzerland behind. I was even more sad to leave the greatest hosts EVER. I can't beleive how kind, fun, hostpitable and generous they were and to let me stay for so long. It was so great. Anyone who has plans to travel there must look them up. I introduced them to Couch Surfing so they now have an account Tania and Stephi in Murten, state of Fribourg. They LOVED having a guest and are excited for more to come. Also, Murten besides having these ladies is a very unique village definitely worth seeing that most probably never would. Thank you ladies so much and I can´t wait until we meet again!!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A taste of France
Tania took me to the Alsace region in nearby France. It was so fun, with fairztale like cities full of colorful houses (by law no neighboring houses can be the same color), yummy bakeries, endless vinezards and the delicious cuisine that the French are oh, so proud of... along with everything else French. Did you know the Statue of Liberty was made bz a Frenchman... in FRANCE and then shipped over?? The city of Colmar is very proud of him too.
I am still having a great time in Switzerland. I went for a beautiful hike with Stephi and Tania today and can't believe that after going on outings every single day there are still so many places I am not going to see. But when my Swiss pass ends I'll be making mz way to Germany to see the Black Forest then stay in Berlin with another girl I met in Thailand before meeting Kenny in Sweden and for the start of our Scandanavian adventure!!
I am still having a great time in Switzerland. I went for a beautiful hike with Stephi and Tania today and can't believe that after going on outings every single day there are still so many places I am not going to see. But when my Swiss pass ends I'll be making mz way to Germany to see the Black Forest then stay in Berlin with another girl I met in Thailand before meeting Kenny in Sweden and for the start of our Scandanavian adventure!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
y=z... get zoused to it
This traveling stuff is amaying! I have been living it up here in Swiyterland for a few dazs now thanks to the hospitalitz of an awesome girl who I met in Bangkok on daz one of mz travels.
But first I'll fill in mz last hurrah with Sarah in Italz. We enjozed the beautz and frustrations of Venice. It is such a beautiful citz and so unique with the canals, but zes, quite difficult to navigate and get around. The tourists definitelz got the best of us though so we headed off to Trent a little mountain town in the heart of the Dolomites. Through couch surfing we found an awesome couple to host us and welcomed us and treated us like we were their children. Thez were so sweet, making sure we knew when meal time was, where the train station was, when the trains were leaving, the last one back etc. The Dolomites were awesome, though their is still a lot of snow in parts and our second hike we were in desperate need of snow shoes and had to turn back.
Lake Como (where George Clooney has a house) was our next visit as a stop over on the waz to Swityerland, a beautiful place as well but a bit hoity toity for us, though the pizza place our host recommended was the best piyya I had in Italz, DELISH!!
Now I am in Swiyterland, sazing goodbze to Sarah as soon as she found out how much a train ticket cost (80 euro) she headed town to find a farm to work on... I hope (Sarah, are zou farming zet?). But I decided to purchase a Swiss Pass (220) which gives me unlimited train, bus and even boat rides, free entrance to all museums and castles, discounts on mountain trams and who knows what else for 15 dazs, so after digging into mz wallet for that I am being sure to make the most of it. This countrz is small enough that I can get anzwhere, have fun and get back in a daz. Tania's place is right outside of Bern a perfect launching place. She and her roommate so awesome to host me... THANKS!! So for the rest of mz time here I will continue to take in the magnificant mountains, visit chocolate and cheese factories, wander the citz streets, gaze at cows and thier bells, hangout with Tania and her friens and visit a college buddz who lives in the other end of the countrz and live it up!!
But first I'll fill in mz last hurrah with Sarah in Italz. We enjozed the beautz and frustrations of Venice. It is such a beautiful citz and so unique with the canals, but zes, quite difficult to navigate and get around. The tourists definitelz got the best of us though so we headed off to Trent a little mountain town in the heart of the Dolomites. Through couch surfing we found an awesome couple to host us and welcomed us and treated us like we were their children. Thez were so sweet, making sure we knew when meal time was, where the train station was, when the trains were leaving, the last one back etc. The Dolomites were awesome, though their is still a lot of snow in parts and our second hike we were in desperate need of snow shoes and had to turn back.
Lake Como (where George Clooney has a house) was our next visit as a stop over on the waz to Swityerland, a beautiful place as well but a bit hoity toity for us, though the pizza place our host recommended was the best piyya I had in Italz, DELISH!!
Now I am in Swiyterland, sazing goodbze to Sarah as soon as she found out how much a train ticket cost (80 euro) she headed town to find a farm to work on... I hope (Sarah, are zou farming zet?). But I decided to purchase a Swiss Pass (220) which gives me unlimited train, bus and even boat rides, free entrance to all museums and castles, discounts on mountain trams and who knows what else for 15 dazs, so after digging into mz wallet for that I am being sure to make the most of it. This countrz is small enough that I can get anzwhere, have fun and get back in a daz. Tania's place is right outside of Bern a perfect launching place. She and her roommate so awesome to host me... THANKS!! So for the rest of mz time here I will continue to take in the magnificant mountains, visit chocolate and cheese factories, wander the citz streets, gaze at cows and thier bells, hangout with Tania and her friens and visit a college buddz who lives in the other end of the countrz and live it up!!
Friday, May 1, 2009
After much stressing about heading to Venice with no plans and no place to stay and reading that it is so important to book hostels ahead of time, I managed to find a place so no sleeping on the streets, or should I say canals for me. I am meeting up with my old coworker Sarah from the bakery, it's going to be great!
I bid farewell to the parents and will head to Venice to test my canal smarts. It was great to be here and be spoiled by them. Though, I think I was just the tour guide they needed. We succesfully did the Cinque Terre (five cities) trek on the coast, surrounded amazing scenery, full of vineyards and plenty of gelato and wine to keep us going. We stopped in Pisa on our way to Florence to try and push the leaning tower straight, but once you lay eyes on it are laughing too hard to make an attempt. It is such a funny spectacle! The pictures are no exaggeration, it is completely leaning!!
Florence was a fun city to spend our days in. Everything is centrally located and it is easy to walk wherever you want, wandering narrow, curved streets to take a different route every time. We had our fill of pasta and pizza and after one scoop of gelato that put a Ben and Jerry's pint to shame... I was (I didn't think it was possible for me) gelato-ed out, I should never have finished the entire serving. But not having to make the gelato run every day left us plenty of time to see all the sites and hit up a few stops outside the city as well, Il Chianti - the wine country and the old capital of Tuscany Sienna, and an awesome little village San Gigagnamo... so there was no chance of getting museum-ed out in the city too. We managed to convince my mom to get an a bike and managed to get her from being afraid of bikes, to loving bikes, to HATING bikes in a matter of 2 days. We finished out Italy by going to an amazing classical music performance last night... so good! It was also a celebration of my parents 36th anniversary. Congrats old farts!! Kidding, hope you made it home safe and thanks for everything!
Gotta train to catch!
I bid farewell to the parents and will head to Venice to test my canal smarts. It was great to be here and be spoiled by them. Though, I think I was just the tour guide they needed. We succesfully did the Cinque Terre (five cities) trek on the coast, surrounded amazing scenery, full of vineyards and plenty of gelato and wine to keep us going. We stopped in Pisa on our way to Florence to try and push the leaning tower straight, but once you lay eyes on it are laughing too hard to make an attempt. It is such a funny spectacle! The pictures are no exaggeration, it is completely leaning!!
Florence was a fun city to spend our days in. Everything is centrally located and it is easy to walk wherever you want, wandering narrow, curved streets to take a different route every time. We had our fill of pasta and pizza and after one scoop of gelato that put a Ben and Jerry's pint to shame... I was (I didn't think it was possible for me) gelato-ed out, I should never have finished the entire serving. But not having to make the gelato run every day left us plenty of time to see all the sites and hit up a few stops outside the city as well, Il Chianti - the wine country and the old capital of Tuscany Sienna, and an awesome little village San Gigagnamo... so there was no chance of getting museum-ed out in the city too. We managed to convince my mom to get an a bike and managed to get her from being afraid of bikes, to loving bikes, to HATING bikes in a matter of 2 days. We finished out Italy by going to an amazing classical music performance last night... so good! It was also a celebration of my parents 36th anniversary. Congrats old farts!! Kidding, hope you made it home safe and thanks for everything!
Gotta train to catch!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Time Flies!
It has been an amazing week finishing up my Tour de Austria.
First off was a day on the slopes for some spring skiing. The slopes and surrounding mountains were beautiful and I'm so glad I got in an Austrian ski day. That same day I headed off to Prague with former helper on the farm who was visiting the farm for Easter but lives and works in Prague. Prague was as everyone says, a beautiful and cultured city. The architecture everywhere you look is so amazing, also it's cheap and easy to get around using public transportation. Only complaints were that the local people weren't the friendliest and I wasn't the biggest fan of the cuisine and they rave about their beer, "the worlds best!"... it's obvious they haven't had any Oregon microbrews. Gili was so great to let me stay with her and giving me some insiders tips.
After a quick stop over in Vienna, just to see the main square I boarded a train to Salzburg. When I arrived it was late at night and all I could see were the lights on the hillsides lighting up the castles and the cathedrals within the city. I checked into a hostel that was showing the Sound of Music and though I've never seen it didn't bother and headed to bed. I awoke the next morning to see that the hills were indeed alive. I can definitely see why a movie was set there, it was such a nice town. I had a day there and could have spent more time doing a tour of the surrounding area but was eager for my trip to Innsbruck, a mountain town further to the west. I made arrangements for couch surfing with a guy who promised to show me some great hiking one day and had an extra mountain bike for me to ride the next.
So I boarded another train (thank god for the Vortiels card which gives those of us under 26 half price fares!), and was lucky to be sought out at the busy train station by my host. Innsbruck, like Salzburg is surrounded by mountains. But here they right at the edge of to town, bigger and there are more. As was promised we took a hike and mountain biked straight up into the mountains. It was really great to see how active the locals are here. It seems that everyone who lives here age 5-95 takes advantage of the trails they can access from their houses in all the villages and hike the way up to the restuarants for refreshing beers and traditional knudel dishes.
I am waiting to board another train Italy bound! Austria has been great and I actually may not be done with it yet. If things work out right, I am considering meeting up with my host from Graz in her hometown of Bad Ischle and then possibly seeing Hohe Tauren National Park... we'll see time is going by so fast.
First off was a day on the slopes for some spring skiing. The slopes and surrounding mountains were beautiful and I'm so glad I got in an Austrian ski day. That same day I headed off to Prague with former helper on the farm who was visiting the farm for Easter but lives and works in Prague. Prague was as everyone says, a beautiful and cultured city. The architecture everywhere you look is so amazing, also it's cheap and easy to get around using public transportation. Only complaints were that the local people weren't the friendliest and I wasn't the biggest fan of the cuisine and they rave about their beer, "the worlds best!"... it's obvious they haven't had any Oregon microbrews. Gili was so great to let me stay with her and giving me some insiders tips.
After a quick stop over in Vienna, just to see the main square I boarded a train to Salzburg. When I arrived it was late at night and all I could see were the lights on the hillsides lighting up the castles and the cathedrals within the city. I checked into a hostel that was showing the Sound of Music and though I've never seen it didn't bother and headed to bed. I awoke the next morning to see that the hills were indeed alive. I can definitely see why a movie was set there, it was such a nice town. I had a day there and could have spent more time doing a tour of the surrounding area but was eager for my trip to Innsbruck, a mountain town further to the west. I made arrangements for couch surfing with a guy who promised to show me some great hiking one day and had an extra mountain bike for me to ride the next.
So I boarded another train (thank god for the Vortiels card which gives those of us under 26 half price fares!), and was lucky to be sought out at the busy train station by my host. Innsbruck, like Salzburg is surrounded by mountains. But here they right at the edge of to town, bigger and there are more. As was promised we took a hike and mountain biked straight up into the mountains. It was really great to see how active the locals are here. It seems that everyone who lives here age 5-95 takes advantage of the trails they can access from their houses in all the villages and hike the way up to the restuarants for refreshing beers and traditional knudel dishes.
I am waiting to board another train Italy bound! Austria has been great and I actually may not be done with it yet. If things work out right, I am considering meeting up with my host from Graz in her hometown of Bad Ischle and then possibly seeing Hohe Tauren National Park... we'll see time is going by so fast.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
So Long Farm
I finished off my farm experience today with chicken hunting. Catching him (thankfully there were females around to distract him), beheading him (I was only a spectator), plucking, cleaning and finally eating him. It was delish and not that I have eaten much store bought chicken, but I could visibly see a difference in the meat and just know it was so much tastier.
I spent a few days down in the city of Graz, home to the Governator. It was great, I loved the city. Lots of great sights to visit, parks to hang out in, a river, and a good crowd and vibe because it is a college town. It was my first couch surfing experience (a website where people join and welcome you to their homes and you do the same in exchange). It worked out so well, she met me in Vienna, took me to Graz and it was so nice to have a tour of the city by a local. Danke Maria, you were awesome! Because while doing the sightseeing is great, it's so much better to finish the day playing beach volleyball and watching the sunset by a little known lake than to be alone in a hostel.
Since spring weather has arrived farm work has been busy. But it's great to be outside all day long (I have a well deveoloped farmers tan!). We're doing all this work that they will be rewarded with later in the summer when they get to eat the fresh fruits, veggies and other crops. While it has been great and to stay and enjoy the food and good company with them would be nice... I started this adventure as a traveller and have not been converted to a farmer. So tomorrow they are taking me skiing (finally!) and I am headed straight to Prague after that. It will be a busy couple of weeks seeing the rest of Austria before meeting up with my parents in Italy, woohoo!
I best be getting my things packed and get to bed for one final early morning of milking then hitting the slopes!
I spent a few days down in the city of Graz, home to the Governator. It was great, I loved the city. Lots of great sights to visit, parks to hang out in, a river, and a good crowd and vibe because it is a college town. It was my first couch surfing experience (a website where people join and welcome you to their homes and you do the same in exchange). It worked out so well, she met me in Vienna, took me to Graz and it was so nice to have a tour of the city by a local. Danke Maria, you were awesome! Because while doing the sightseeing is great, it's so much better to finish the day playing beach volleyball and watching the sunset by a little known lake than to be alone in a hostel.
Since spring weather has arrived farm work has been busy. But it's great to be outside all day long (I have a well deveoloped farmers tan!). We're doing all this work that they will be rewarded with later in the summer when they get to eat the fresh fruits, veggies and other crops. While it has been great and to stay and enjoy the food and good company with them would be nice... I started this adventure as a traveller and have not been converted to a farmer. So tomorrow they are taking me skiing (finally!) and I am headed straight to Prague after that. It will be a busy couple of weeks seeing the rest of Austria before meeting up with my parents in Italy, woohoo!
I best be getting my things packed and get to bed for one final early morning of milking then hitting the slopes!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Dung Digging and Mud Baths
Things on the farm are going well, I have settled into more of less of a routine in the mornings and after that every day has something new in store for me.
I rise and shine with the roosters every morning... 6am (except on the weekends) an since I'm usually the first one out of the house I take the dogs for a walk. The dogs are a huge Italian Mastif and a little pug. Both of them were orphaned because they have major health problems and Liela happily adopted them. They are great dogs but have a sad story and take a lot of care. When the doggy business is done it's off to feed and water the goats, rabbits and chicken. With the two of us working together (the strange German and myself) this usually takes about an hour. Thankfully Hartwig takes care of the pigs, they are HUGE 500lbs and have big teeth and have been known to chase. I haven't yet built up the nerve to cross over into the pig pen. They are hilarious looking and true to their name eat absolutely everything: walnut shells, coffee grinds, tea leafs, moldy onions, rotting potatoes... nothing will go to waste in this house. Then the German (the other helper) and I make ourselves a large breakfast, sadly what has always been my favorite meal of the day has become my least because usually it's just me and him as the kids are off to school with Hartwig. When Leila is up me and her go do the goat milking (I'm getting better everyday) and care for them which has come to be a lot.
Last weekend we took a trip to a friends farm who are being forced to moved off and they were in desperate help to get the place cleared out and cleaned. It was a great drive through the country, we passed through 4 of Austria's 9 districts. Lot's of big snowy mountains and lovely valleys, the little villages are so great! Once we got there the work was not so pleasant. A huge goat stable needed to be cleaned. It was filthy and back breaking but we managed to get it all done and it was definitely something to feel good about at the end of the day. From that farm we took 13 more goats with us which take a lot of tending to so the days have been very full. One has a bad injury on its udder and it has twins so only one of the babies is getting milk so we have to chase down another goat who has plenty of milk and get her to let the little one to drink from her. She doesn't like it though so tries to sit on the baby and it's such a struggle to hold it up and keep the baby there while 25 other goats are surrounding you seeking attention. I told Leila of my dry and troublesome skin and she introduced me to a great product. It's MUD! (though a special and expensive mud) I use it every time I shower as shampoo, conditioner and soap. It's really great... who would have thought!
I have been enjoying and learning to cook all sorts of Austrian/Hungarian dishes, baking lots of bread, digging up old and building new fences, bailing hay, sorting through grains, salad picking, etc. There is so much that needs to be done done daily in order to keep the farm running. They pretty much have helpers here year round.
The public busses that go from village to village are like luxory travel buses so clean and big and warm and modern. Definitely a step up from the filth of tri-met and infinitely better from those in Nepal that were I once had a goat sitting across the aisle for me and were also shared with chicken! and when they were completely full to standing room only on the inside people just climbed up and rode on top. The villages are so fun to wander around the narrow, winding streets, the ruins, shops... everything is so old, full of history and amazing.
It is plenty busy here and still quite cold. Snowing some days, windy, rainy, gray... where is spring?!? I am still exploring the country roads and trails and seeing the landscape. Yannic takes me exploring to his secret spots and there are some rocks around where we do some bouldering but it is super sketchy. I'm about twice his size and everything I want to grab breaks on me, ayia yai. When it's too cold outside Hannah is teaching me to hula-hoop and juggle and we have learned a duet together on the piano. It has been great to have a place to settle for a bit. I have a few more weeks here on the farm and have finally asked for and received permission to take some days off to do some travelling.
...no goat cheese yet
I rise and shine with the roosters every morning... 6am (except on the weekends) an since I'm usually the first one out of the house I take the dogs for a walk. The dogs are a huge Italian Mastif and a little pug. Both of them were orphaned because they have major health problems and Liela happily adopted them. They are great dogs but have a sad story and take a lot of care. When the doggy business is done it's off to feed and water the goats, rabbits and chicken. With the two of us working together (the strange German and myself) this usually takes about an hour. Thankfully Hartwig takes care of the pigs, they are HUGE 500lbs and have big teeth and have been known to chase. I haven't yet built up the nerve to cross over into the pig pen. They are hilarious looking and true to their name eat absolutely everything: walnut shells, coffee grinds, tea leafs, moldy onions, rotting potatoes... nothing will go to waste in this house. Then the German (the other helper) and I make ourselves a large breakfast, sadly what has always been my favorite meal of the day has become my least because usually it's just me and him as the kids are off to school with Hartwig. When Leila is up me and her go do the goat milking (I'm getting better everyday) and care for them which has come to be a lot.
Last weekend we took a trip to a friends farm who are being forced to moved off and they were in desperate help to get the place cleared out and cleaned. It was a great drive through the country, we passed through 4 of Austria's 9 districts. Lot's of big snowy mountains and lovely valleys, the little villages are so great! Once we got there the work was not so pleasant. A huge goat stable needed to be cleaned. It was filthy and back breaking but we managed to get it all done and it was definitely something to feel good about at the end of the day. From that farm we took 13 more goats with us which take a lot of tending to so the days have been very full. One has a bad injury on its udder and it has twins so only one of the babies is getting milk so we have to chase down another goat who has plenty of milk and get her to let the little one to drink from her. She doesn't like it though so tries to sit on the baby and it's such a struggle to hold it up and keep the baby there while 25 other goats are surrounding you seeking attention. I told Leila of my dry and troublesome skin and she introduced me to a great product. It's MUD! (though a special and expensive mud) I use it every time I shower as shampoo, conditioner and soap. It's really great... who would have thought!
I have been enjoying and learning to cook all sorts of Austrian/Hungarian dishes, baking lots of bread, digging up old and building new fences, bailing hay, sorting through grains, salad picking, etc. There is so much that needs to be done done daily in order to keep the farm running. They pretty much have helpers here year round.
The public busses that go from village to village are like luxory travel buses so clean and big and warm and modern. Definitely a step up from the filth of tri-met and infinitely better from those in Nepal that were I once had a goat sitting across the aisle for me and were also shared with chicken! and when they were completely full to standing room only on the inside people just climbed up and rode on top. The villages are so fun to wander around the narrow, winding streets, the ruins, shops... everything is so old, full of history and amazing.
It is plenty busy here and still quite cold. Snowing some days, windy, rainy, gray... where is spring?!? I am still exploring the country roads and trails and seeing the landscape. Yannic takes me exploring to his secret spots and there are some rocks around where we do some bouldering but it is super sketchy. I'm about twice his size and everything I want to grab breaks on me, ayia yai. When it's too cold outside Hannah is teaching me to hula-hoop and juggle and we have learned a duet together on the piano. It has been great to have a place to settle for a bit. I have a few more weeks here on the farm and have finally asked for and received permission to take some days off to do some travelling.
...no goat cheese yet
Finally some photos
Sorry, but sadly I can't figure out this blog thing well enough to label the photos and they are in chronological order starting at the bottom and going up.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
A Farmers Life for Me
I am beginning to adjust to the farming lifestyle. The family that I am staying with and working for is great. The mom Leila is a craniosacaral practitioner who does her business at home so is here most of the time, the father works in Vienna (80km to the west) two kids Yannic 13 and Hannah 11, 16 goats, 3 pigs, 6 rabbits, 2 dogs, 3 cats, and many chickens and geese and ducks. I have been milking goats, tending to all the other animals, cooking, bakings, searching for eggs, gardening and learning a lot. There is another helper here from Germany he's 45 and quite strange... the Morth's aren't sure if they are going to allow him to stay, he's very stubborn. Otherwise, the family and farm is strictly organic and uses only sustainable energy, their provider sources just wind, hydro and solar energy. They are really, really great. They all speak english, though most of the time they are speaking German and I sit there having no idea what is going on... a bit awkward but okay. The house is quite spacious as there are 6 of us here and they have guests stay quite frequently. It sounds like they have some helpers around more or less year round some stay a few days others stay a few months.
The scenery is amazing. While they are in a valley, a short walk up the hill you can see several surrounding farms and snowy mountains (they said they will take me skiing!!) I think I could go for a run almost everyday and take a new route each time! The Danube River is nearby and all along it are beautiful little villages and castles and such. I haven't been out to see a whole lot yet just last night when we drove down to the river and picked enough wild garlic and greens to make a salad for 9 of us!
I am off to go chop and retreive firewood for the house so we don't all freeze!
The scenery is amazing. While they are in a valley, a short walk up the hill you can see several surrounding farms and snowy mountains (they said they will take me skiing!!) I think I could go for a run almost everyday and take a new route each time! The Danube River is nearby and all along it are beautiful little villages and castles and such. I haven't been out to see a whole lot yet just last night when we drove down to the river and picked enough wild garlic and greens to make a salad for 9 of us!
I am off to go chop and retreive firewood for the house so we don't all freeze!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Happy Holi!
Day 1 of my trek coincided with Shiva's (a holy God's) birthday. It is celebrated by having a big feast at the end of the day. In order to have this feast kids need to earn money. In order to earn money kids hold a rope across the road, trail, wherever people need to cross and in order to cross you have to give the kids money. So driving out of Kathmandu in our big tourist van there were kids trying to stop us and the hundreds of other vehicles with tiny rope, it didn't work out so well for them. However, as we got on the trail there was no way to pass but to give them some change. As we climbed higher and higher there were STILL these adorable kids there, but none of us had any money left so at times our guides were able to get them to lower it for us, other times we had to hurdle over or sneak by. Today, my last day in Nepal is the final day of this ongoing celebration, called Happy Holi. It is celebrated all throughout Southern and SE Asia, but is the worst here in Kathmandu. I received warning lastnight as I was falling asleep and heard some gossip about this "Happy Holi". Wear clothes you don't mind getting stained, you're gonna get soaked and foreigners are their main targets.
I woke up early this morning and made it out to breakfast before any of it got started, just in case taking the bare minimum with me in a plastic bag. I spent some time making phone calls after that and by the time I headed back for my hostel it had started. It was madness, I walked out and immediately had a bucket of water dropped on my head, then water balloons thrown at me, then water balloons with dye in them, then kids running up with powdered paint rubbing it all over me, my hair, arms, legs, body. Go figure, as I hate shopping I decided to wait and do it my last day here. Very few shops are open and getting to them is impossible. So I ran around a bit looking for anything and as time passed it just got worse. The guys began to get drunk and were attacking me in groups, grabbing and touching everywhere. I gave up and made it back to my hostel, thank god I splurged and decided to spend my lastnight in one with a restaurant, hot shower, internet, taxi service and gift shop… I am not going out on the streets again and have a few hours left to kill here. Luckily there are a lot of people doing the same thing so I have good company. Thank god it all washed off with ease too. I would have got some weird looks boarding a plane, arriving in Austria and meeting my host family.
I am so excited for Austria and the farm! The outback, koalas, kangaroos… =)
I woke up early this morning and made it out to breakfast before any of it got started, just in case taking the bare minimum with me in a plastic bag. I spent some time making phone calls after that and by the time I headed back for my hostel it had started. It was madness, I walked out and immediately had a bucket of water dropped on my head, then water balloons thrown at me, then water balloons with dye in them, then kids running up with powdered paint rubbing it all over me, my hair, arms, legs, body. Go figure, as I hate shopping I decided to wait and do it my last day here. Very few shops are open and getting to them is impossible. So I ran around a bit looking for anything and as time passed it just got worse. The guys began to get drunk and were attacking me in groups, grabbing and touching everywhere. I gave up and made it back to my hostel, thank god I splurged and decided to spend my lastnight in one with a restaurant, hot shower, internet, taxi service and gift shop… I am not going out on the streets again and have a few hours left to kill here. Luckily there are a lot of people doing the same thing so I have good company. Thank god it all washed off with ease too. I would have got some weird looks boarding a plane, arriving in Austria and meeting my host family.
I am so excited for Austria and the farm! The outback, koalas, kangaroos… =)
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Happy Nice Trek
So upon my arrival in Nepal I was instantly panicked about the trek I had signed up for. It was the only part of my travels that I had planned ahead of time, I had done very little research and selected it because it fit my two criteria: 1. it was within the time frame that I was here in Nepal and 2. it didn't go to elevations where my wussy self would freeze (you'd think I was raised in Hawaii, not Wyoming). I was panicked because I thought I'd spent too much for it and was weary of my fellow trekkers (I don't know why). It only took the 1hour introduction meeting to settle my fears, the trek was AMAZING!!!!!
It was the perfect introduction not just to trekking, but to the country, culture and people of Nepal as well. It was a mix of everything from tree toilets to flushing toilets, tent camping to luxury hotels, dirty dirt roads to beautiful rhododendron jungle, bumpy rides in the back of a pickup to comfy tourist buses, steep steep climbs to flats the steep steep descents and crowded cities to tiny tea house towns.
The first part was a short 3 day tea house trek around the Kathmandu Valley, the mountain views were more amazing than I had anticipated and only got better as the days went on. Yes, I'm taking loads of photos, but I have to tell you now they just don't do the scenery justice. We got to see some beautiful landscapes and visited cozy, welcoming little towns and villages along the way with knowledgeable guides telling us the history and livelihoods of the local people.
We got to rest our legs a couple days and take a fun two day rafting trip. It was a lot of fun, though the Trisuli River didn't quite compare to the white water of Idaho... which was fine by me, I was welcoming these rest days because I started feeling quite ill.
The illness lasted well into the third part of the trek, the real 5 day trek complete with porters and sherpas. However, the trip was so catered and we were so spoiled and there were enough drugs available I was able to survive and still thoroughly enjoy it all. My meds were taken each morning as morning tea was brought our tents and we sipped on it while taking in a breathtaking view of the mountains while we packed up our things and seated ourselves at a fully set breakfast table. I couldn't believe the accomadations! The food was always great everything from traditional Nepali rice and dal bhat, to burritos, to pizza and even hot apple pie... high up on a mountain top! Guilt always settled in as I watched the porters pack up our tents, mattresses, backpacks, tables, chairs, cooking supplies, pretty much anything you could think of really, load it all up and hike on up ahead with 30+kg of gear carried "doho" style where there is a strap that the put over thier forehead and carry it that way, apparantly thats how they carry heavy loads on the farms which is where most porters work in the off season. These guys (probably all in their 20's) were really incredible!
Our last feast and farewell to the porters and guides (12 porters, 1 chef and 3 guides, for 5 trekkers) was topped off with a delish chocolate cake stating: Happy Nepal Trek. Indeed it was. While it was well worth everything I think the next time I trek in Nepal (hopefully there is a next time) I will definitely save some dollars doing something less catetered and more adventuresome.
With my remaining few days here in Nepal I was really excited to go to Chitwan National Park and do a jungle safari in hopes of seeing wild elephants, rhinos and tigers. I went to book my trip only to find out they aren't letting anyone go because there are riots and strikes going on there... I couldn't believe it. So I asked for suggestions on what else I could do and everything they named I had already done on the trek. There is one town I found in my faithful Lonely Planet which hopefully will afford me some fun in the next couple days though and get me out of the congestion of Kathmandu before I head off to the farm in Austria, I'm so excited for it!
It was the perfect introduction not just to trekking, but to the country, culture and people of Nepal as well. It was a mix of everything from tree toilets to flushing toilets, tent camping to luxury hotels, dirty dirt roads to beautiful rhododendron jungle, bumpy rides in the back of a pickup to comfy tourist buses, steep steep climbs to flats the steep steep descents and crowded cities to tiny tea house towns.
The first part was a short 3 day tea house trek around the Kathmandu Valley, the mountain views were more amazing than I had anticipated and only got better as the days went on. Yes, I'm taking loads of photos, but I have to tell you now they just don't do the scenery justice. We got to see some beautiful landscapes and visited cozy, welcoming little towns and villages along the way with knowledgeable guides telling us the history and livelihoods of the local people.
We got to rest our legs a couple days and take a fun two day rafting trip. It was a lot of fun, though the Trisuli River didn't quite compare to the white water of Idaho... which was fine by me, I was welcoming these rest days because I started feeling quite ill.
The illness lasted well into the third part of the trek, the real 5 day trek complete with porters and sherpas. However, the trip was so catered and we were so spoiled and there were enough drugs available I was able to survive and still thoroughly enjoy it all. My meds were taken each morning as morning tea was brought our tents and we sipped on it while taking in a breathtaking view of the mountains while we packed up our things and seated ourselves at a fully set breakfast table. I couldn't believe the accomadations! The food was always great everything from traditional Nepali rice and dal bhat, to burritos, to pizza and even hot apple pie... high up on a mountain top! Guilt always settled in as I watched the porters pack up our tents, mattresses, backpacks, tables, chairs, cooking supplies, pretty much anything you could think of really, load it all up and hike on up ahead with 30+kg of gear carried "doho" style where there is a strap that the put over thier forehead and carry it that way, apparantly thats how they carry heavy loads on the farms which is where most porters work in the off season. These guys (probably all in their 20's) were really incredible!
Our last feast and farewell to the porters and guides (12 porters, 1 chef and 3 guides, for 5 trekkers) was topped off with a delish chocolate cake stating: Happy Nepal Trek. Indeed it was. While it was well worth everything I think the next time I trek in Nepal (hopefully there is a next time) I will definitely save some dollars doing something less catetered and more adventuresome.
With my remaining few days here in Nepal I was really excited to go to Chitwan National Park and do a jungle safari in hopes of seeing wild elephants, rhinos and tigers. I went to book my trip only to find out they aren't letting anyone go because there are riots and strikes going on there... I couldn't believe it. So I asked for suggestions on what else I could do and everything they named I had already done on the trek. There is one town I found in my faithful Lonely Planet which hopefully will afford me some fun in the next couple days though and get me out of the congestion of Kathmandu before I head off to the farm in Austria, I'm so excited for it!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Namaste!
Holy Kathmandu... This city is chaos. The tiny roads are bustling with honking cars, trucks, vans, bicycles, rickshaws, pedestrians, dogs, cows, goats going this way and that. I think they're supposed to drive on the left side of the road here, but pretty much it's just where ever they can fit and the honking never stops. There are beggars all over, mostly women and children (who are often huffing glue), the men hassling you to buy their goods, book a trek, ride their rickshaw, take their taxi, crazy. I was wandering around in this alone for a few hours before running into a girl I recognized from the Bangkok airport. Thank god, it was such a relief to share the shock with someone else and not alone.
We ended up having an awesome time together here our first couple of days. She was from England and had buddied up with a tour guide from her hostel and he ended up being a really good person to have. He invited us to his friends wedding reception where we were welcomed with free food and drink and lots of traditional Nepali dancing and got to talk to and learn about the natives. The next day we did a bit more wandering to some of the sites before meeting up with the guide again and he took us and a few others from the hostel to a Nepali restaurant where we ate like the locals, with our hands. Think rice and lentil soup with a few several different vegetable sides with your hands, it was a mess but once you got the technique down it was quite enjoyable.
As the city is powered by generators when there is going to be electricity is anyones guess. Apparently they can expect to have it anywhere from 8-16 hours/day but different areas get it at different times and even in the same hostel some rooms may have power while others may not. Their is a government enforced curfew at 11pm where police make sure the restaurants and business stops. It's quite nice b/c thats about my bedtime anyway and you don't have to worry about where a noisy hostel. The city is very intriguing and I am really enjoying my stay here after getting past the initial shock.
Day one of my trek was today. I was really nervous about it for some reason, but was relieved when I finally met the others. There are 5 of us and a guide and then plenty of sherpas and porters to carry our gear (a nice catered trek for me). There is a couple in their 50’s from somewhere in England and then another guy and girls (friends, but not a couple thankfully) from London. Today we just took a tour of the city. There are some amazing temples and places of worship (Buddhist and Hindu) on the outskirts and in the center Dubar Square (Old Town) has beautiful old buildings and squares. I leave the city tomorrow to carry out the rest of the 14 day trek and am sooo excited to trek through the countryside and see the Himalayas!!!
We ended up having an awesome time together here our first couple of days. She was from England and had buddied up with a tour guide from her hostel and he ended up being a really good person to have. He invited us to his friends wedding reception where we were welcomed with free food and drink and lots of traditional Nepali dancing and got to talk to and learn about the natives. The next day we did a bit more wandering to some of the sites before meeting up with the guide again and he took us and a few others from the hostel to a Nepali restaurant where we ate like the locals, with our hands. Think rice and lentil soup with a few several different vegetable sides with your hands, it was a mess but once you got the technique down it was quite enjoyable.
As the city is powered by generators when there is going to be electricity is anyones guess. Apparently they can expect to have it anywhere from 8-16 hours/day but different areas get it at different times and even in the same hostel some rooms may have power while others may not. Their is a government enforced curfew at 11pm where police make sure the restaurants and business stops. It's quite nice b/c thats about my bedtime anyway and you don't have to worry about where a noisy hostel. The city is very intriguing and I am really enjoying my stay here after getting past the initial shock.
Day one of my trek was today. I was really nervous about it for some reason, but was relieved when I finally met the others. There are 5 of us and a guide and then plenty of sherpas and porters to carry our gear (a nice catered trek for me). There is a couple in their 50’s from somewhere in England and then another guy and girls (friends, but not a couple thankfully) from London. Today we just took a tour of the city. There are some amazing temples and places of worship (Buddhist and Hindu) on the outskirts and in the center Dubar Square (Old Town) has beautiful old buildings and squares. I leave the city tomorrow to carry out the rest of the 14 day trek and am sooo excited to trek through the countryside and see the Himalayas!!!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Farewell Thailand
My final few days in Bangkok...
After spending the night in Bangkok on Khao San road... loud obnoxious backpacker/partying mecca I was ready to leave the big city. I headed down to Hua Hin, enticed by nice beaches and a cool national park. The town itself was nothing special... at all. Lots of resorts and older men and families go there on vacation, or to hook up with young Thai prostitues. It's really sad and I saw it all over the place. But the beach was nice and the park was quite the expedition! I rented a motor bike in order to do a self guided tour of the park and actually see the whole thing rather than pay a bunch of money and only see portions of it. My first stop in the park was to a look out point. 2 minutes up the trail a group of 3 people were hurrying down because they had just been attacked by mean monkeys. They had their water bottles stolen and warned me not to go ahead, especially by myself. I went another 20 yards and saw the monkeys and even worse heard their viscious growling. I quickly rushed back down myself.
My next stop was at the first of three caves. I parked the bike at the bottom of the desserted trailhead and started hiking up. No one else was on the trail or anywhere nearby and at the entrance sure enough the monkeys were lingering about. I risked it and ran past them, I hadn't hiked all the way up there for nothing. The entrance to the huge cave allows some sunlight in but soon after that it becomes pitch black. It was so dark, dead silent and quite scary. Luckily I had thrown my headlamp in (the guidebook says there are lamps for rent and the bottom, but there was absolutely no one around) so could see my footing in front of me and used my camera to take pictures with the flash and then I could look at the photo and see what lay ahead. After much hesitation and careful stepping I eventually made it to the end. It was huge and full of amazing limestone stalactite/mites... I felt so proud of myself for making it to the end but rushed back out as quickly and carefully as I could. Past the monkeys and back down the hill. Cave number two was a much more popular attraction. And quite a sight! So beautiful! And the third was much like the first but even darker though not quite as long.
My last day in Bangkok was spent trying to figure things out for the rest of my travels. I was able to find a family whos organic farm I am going to be working on in Austria about 100km W of Vienna, for 3-5 weeks depending on how it goes. It sounds really great, a couple with two daughters (11 and 14), lots of farm animals, gardening, making cheese, teas, herbal remedies. I'm excited about it! And it's a huge relief as I was getting quite nervous about whether or not i'd be able to afford 3 months in Europe, this should help a lot.
I wandered about see some more of Bangkok I hadn't visted yet, I spent some time wandering around China Town and my lungs started feeling horrible from breathing the gross Bangkok air and made my way to Siam... the shopping district. I found refuge in a huge air conditioned mall... not exactly what I want to spend my time doing, but scored some new contacts (no prescription necessary) which I really needed because I only have one extra pair and I have been having lots of problems with these. So I got another years supply for $25.
Thailand was great...
Next stop: Nepal
After spending the night in Bangkok on Khao San road... loud obnoxious backpacker/partying mecca I was ready to leave the big city. I headed down to Hua Hin, enticed by nice beaches and a cool national park. The town itself was nothing special... at all. Lots of resorts and older men and families go there on vacation, or to hook up with young Thai prostitues. It's really sad and I saw it all over the place. But the beach was nice and the park was quite the expedition! I rented a motor bike in order to do a self guided tour of the park and actually see the whole thing rather than pay a bunch of money and only see portions of it. My first stop in the park was to a look out point. 2 minutes up the trail a group of 3 people were hurrying down because they had just been attacked by mean monkeys. They had their water bottles stolen and warned me not to go ahead, especially by myself. I went another 20 yards and saw the monkeys and even worse heard their viscious growling. I quickly rushed back down myself.
My next stop was at the first of three caves. I parked the bike at the bottom of the desserted trailhead and started hiking up. No one else was on the trail or anywhere nearby and at the entrance sure enough the monkeys were lingering about. I risked it and ran past them, I hadn't hiked all the way up there for nothing. The entrance to the huge cave allows some sunlight in but soon after that it becomes pitch black. It was so dark, dead silent and quite scary. Luckily I had thrown my headlamp in (the guidebook says there are lamps for rent and the bottom, but there was absolutely no one around) so could see my footing in front of me and used my camera to take pictures with the flash and then I could look at the photo and see what lay ahead. After much hesitation and careful stepping I eventually made it to the end. It was huge and full of amazing limestone stalactite/mites... I felt so proud of myself for making it to the end but rushed back out as quickly and carefully as I could. Past the monkeys and back down the hill. Cave number two was a much more popular attraction. And quite a sight! So beautiful! And the third was much like the first but even darker though not quite as long.
My last day in Bangkok was spent trying to figure things out for the rest of my travels. I was able to find a family whos organic farm I am going to be working on in Austria about 100km W of Vienna, for 3-5 weeks depending on how it goes. It sounds really great, a couple with two daughters (11 and 14), lots of farm animals, gardening, making cheese, teas, herbal remedies. I'm excited about it! And it's a huge relief as I was getting quite nervous about whether or not i'd be able to afford 3 months in Europe, this should help a lot.
I wandered about see some more of Bangkok I hadn't visted yet, I spent some time wandering around China Town and my lungs started feeling horrible from breathing the gross Bangkok air and made my way to Siam... the shopping district. I found refuge in a huge air conditioned mall... not exactly what I want to spend my time doing, but scored some new contacts (no prescription necessary) which I really needed because I only have one extra pair and I have been having lots of problems with these. So I got another years supply for $25.
Thailand was great...
Next stop: Nepal
Monday, February 16, 2009
A long overdue update
Hello, Hello!
Things are going well here in the land of Thai! I had a great, awesome, amazing time with Kenny here. After a day of sightseeing in Bangkok by a personal guide, my buddy from college Travis Guy (which was crazy that we met up here because we couldn't manage to do to it back home when we were only one state away), we boarded a night train down to the south and made it to Tonsai beach where the backpacker climbers hangout.
It was a rough start with both of us getting quite sick but after nursing illness for a few days we managed some good climbing and beach fun, though became a bit paranoid of the food and some of the beach water (made filthy by the loud longtail boats). The beaches were beautiful with the limestone cliffs in the backdrop. Our illness and the scorching hot weather limited the time we spent climbing but we realized the stalactites and stalagmites were just as appealing gazing up at them from the sand and water as they were when hanging from them praying they wouldn't break while supporting your entire body. Thankfully, though we're both big and buffed... we definitely weren't the biggest and buffest out there so if they could hold the other folks we felt pretty comfortable of their ability to hold us.
For a change of scenery we headed back north to Kanchanaburi which is just west of Bangkok and home to the famed Bridge Over the River Kwai. It was a nice small town which welcomed us with a hearty selection of real ice cream treats! We had long been desiring it! From this town we rented a motorbike (lots of fun to ride, though hard on the bum) and rode to Erawan National Park which has a beautiful 7 tiered waterfall and is a really fun scramble to the top, (despite a hard slip and fall where I landed on my head I think and cracked my elbow open, but managed to keep my camera and bag from getting wet!) and you can swim and cool off at just about all 7 of the tiers. We checked out the bridge which was pretty cool and ate some ice cream.
We finished off Kenny's vacation with canal ride through Bangkok and a Thai massage (the best of the 3 I've had) and a sad final farewell. It was great having him here though!
Things are going well here in the land of Thai! I had a great, awesome, amazing time with Kenny here. After a day of sightseeing in Bangkok by a personal guide, my buddy from college Travis Guy (which was crazy that we met up here because we couldn't manage to do to it back home when we were only one state away), we boarded a night train down to the south and made it to Tonsai beach where the backpacker climbers hangout.
It was a rough start with both of us getting quite sick but after nursing illness for a few days we managed some good climbing and beach fun, though became a bit paranoid of the food and some of the beach water (made filthy by the loud longtail boats). The beaches were beautiful with the limestone cliffs in the backdrop. Our illness and the scorching hot weather limited the time we spent climbing but we realized the stalactites and stalagmites were just as appealing gazing up at them from the sand and water as they were when hanging from them praying they wouldn't break while supporting your entire body. Thankfully, though we're both big and buffed... we definitely weren't the biggest and buffest out there so if they could hold the other folks we felt pretty comfortable of their ability to hold us.
For a change of scenery we headed back north to Kanchanaburi which is just west of Bangkok and home to the famed Bridge Over the River Kwai. It was a nice small town which welcomed us with a hearty selection of real ice cream treats! We had long been desiring it! From this town we rented a motorbike (lots of fun to ride, though hard on the bum) and rode to Erawan National Park which has a beautiful 7 tiered waterfall and is a really fun scramble to the top, (despite a hard slip and fall where I landed on my head I think and cracked my elbow open, but managed to keep my camera and bag from getting wet!) and you can swim and cool off at just about all 7 of the tiers. We checked out the bridge which was pretty cool and ate some ice cream.
We finished off Kenny's vacation with canal ride through Bangkok and a Thai massage (the best of the 3 I've had) and a sad final farewell. It was great having him here though!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thailand side notes...
*Everyday at 6:00pm the national song comes on through speakers in the cities and everyone stops whatever they are doing, stands up straight and listens.
My first time seeing this was in the bustling train station in Bangkok... I had no idea what was going on, it was crazy. EVERYTHING and everybody stopped.
The second time I was at the Sunday market in Chiang Mai (think Portland Saturday Market, but bigger, denser and more crowded). The flow of people came to a complete stop, the song was played and then we continued on. It's really neat.
*Lots of people think I am Thai.
Many will come up and just start rambling to me and I say "konnichiwa" they quickly realize how American I am. But they don't believe that I'm Japanese either, "oh, but you look like Thai!". My cooking teacher said my eyes don't look Japanese and my skin is too pale.
*Thai's think pale skin is more beautiful. Most of the lotion sold has "Skin Whitening" properties.
*I'm still not used to the fact that they drive on the wrong side of the road here, a little scary at times.
*There are dirty stray dogs everywhere and a lot of them have rabies.
*They rarely eat with chopsticks = ( . Fork and Spoon.
My first time seeing this was in the bustling train station in Bangkok... I had no idea what was going on, it was crazy. EVERYTHING and everybody stopped.
The second time I was at the Sunday market in Chiang Mai (think Portland Saturday Market, but bigger, denser and more crowded). The flow of people came to a complete stop, the song was played and then we continued on. It's really neat.
*Lots of people think I am Thai.
Many will come up and just start rambling to me and I say "konnichiwa" they quickly realize how American I am. But they don't believe that I'm Japanese either, "oh, but you look like Thai!". My cooking teacher said my eyes don't look Japanese and my skin is too pale.
*Thai's think pale skin is more beautiful. Most of the lotion sold has "Skin Whitening" properties.
*I'm still not used to the fact that they drive on the wrong side of the road here, a little scary at times.
*There are dirty stray dogs everywhere and a lot of them have rabies.
*They rarely eat with chopsticks = ( . Fork and Spoon.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I love Pai!
A la mode... because it's uber hot up here (during the day). Pai is a little town a steep and winding 3hr trip from Chiang Mai. The bus ride over was a little sickening, but the town awesome, nice and small and really laid back. At night every bar has good live music. I hung around a campfire (it gets quite chilly here at night) with a large group of travellers listening to music and was very impressed by the amount they drank and their stories of travelling. It's quite a bit different than my experience, I left them at midnight and heard them return to the hostel around 5am... I was getting up in a couple hours to bike around before it got too hot.
The town is surrounded by trails leading to waterfalls, hotsprings, caves and cool things. So I rented a bike (for a 24hr rental it is the same price as a beer $1.25) and hit the road. I planned on riding around to all the surround waterfalls and springs. But on my way to the first one I took a wrong turn. But it was alright because it lead me to endless bumpy hilly roads and dirt trails. It was so amazing and fun riding around the desserted trails and beautiful scenery until I stopped and realized how bad it would suck to be lost and I'm getting hot and tired and I still have lots to see. After a couple of detours and lots of back tracking I found the correct road to the Mo Paeng waterfall. It was a hot steep uphill battle (with locals laughing at me along the way and scooters wizzing by me) for 8km. When I made it to the top a couple that had scootered past me were cheering me on when I arrived. All this to see a sad flow of water pouring over some rocks (I'm spoiled in Oregon). I didn't care to see the other falls by now and was exhausted but had the best joy ride all the way back into town with another missed turn which ended up being alright again because it extended the sweet ride down hill.
Moral of this story: Bikes are fun and amazing!
I made it back to the hostel took a swim in the river that my hostel is set upon and treated myself to my first Thai massage($5/1hr) I felt I'd deserved it, it was great.
Tomorrow I head back to Chaing Mai and am having dinner with the Aussie couple, we're gonna eat like the locals! I catch a long train on Friday to Bangkok to meet... Kenny!! I am so excited! My guy here, getting to do my favorite thing (rock climb), relax on beautiful beaches and snorkel and have an awesome, awesome time for two weeks as this hardworking guy is taking a much deserved vacation.
...forgive me if I don't find time to write a whole lot.
The town is surrounded by trails leading to waterfalls, hotsprings, caves and cool things. So I rented a bike (for a 24hr rental it is the same price as a beer $1.25) and hit the road. I planned on riding around to all the surround waterfalls and springs. But on my way to the first one I took a wrong turn. But it was alright because it lead me to endless bumpy hilly roads and dirt trails. It was so amazing and fun riding around the desserted trails and beautiful scenery until I stopped and realized how bad it would suck to be lost and I'm getting hot and tired and I still have lots to see. After a couple of detours and lots of back tracking I found the correct road to the Mo Paeng waterfall. It was a hot steep uphill battle (with locals laughing at me along the way and scooters wizzing by me) for 8km. When I made it to the top a couple that had scootered past me were cheering me on when I arrived. All this to see a sad flow of water pouring over some rocks (I'm spoiled in Oregon). I didn't care to see the other falls by now and was exhausted but had the best joy ride all the way back into town with another missed turn which ended up being alright again because it extended the sweet ride down hill.
Moral of this story: Bikes are fun and amazing!
I made it back to the hostel took a swim in the river that my hostel is set upon and treated myself to my first Thai massage($5/1hr) I felt I'd deserved it, it was great.
Tomorrow I head back to Chaing Mai and am having dinner with the Aussie couple, we're gonna eat like the locals! I catch a long train on Friday to Bangkok to meet... Kenny!! I am so excited! My guy here, getting to do my favorite thing (rock climb), relax on beautiful beaches and snorkel and have an awesome, awesome time for two weeks as this hardworking guy is taking a much deserved vacation.
...forgive me if I don't find time to write a whole lot.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Hello from Thailand!
I arrived in Bangkok safe and sound. It was a long haul over here from Portland, but well worth every moment. Even the awful woman sitting next to me. I vowed I would never be that obnoxious and the next thing I knew I was eating chicken (for the first time in years) because she was so mean to the poor stewardess I just couldn't bother her more... I've since eaten chicken almost every day. Good bye vegetarianism? Well it was psuedo anyway and on the trek I just returned from my other option would have been to starve... and I'm not about to do that. Thai food is too good =).
Bangkok was a bit overwhelming and busy. I booked an overnight train ticket up here to Chiang Mia the evening I got in. Here I've taken a cooking class, DELISH! and did a three day trek which included an elephant ride, bamboo and white water rafting, sleeping and eating with the local hilltribe village people and a great refreshing swimming hole complete with a water slide i.e. steep, slippery rock. There were 7 of us in my group. A really cool Aussie couple who are staying and working in an orphange here and are showing me the ins and outs of the city and 4 guys from Argentina who had been travelling around the world for 9 months. Part of the trek we were with another group of about 10, from all over, I was the only American. A South Korean couple provided all sorts of entertainment. The guy managed to catapult himself into the river from the bamboo raft fully submerging himself in the knee deep, still water, complete with camera around neck and fanny pack, so hilarious.
So I guess this is my blog... I hope I can manage it and keep you all posted on my travel adventures!
Bangkok was a bit overwhelming and busy. I booked an overnight train ticket up here to Chiang Mia the evening I got in. Here I've taken a cooking class, DELISH! and did a three day trek which included an elephant ride, bamboo and white water rafting, sleeping and eating with the local hilltribe village people and a great refreshing swimming hole complete with a water slide i.e. steep, slippery rock. There were 7 of us in my group. A really cool Aussie couple who are staying and working in an orphange here and are showing me the ins and outs of the city and 4 guys from Argentina who had been travelling around the world for 9 months. Part of the trek we were with another group of about 10, from all over, I was the only American. A South Korean couple provided all sorts of entertainment. The guy managed to catapult himself into the river from the bamboo raft fully submerging himself in the knee deep, still water, complete with camera around neck and fanny pack, so hilarious.
So I guess this is my blog... I hope I can manage it and keep you all posted on my travel adventures!
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