Three Flights and a Funeral

I contemplated whether I should write this blog or not, in the end I decided to go for it.  I am sorry if it comes across as insensitive or selfish to some of my readers- I don’t want to give that impression and in the end the decision to document my travels outweighed my moral dilemma.  I suppose when you travel for an extended period of time, things come up and this is what my travel blog is about.
Dan and I are beginning to come close to the half way point of our journey.   I am going to be completely honest in that I am starting to miss some superficial comforts of home (stay tuned for my Xmas list!) but at the end of the day, I am neither ready nor am I wanting to go home.  I am immersed in this life now.  I love being a gypsy, making decisions every day that could mean going to new countries, meeting new people or just relaxing and enjoying our time together.  Our decisions mean so much more to me than the ones that I would be making back home.  It is difficult to explain.  So when we received some bad news from home and had to make flight arrangements to return for a week or so to be with family in Calgary, I wasn’t prepared for the feelings that came to the surface.  Obviously, we are going for personal reasons and the situation in itself has occupied my mind but I have been utterly surprised by my reaction to the news of my short stopover in my home country.  I am scared…..there you go, I said it.  For reasons I cannot even begin to explain, I am afraid to go back home.  I am nervous to see my family again (weird, I know), and on top of that I am very much not looking forward to entering the western world again.  My bubble has been popped.
I could go on and on about how I feel, but this isn’t a journal, it is a travel blog so instead I will tell you about our journey home.  It has been a long one to say the least- not bad but long.  As always, a person should purchase travel insurance before embarking on a trip, and I can say that our company in particular has been fabulous.  It all started when Dan and I arrived in Luang Nam Tha, which is a 6 hour bus ride from the boarder town of Huay Xai.  After spending only one night we had decided to move on and continue South (Laos only grants a 28 day Visa).  We made our way back on the same bus, stayed overnight in Huay Xai before boarding a two day slow boat to Luang Prabang.  I do have one comment about the slow boat that I have to make; take it, it is a beautiful way to meet friends and see the Mekong River.  That being said, the trip takes two days and in hindsight I would have only taken the boat the first day, then a bus the rest of the way.  Two days is a long time, it is uncomfortable and the pace becomes tiresome after so many hours- just my opinion.   After checking into our guesthouse, meeting new friends and spending one night in Luang Prabang, we woke early the next morning to board a 10 hour bus ride to the Laos capital- Vientiene.  It doesn’t stop there, but I don’t want to bore you with the details, but if our math is correct, Dan and I have been travelling for more than 2 1/2 days out of 5- that’s too much!! Vientiene to Bangkok, Bangkok to Tokyo, Tokyo to Calgary. My legs are swollen like sausages and I can no longer feel my ass, but at the end of the day I am still happy that we are living the life we are.  I have realized something great that we have learned along the way- stress control.  After all these stressful days, full of exhausting travel at no time did either of us lose our cool.  We remained relatively calm through the whole ordeal, and it all worked out in the end (oops, knock on wood…I’m still on an Air Canada flight as I write this).  Not only that, but I am on a plane with a bunch of Japanese school kids, I am assuming they are making their way to Toronto for the first time.  When the plane took off, all the girlies started squealing and giggling, like nothing I have ever heard before and it reminded me just why I am doing what I do everyday.  Ha- it was like I was in a real life anime :)
So there you go- I guess what I have learned is that there is always a bright side if you take the time to notice.  Hmmmm, or maybe I am just brain dead from all the travel time.  I’m gonna go with the former.

Then the Rains Came

I think that the saying actually goes, then the war came, but for whatever reason I think of that phrase when it starts to pour.  I think it is because it is so epic, that the rains have a complete life of their own.  They invoke a dance that is unlike anything I have ever seen; the rains have the ability to change things, to crank things up a notch, then slow them down to a complete halt.    I had this feeling tonight when the evening rains blew in- I thought to myself that if I was a writer, I could write a whole book about rain and the dance that it inspires.  Since I am not, I will try my best to explain just how the South East Asian rain makes me feel but like I said previously, I could write for days, so what I will do is pick 2 instances that stood out in my mind.
I will begin with our adventure, just the other day.  Dan and I along with a few others, were in the back of a pickup truck on our way to a Jungle Villa, here in Northern Thailand.  We had loaded our packs into the back of the truck, hopped up and took our places alongside the cases of Chang beer, bags of cabbage and the packs that belonged to the other travellers in our party.  What we thought would be a 20 minute drive tops, ended up being a lushly scenic and awesomely bumpy ride.  We stood holding the roll bars, ducking tree branches that threatened to impale us as we took in the cool breeze and gorgeous scenery.  We drove and drove, closer and closer and higher and higher to what looked like quite the menacing rain cloud in the distance.  I was beginning to get nervous- our bags were out in the elements, uncovered and up until then the rain was something to fear and be avoided at all costs.  It often meant adjusting travel times so as to avoid the morning, afternoon or evening rain- no easy feat (have I mentioned that we are here during Rainy Season?).   Thankfully, our driver yelled out that we were only one kilometre to our destination- we would beat the rain- ha ha.  Wrong.  We each felt a rain drop, looked at each other, laughed and exchanged our chosen curse word  ‘cause at that point what else could a person do.  You see, over here when you feel a raindrop you take cover because a few short seconds later, what was a drizzle will have turned into a torrential downpour.  Sheets of rain turn light to dark and if you are out in the open, you are drenched.  Sure-as-shit.  When it came, it was unlike anything I have ever experienced.  Maybe it had to do with our elevation or that we were speeding through a rainstorm in the back of a pickup- I guess it was a combination of the two.  We tried to laugh but that would mean opening your mouths, which would quickly fill with water, alone refreshing but combined with the water making its way up our noses, it added up to a choking hazard.  I soon forgot about my pack- and my passport, which were surely soaked through and just gave in to mother nature- like I had a choice :)  It ended up being a highlight of my trip- a strange feeling of swimming while out of water and a free amusement park ride- YEAH- so fun :)   Racing through dark green jungle, speeding through mud puddles, fresh clean air with sheer astonishment at just how soaked a person could get- good times!!!!!

I took these pictures while we walked to a villiage, 45 minutes down the mountain from our guesthouse.

The main crop grown in this region of Northern Thailand is tea.

Dan at the shop we stopped at for fried noodles.  I just love these shops, they are always full of random foods and other treasures.

Dan and our Australian friend Dave on our stroll back up the mountain.

The next story is more of an observation than an experience.  Dan and I decided to head out for a early dinner at the Saturday market, here in Chiang Rai.  The market only takes place on this scale once a week, vendors start setting up in the early afternoon and go until the early morning hours.  It is an eclectic mixture of handicrafts, clothing, street food, jewellery, etc.  After making our rounds, we picked out our meals, found some covered stairs to sit, eat and enjoy some people watching.  I have to mention that this meal was one of my favourite street dinners to date.  I scored some vegetarian glass noodle soup,  a massive bag of edamame, and a coke.  Dan had a cup of buttered corn kernels, pad thai, mini doughnuts for dessert, and a fanta- all of which came to under $2.50, a sweet and tasty bargain.  So there we sat, experiencing a moment of travel euphoria, a moment when I was perfectly happy enjoying the absolute moment.  Street markets are a brilliant way to experience life out here, the movements, sounds, smells and colours are enticing and pleasurable in themselves.  Listening and observing I noticed the time in which the music moved people along, I found it comforting and I was enjoying myself.  Then I noticed the vendors directly beside me looking to my left, up at the sky.  We made eye contact and they motioned to the impossibly dark, menacing cloud in the distance.  You could tell that this particular couple had been in this line of work for a long time- their pace rapidly picked up as they packed up the leather shoes they were selling into tupperware containers and began to hang their tarp, which would eventually surround their tent, keeping them safe and dry inside.  One moment I was wondering if they had started a premature panic, the next moment the wind picked up – an obvious  sign of the impending heavy rain shower- man they’re good!  Once the wind came, the pace picked up one notch.  Everyone continued to shop, eat and buy but there was a hurriedness in the air that wasn’t there before.  Then the drops started to fall and the pace turned from mellow, to Western- that’s all it takes.  I then got to enjoy the chaotic jig that ensued- when everyone knows  the sheets of rain are only moments away.  The stall owners began to pack, put up umbrellas and tarps, and the die hard shoppers began to pick up their pace.  Haggling was more intense, food was being ordered and eaten at a speed I have yet to see here in Asia.  I am having a hard time describing the change- it was beautiful.  When the rain began to fall harder, the establishments with awnings filled up with the people that had forgotten their umbrellas or ponchos, the sea of movement in the streets came to an abrupt halt.  That is the beauty of mother nature, one moment we think we are in control, the next we are ducking for cover.  She is in control, no matter how much we try to pretend otherwise.

If I had a Million Dollars…

 

  I know that all of us have played this game more times than we would care to admit.  I am almost certain the fantasy of endless wealth entered my mind on a weekly basis while I was back home.  Now that I am living my dream life, I can safely say that it hasn’t entered my mind in months.  I think differently now.  That was until Dan and I were sitting and enjoying our Thai Foot Massages- which in reality isn’t only a foot massage but in fact a full body massage.  Brilliant!  So my mind was relaxed and it started to wander.  Dan and I have had many discussions about where we see ourselves when we return home and I was starting get a pretty clear idea.  That was until I found myself playing the “if I won the lottery” game- blast, I thought I was past this.  It is interesting, my “rich Elise” life has changed since I began my travels.  I always imagined that I would use a large chunk of my money to travel the world for long periods of time- that I would just wander endlessly with not a care in the world.  Now, I realize that I like having a home.  I enjoy my routine, to an extent and understand that a year is a very long time.  I can’t imagine ever stopping and staying still in one place, never travelling again, but if I had endless funds, instead of a year, it would be months at a time.  I don’t know how many people could travel for a year more than once in a lifetime.  Running with the same thought, along the same lines- I am a Canadian Girl, I LOVE Canada!  Dan and I have had the pleasure of seeing some amazing places, and are scheduled to see more.  I have fantasized about raising children on an island in Malaysia, or being a dive instructor somewhere in South East Asia- the life here has it’s strong points.  The pace is slower, more intimate at times.  Life seems more organic.  All that aside, I don’t know if I could ever leave the West Coast.  We have beautiful lush forests, clean air and a laid back attitude that is somewhere between island life and the fast, stressed pace of the western world.  So, I have decided on a compromise. If Dan and I were to ever win the lottery we would buy houses in foreign places.  We can live there if we want, of just visit when we want.  I think I will start with a bungalow on a cliff side somewhere on the Malaysian islands.  Oh yeah, I can picture it now.

I have also realized just how much I enjoy working- but not the 9-5 kind.  When Dan and I started planning our trip and spreading the news of our extended departure, our friends and family had mixed reactions.  One that I do remember was jealousy, envy that we were taking a year off work for an extended vacation.  Wrong!!  Dan and I aren’t on vacation, we are just experiencing a different form of work.  Every waking moment presents a challenge that is invigorating, though difficult to escape from when exhausted.  I wouldn’t trade it for a 9-5 any day- so now I know.  I like to work and I love a challenge, not only that but I know now that not only do I love challenge, but I am better for it.  Mark my words, when I get home I will not fall right back into my old routine but find a challenging, difficult and exciting way to make my money.  That is only if I don’t win the lottery, if we win Dan and I will open our own business.  We have many ideas, now we just need the funds.

Another thing that has changed considerably from my previous wealthy  picture is my home life.  No longer do I want a housekeeper  to come clean for me because that is something I have come to miss about having a home.  OK, maybe someone can come in once a month and do a overhaul but weekly, there is no chance.  I miss cooking everyday- eating out for three meals a day, for a whole year is completely ridiculous.  I hate menus, and I miss washing dishes with my husband.  There is something to be said about making a meal with your friends, then cleaning up after yourself.  I think that is something that humans or maybe just women need in their life.  A house to clean, a family or friends to cook for- that’s happiness.

OK.  Since I have decided to cross off some expensive items for my rich Elise life, I think it is safe to say that I could afford some luxuries.  I need a private Thai masseuse.  Just three days a week- that’s all.  I picture her and I being friends- her and I would gossip over my weekly massages, we would be friends- is that so bad?  Not only would it bring me peace of mind and clear my blocked Chakras, it would also help my tired legs after long days working, travelling and running marathons.  Yes, rich Elise runs marathons.

So, that is my evolved picture.  Of course it has many more aspects, though these are the only few that have changed.  What are your wishes if you won the lottery?  I know you have perfect picture of how your life would be.  Come on, play with me ;)

Another Picture Post

OK, so I thought it was time to post some more photos.  Dan and I have picked up our pace since moving off the islands of Southern Thailand.  We have made our way through Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, and finally Chiang Mai.

Here is a little snip of what we have been up to.......

 Sorry for the blurry photo but I was literally shaking with rage.  While Dan and I were in Bangkok we decided to make our way to the Chinese Night Market in Chinatown to eat some cheap food and find some cheap clothes to refresh my backpack.  Once we found the place we made our way to the busiest part of the area in hopes of finding some eats before doing our shopping.  I wasn't prepared for what I was about to see.  Dan and I have spent our fair share of time in China Towns since we left home and I have yet to witness what I was seeing here in Bangkok.  The busiest road was in fact a street devoted entirely to various shark fin products- shark fin soup, shark fin pills, dried shark fin..... it was alarming.  Some of you might not know about the shark fin industry in Asia; if you don't then please take a few moments to educate yourself (Shark Water is a great, informative and award-winning film on the subject).  It is a uneccessary practise that is destroying our oceans at a extremely rapid pace.  I feel very strongly about the issue- on top of that, sharks are my favourite animal.  Here I was, on a street where every other shop had dried fins in the windows, fluorescent lights advertised 'The Best Shark Fin In Town', even the cheap stall venders sold only shark fin soup.  I was in a panic/rage, so strong that I needed to beeline out of there before I started yelling at the locals for their ignorance.  Please educate yourselves on Shark Finning and support organizations that strive to stop it.

This is a picture of the Shark Fin road.  The streets and restaurants are packed with people consuming shark fin soup- even writing this post and seeing the photos again brings me to tears.  Ignorance.

While in Bangkok, we paid a visit to 'The Pride of Bangkok' a series of 3 huge, over the top luxury malls.

The main attraction was the Oceanaquarium.  At first I was really excited, it was only 4 years old and expansive.  Upon arriving Dan and I realized that it was more of an attraction than an aquarium.  The plant and coral life were all fake and the fish environments were nothing like they are in the wild.  It was sad to see but hopefully it educates people on the importance of sustainable fishing and environmental protection.  Above is a picture of a Cow Fish.  I was really hoping to encounter one in the ocean while diving- I guess this is the next best thing.

Some three year old Hammerhead Sharks!!!!!  Yeah- AWESOME and sooo cute :)

A model showing the jaw span of the Prehistoric Megalodon Shark- SCARY :)

Dan was pretty excited to get a picture with me in front of this car... I don't know which 'Elise' is his favorite!

A street vender setting up shop for the day.  This particular vender specialized in fake I.D's!

They were absolutely amazing... you could purchase any I.D, documentation or certification under the sun.

Have you ever wanted to be a plastic surgeon, a pilot or how about a press reporter?

For a fee you could be any of those things :)

Buddha images are EVERYWHERE in South East Asia.  After spending the day exploring ancient Wat ruins a person becomes pretty Buddha'd out very quickly.  This picture was taken at a Wat in Sukhothai. (Wat=Temple)

This temple was much different than the ones we had seen previously.  The Buddha was MASSIVE, stunning and completely serene.

I really, really wanted to sit on  Buddha- he looked so comfy and inviting but I am sure I took a serious hit to my Kharma for doing it.  Oh well, it was worth it.

Again, sorry for the blurry photo :(  Me, Dan and Lilli at a Muay Thai Boxing match in Chiang Mai!!

If boxing matches weren't so expensive on a backpackers budget, I think we would go every other night.

The crowd was energetic to say the least.  Muay Thai is the national sport in Thailand, so if you plan to make your way out here a match is a must see.  The card ranged from 8-30 yr olds (my guess) and all the fights were worthy in their own right.  Beers, Fighting, Screaming and Betting... can you think of a better way to spend the evening?

This was the temple at the Buddhist Uni- the jetting off point for my meditation retreat. 

The night market in Chaing Mai, where there are blocks and blocks of venders selling everything and anything a person could want.  Whiskey shake anyone?  Gross!

Dan and Lilli having quite the serious game of Connect 4 - awesome!  When was the last time you saw that game?

Some examples of the quirky, random stuff you can buy at the market.  These are hairclips made out of various candies- brilliant.

How about some dead bugs in a frame?

One of my favourite sections of the market was the art walk.  Oh if only I had $ to buy paintings because they were beautiful and original - lovely :)

Do you have a Monkey Mind?

It is probably safe to say that most of you take care of your body every day.  You shower, brush your teeth, eat and some of you even exercise.  How many of you can say that you take care of your mind?  Even though it is a part of your being and you use it every moment of every day- much like your bodies- have you cared for it?  Have you trained it to obey you or is your mind like a monkey- jumping this way and that- totally and sometimes dangerously unpredictable?
When Dan and I decided to embark on our trip of a lifetime I had a few goals in mind.  I had decided that I wanted to explore and experience all that came my way- to make the most of my journey.  I also had a small list of “to-do’s”:  I wanted to order off menus that I couldn’t read (not an easy feat when you are a vegetarian), learn conversational words in local languages, take time to learn guitar- the list goes on.  One thing that was particularly high on my list was meditation.  I had dabbled in some unsuccessful, and admittedly uninspired attempts over the past few years, but it is something I have always longed for.  I saw meditation as a way to still my overactive mind, a relaxation from the fast pace of my life and an all around pleasant club that I wanted to be a part of.
While in India I encountered some opportunities that fell through.  Mostly they were free guided meditations and that wasn’t really what I was looking for so I can’t say I was too upset.  I also had an opportunity while in northern India to sign Dan and I up for a 10 day Vispassana retreat.  I was stoked but after Dan read that it would require his total restraint from cigarettes and everything else (reading, writing, speaking, everything) he declined.  As eager as I was, I would be lying if I said I upset with his lack of interest- 10 days is a long time.
India came and went with no meditation.  I was feeling defeated; up until now I had been crossing off items from my list almost daily but I guess things seem to work out just when you stop trying.  My lovely friend and travel companion Lilli would be meeting up with us in Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) and her hope was to attend a 2-day Buddhist Meditation Retreat.  Awesome.  Once we met up and with a little leg work on her end we were quickly on a Tuk Tuk to the Buddhist University in Chiang Mai to sign up for the retreat!
We purchased our modest white clothes that we were required to wear for the duration, paid our 500 baht and sat with the 20-odd westerners in a conference room, nervously and awkwardly awaiting instruction.  We were then introduced to our Master (a 30 yr old monk who had been wearing his robes for 20 years!) who commenced to deliver one of the most inspiring lectures I have ever had the pleasure to hear.  He took no less than two hours to explain the basics of Buddhism, including the history and a few basic beliefs, the history of the Monk Chat and the Meditation Retreat, the benefits of meditation and the techniques we would be practising over the next two days.
We all left excited and motivated to train our Monkey Minds into submission.  After an hour long drive to a peaceful, tranquil, remote location we filed off the bus and again, waited for instruction.  We signed up for our rooms (two of the same gender per room), got our keys and listened to our itinerary for the next two days.  It went something like this…..
- chanting before dinner.  Once dinner was served silence would commence until the end of the retreat.  Yes- complete silence- no talking.
-5 minute break
-chanting in the Meditation Hall followed by 45 mins of meditation practise.
- 9 pm bedtime
-5 am gong.  YUCK!
-5:30 am chanting in the Meditation Hall followed by 45 mins of meditation practise.
-offering of Alms to the Monks.
-chanting and breakfast…. remember, no talking!
-chanting and 45 mins of meditation practice.
-discussion and a temporary break from silence.
- silence resumes. chanting and 45 mins of meditation practise. 
- chanting and lunch.
-goodbyes and bus home.
AWESOME!!  I could write and write for hours about all that I learned over those two days.  Not only did I practise three methods of meditation (all of which are completely easy to do on your own) I learnt about the daily life of the Monks here in Thailand.  It was not only a fantastic way to get the tools I need for meditation practise, it was also a great way to learn more about the culture and beliefs of the Thai people.  By no means will I become Buddhist and at no time did I feel like I was being preached to but I did find beliefs that I know I will apply to my daily life.  I could write for hours and bore you with what I learned over those two days- I won’t.  I will say that the experience was something I would never trade and it changed my way of thinking.  Please, if you have any question about what I learned, just ask me or check out the Monk Chat website.
So now I have checked yet another item off my list!  Tonight I will do my meditation before bed and feel better for it :)  Yeah Me!!  Thanks Monk Chat, for asking me some important questions.
ps- photos of me and Lilli will be one the website shortly.

 Me and Lilli in our white clothes.  I can't recall the last time I wore all white.