Treetop Swinging and River Floating

I began my time in Laos by venturing into the Bokeo Nature Preserve to hang with the monkeys - an adventure called the Gibbon Experience. A dozen of us loaded into two pick-up trucks and embarked on a journey of several hours across streams and up, down and around on a barely passable dirt road. We disembarked at a small village with adorable kids playing in the stream and beautiful thatched houses surrounding us. A very sweaty, two hour, trek uphill in the steamy mid-day jungle followed. We arrived at the 'kitchen' where we were fitted for harnesses which we sported for the last 30 minutes of the hike. Reaching a zip line that we had to take to our treehouse (an amazing three story affair so high that you couldn't see the ground - great besides the GIANT beehive on one of the branches and the nearby bathroom - a hole in the treehouse floor - the proximity has resulted in some stung asses). While the rest of the crew relaxed and nursed their sore legs, Kathleen and I spent the afternoon hiking and zipping through the jungle with permanent smiles plastered on our faces and the urge to giggle every time we reached another zip - such fun!
We dined and played cards in the dark and turned in for the night under our shared bug nets. About the time we had all finished chatting and were trying to get some shut-eye, a storm brewed up in the distance and made its way to our cozy tree. We spent an hour watching the lightning and enjoying the atmosphere of the thunder and wind surrounding us (the treehouse has no walls so we had a close-up view from our beds). It finally passed and we had a good night's sleep until our wake-up call at 5:30.
We headed out early in the morning, rubbing the sleep from our eyes as we zipped across the jungle. As we walked, we heard the singing of the Gibbons which only occurs for an hour early in the morning. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see them but the noise was amazing. The morning was spent trekking to far-off treehouses and ziplines and the afternoon was free for exploration. As I was zipping away from the treehouse on my way to do one more loop before sunset, I was called back because we were being evacuated. There was a storm forecasted and we weren't supposed to stay in the treehouse during storms (news to us). Four hours later we were allowed to hike back 'home' and even got to do a zipline in the dark (usually not permitted) which was so cool.
The following morning, four of us woke up early to try to see the Gibbons once again. We bushwhacked through the jungle and found a vantage point under the tree where they were swinging. We were able to watch them for 20 minutes and listen to them singing! We ziplined for the morning and sadly returned to the treehouse for our trek back to the road. We had Gibbon 'reunion' drinks that evening and then half of us left for the slow boat the next morning.
The slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang is a two day journey on the Mekong. We were lucky enough to get one of the few seats that had been pulled out of vans instead of the hard wooden ones (woohoo). There was lots of reading and card playing but we discovered that it is pretty hard to stay entertained for two days on a crowded boat. There were nice views but I am glad to be in Luang Prabang; a lovely town and UNESCO heritage sight.

Golden Triangle

I had quite a transportation adventure getting to and from a small mountain town called Mae Salong. My plan was to take the five hour boat ride and then a short sawngthaew (literally means two benches, these are attached to the bed of a pickup truck) ride to town. The day of my departure, a thunder storm was forcasted. I didn't want to take my chances as a massive palm branch was felled by the wind in the garden I was sitting in the day before. My Lonely Planet claimed that an alternative was to simply hop on the local bus, get off at a crossroads and board a sawngthaew to Mae Salong. I got off at the intersection and quickly found the line of 5 sawngthaews waiting for passengers to take to Mae Salong. One of the drivers spoke a little English and explained that we had to wait for other riders or I could pay 400 Baht for a private ride. I waited, imagining that people would emerge, and surely by the time the next bus passed there would be enough passengers to warrant the trip. Even one or two other passengers and we could have split the 400 fee (the price is usually something that can be bargained but the driver made it clear that he wouldn't go any lower when I arrived, and 'saving face' is a huge part of the culture here - ie, even if he wanted to drive me for less after we had waited for hours, he couldn't because he had already told me the price was final). I enjoyed my time watching the small neighborhood with an auto body shop, assortment of restaurants, small clothing store under renovation, and toddler in the house behind who wanted to play. I finally got tired of waiting and crossed the street to wait for the next bus to Mae Sai (where the original bus was going and a town that I wanted to visit anyway). Ten minutes later, another sawngthaew driver (who looked a lot saner than the one I had been dealing with), came over and offered to take me for 200 Baht. There was a small yelling match between the drivers (I guess undercutting the original price is not okay) and we were on our way.
After an hour of winding roads and beautiful views we pulled up at a guesthouse that was recommended, and better yet, under $2, the best deal of my trip so far.
Mae Salong is a small, one-road town surrounded by hilltribe villages. I woke up early to head to the morning market (5AM-7AM) where everyone gathers to buy, barter and eat. Then it was off to horse trekking! I was joined by a lovely Taiwanese couple and their young son and led by our "English speaking guide" who didn't know a word of English. The horses were small which turned out to be a good thing because I coud get my foot in the stirrup without help (yes, I know I'm a shrimp). We spent a lovely four hours riding through the peaceful hilltribe villages and scenery at the mercy of our horses (mine kept trying to cut in line but would bite any horse that would try to pass it... this led to occasional cantering to see which horse would be in front).
The next day, I had my hotel arrange a sawngthaew (instead of sitting for three hours on the side of the road), which still involved some sitting and waiting but I arrived at my destination and wasn't overcharged, woohoo. A busride later and I was in Mae Sai, the northernmost town in Thailand. I was expecting a small town but was surprised to find a sprawling small city that had built up around trade with Burma. Thai vendors head across the border to the market on the other side where they buy goods in bulk to sell to other Thai vendors who come to Mae Sai to stock up. The entire town turns into a marketplace (literally, roads and alleyways and anywhere in between... and it's not a small town) from 9-6 and you can get anything from cowboy hats (quite the craze in Thailand) to dried fruit to electronics.
The river that serves as the country's border is much smaller than I expected - there were kids swimming in it and most of them could touch the bottom in the middle. I waved across to Burma and decided I wanted to go and check it out. The next day I headed across the bridge and through the very low key immigration offices. In the Burmese (or Myanmar as the government calls it - there are politics behind each name which I won't get into here) office they asked me the purpose of my visit and before I had time to answer asked if I was going shopping. I decided saying yes was probably a better bet than explaining that I wanted to witness the military regime first hand.
I was not blown away by Talichek, it was merely another market/border town. It was a bit poorer than its Thai counterpart and they drove on the right side of the road, but other than that it was 'same same' as they say in Thailand. I would have loved to have gone to a smaller town and really experienced Burma for longer but visas and time constraints limited my stay.
I made my way down to Chiang Klong (the border crossing with Laos) via Chiang Saen, a wonderful sleepy town with a bustling market along the river - it seemed like a really nice place to live. The town was dotted with the ruins of temples from the town's heyday from 1200 - 1500. Chiang Klong is also on the Mekong but a bit more touristy than Chiang Saen. I stayed in an absolutely wonderful 4-story guesthouse. Each floor was skirted by amazing verandas, shaded by palm trees and overlooking the river. It was strangely empty for having so many rooms and being in such a prime location and it's low pricetag (a whopping $6 a night). I am thinking maybe there is a haunted house problem - it looked ripe for that kind of reputation. I sat and drank a neon green drink with globules (the specialty of the stand down the street) and read my book on the porch - a wonderful break from a few days of constant traveling.
I arrived in Laos today and am getting ready for a three day trip into the jungle where I get to play on zip lines and sleep in tree houses!

The Islands to the Caves

After an amazing snorkeling experience in Ko Phi Phi, I departed the Andaman coast for the Gulf of Thailand. A night stopover in Phuket was followed by an amazing bus trip through dramatic limestone krast formations covered in lush green jungle. I arrived on the West Coast and took the cramped overnight boat that provided about 18 inches of personal space on a thin mat crammed among 63 other thin mats. The boat was past capacity as many local families had children that somehow weren't counted in the space calculations. Needless to say, I was relieved to be able to walk around and stretch when we arrived at Ko Tao.
I found a small guesthouse on a cove on the quiet side of the island and enjoyed a day of relaxation and exploring the coast. I met three Americans - some of the first in my travels - and we all went to a bar where there were two birthday celebrations and a going away party. Being a diving island, instead of regular drinking, the three honored guests had to consume their beer through a snorkel while donning a mask - quite entertaining although I am glad that flippers were not required because I don't think they would have made it too long without eating some sand.
The next day I departed early on a snorkeling/sight seeing tour around the island. Our first stop was shark bay where I was the only one on the boat who didn't manage to see one of the sharks that were "everywhere, you can't miss them," - I don't know if that makes me unlucky or lucky. The scenery was beautiful although not quite as diverse as around Ko Phi Phi (wow, I sound like a snorkel snob). I spent the evening with two British girls I met on the boat. We dined at a restaurant on stilts over the water while watching a lightning storm in the distance - quite a show.
I departed the next day for the first of my many legged journey to Chiang Mai. The Boat from Ko Tao took me to a bus which shuttled me to the train. Only third class seats were available for the overnight journey so I found myself on a bench in a crowded car where I was lucky enough to have a window seat. Many hours later I arrived in Bangkok with 16 hours before the overnight train to Chiang Mai. I had an early morning stroll, grabbed breakfast at a street stall and met up with Maggie who had just interviewed for (and been offered) a competitive teaching position. We had an afternoon of celebration - taking the local riverboat to the city center where we strolled around the stores and caught a movie. A local dinner and celebratory beverage later and I boarded the train to Chiang Mai.
I stayed in a small neighborhood guesthouse in the old city of Chiang Mai. I spent a day exploring the many temples within the walls and was surprised at how small, quiet and tree-lined the city was - this is until I went to the newer section to visit the night-market where there were swarms of tourists and activity (I definitely prefer the quaint neighborhoods to the bars, tourist markets and hookers).
The next day I headed to Pai which is touted as a cool, laid-back hippie town to relax in. It is a nice town but I didn't find much to it besides traveler restaurants/bars/shops and a lazy river.
I left for the Cave Lodge where I hoped to be able to see some of the non-touristy area and explore the nearby caves. The local bus dropped me off at the small roadside town of Soppong where I caught a motorbike down the dirt road to the Cave Lodge. The Lodge is a picturesque cluster of bungalows perched on a hill overlooking a river. It was built before there was a road in the area by an Australian who had moved to Northern Thailand in the early 1970s. He has written a book about his experiences and adventures in the area - his tales are captivating. Just a few of them include being the first white man many local people ever saw or knew of (they thought he was an alien), navigating the complicated local and border politics of the area, discovering dozens of never-explored caves (the locals don't enter them for fear of evil spirits), and dealing with drugs, murders, cave deaths and fires since the lodge opening. He could have his own TV series - a truly amazing story.
The first afternoon a few of us trekked to the nearby Lod Cave. We hired a guide and lantern at the entrance and she led us to the first two offshoot caverns and through complicated twists and turns that made me glad that I hadn't ventured in alone. The next day six of us decided to head to more remote caves that had been discovered by the lodge owner. We donned our helmets and headlamps and a local guide took us to two caves that we would never have been able to find ourselves (they looked like small holes in the side of a hill). We spent the day jumping over crevices, climbing over rocks, crawling under low ceilings - basically getting dirty and having fun while seeing amazing formations from delicate lacy designs to sparkling waterfalls of rock. We also came across some fun/scary cave creatures like centipedes, thousands of bats, huge spiders and a massive snake that blocked our way in the third cave of the day. Luckily the third cave had other things to see and we marveled at the dusk sky darkened by Swifts entering the cave and bats leaving. The wide opening was covered in guano and bird shit (I gained a new appreciation for the videographers of the cave episode of Planet Earth who climbed a mountain of guano) and we were careful not to slip.
My caving buddies left the next day and unfortunately trips don't run with one person (damn off season) so I headed back to Pai and am now en route to Chiang Rai - the jumping off point for the Golden Triangle.

Thailand (is HOT)

I had a crazy day of flight changing and delays (with some time to watch the Indian highlights of the academy awards with a friend of the Dali Lama in the Kathmandu airport - random). I got to know Lisa, a yoga instructor from Cali who had one night in Bangkok before flying out. She had been there a few times before so she recommended a guesthouse and showed me her favorite sites. We hit some Bangkok basics in a six hour whirlwind including foot massages and lots of tasty food (green curry, pad thai, green papaya salad). The next day while I was waiting for the ferry (Bangkok has awesome transportation - ferry, skytrain, metro.... who knew), I met Maggie and Nick who were heading in the other direction to visit expat prisoners. I hopped on their ferry and we spent the morning navigating the complex prisoner visitation system with the help of the British Women's group whose members visit weekly. We were led through three tiers of security into a hallway of chair facing a window with an empty hallway in between and then the hallway with windows and bars where the prisoners sat. All the prisoners had sentences above 25 years with 40 being the average sentence. Many were in for drug related charges with a few in for anti-government or more violent crimes. They had to spend their first 6 months to a year in wrist and ankle shackles which were later removed. I spoke with a Burmese prisoner, Thang Oo, who was a sailor arrested for smuggling (we didn't get into the details). His parents had disowned him and his brother who was living in Bangkok had only come to visit once in six years. He spoke about philosophy, religion and how he wanted to learn in prison and not just waste his time. He did the cooking and laundry for three western prisoners to earn a little money and to help him learn English. The goods and services barter system inside was really interesting. After our chat I got him a notebook and pens which will hopefully be useful (but will probably be traded for something else, lol).
The visitors all went to lunch and I had some strange meat (from the taste/texture I would guess pig ears) and an amazing iced coffee to wash it down. I am not usually a coffee fan but I have found myself addicted to the super-strong, freshly brewed coffee that they mix in a small cup with a bit of sugar and sweetened condensed milk and then pour over a giant cup or bag of ice. I have found there is a definite art to drinking it slowly enough so you don't have a first strong/sweet swig and also aren't left with an entire bag of ice.
Maggie, Nick and I met up for dinner and I heard many stories of their epic, 18 month journey overland from Holland to Thailand (with 10 months in India on a motorbike). Nick is a journalist (who has written articles on lesbians in India, refugees in Thailand, and other probing and underpublished topics) and they had been in Bangkok for two months so knew all the best food stands and hidden places. We visited Mr. Yim (best green curry in Bangkok), ate grasshoppers and stopped for a pina colada and beer with ice (the way they serve it in Thailand, gets hot too quickly otherwise).
I spent a few more days in Bangkok getting visas, seeing temples, going to a movie (air conditioning, woohoo), exploring Chinatown with Maggie, eating delish dinners and drinking out of buckets. I sadly left my new friends to head South to some movie-worthy beaches and islands (literally). I stayed on Ko Lanta, Ko Phi Phi and am currently in Phuket. The scenery is just as you imagine with green cliffs rising steeply out of the turquoise water bordered by soft white sand. I went on a snorkeling trip to the cove where the movie 'The Beach' was filmed and a few other amazing sites with huge varieties of fish and coral to explore.