Sri Lanka bound

Much has happened since I last wrote. I left Cambodia a bit prematurely, not giving it a completely fair shot, but I did not enjoy it as much as other countries I've visited. I ran back to Thailand, and after a few days of debating between the southern Thai islands, India, and anything else, I spontaneously bought a plane ticket to Sri Lanka! I spent two nights on Koh San Road, a notorious tourist destination in Bangkok, and had a blast drinking with new friends from argentina and Mexico. But I can only take so much of the party scene and I moved back to my favorite (quiet) BK hostel, WE Bangkok. This is my third stay here, and I have to say I love it. My feelings towards Bangkok have had a remarkable transformation. The first time I despised it, but I have grown to love the craziness of the city. It is infectious. There is just always something to do here, you could live her for a year and still not know the entire city. Arriving from any developing countries (compared to Cambodia and Myanmar), Bangkok is heavenly. Everything is convienent. So I've been happy to come back, but I am also happy that this will be my last stay here. (besides the final night of my trip before the flight home...just can't seem to stay away). All in all, I will have been here 6 times. It is a hub. Four of those visits will have been unavoidable due to the airport (In and out of Myanmar, in and out of Sri Lanka). Sri Lanka? Some might ask? It was a semi random decision. I was craving an atmosphere different than SE Asia. Looking at flights for the phillipenes and Sri Lanka, it was actually cheaper to go there. And that made up my mind! It is a very small island off the coast of eastern India. It was colonized by the English at the same time as India, and has an acclectic mix of Indian, arab, and European culture. The country has a population of 21 million and is mostly Buddhist, followed by Hindu. The literacy rate is very high: 91% and the life expectancy is 75 years. They export clothing, tea, rubber and coconuts - in that order. Many people speak English and the currency is the rupee. The island is only seven degrees above the equator which will be the closest to the equator I have ever been! Like much of Asia there are two seasons: wet and dry, but the island is divided in half. The southwest side has monsoon season now, but the east and north are dry and sunny. I'm headed for the east coast to relax on some undeveloped beaches. Planning on stopping in the mountains in the middle to see the beautiful views.  Sri Lanka has a big population of wild animals, including elephants, jaguars, monkies, and exotic birds galore. There are many outdoor opportunities here but I will have to evaluate them when I arrive. Their coral reef has been almost completely destroyed recently, and I'd only like to support companies that leave a minuscule footprint. plus since I'm at the end of my trip I'm really excited to find a few nice places and relax. I'm not anxious to bop around and see all the sights like usual. In the news, Sri Lanka ended a civil war between the north and the government in 2009. There is a tiny area up north where tourists cannot go but it is very safe everywhere else and attacks on tourists are quite rare. In 2011 they were hit by a devastating tsunami, and to be honest I do not know how damaging it was or how the country has recovered.  It is really exciting because until last night I essentially knew nothing about this country. Everything I just recited is from the guide book I bought today and what I've read online within the last twelve hours. But specifics about the culture are a mystery I can't wait to solve! I'll have fifteen days there before coming home. I'm so curious if I will meet other backpackers, what the food will be like, how the people dress, and how it feels compared to SE Asia.  I love going to malls internationally because of how telling they are about cultures. Bangkoks MBK, for instance, is a massive seven story building that has everything you could ever need. Including a bowling ally, movie theatre, clothing, optometry, pharmacy, and every American food chain that exists. Except in-n-out. But it shows Thailands contemporary culture and economic boom. At the beginning of movies here they play a five minute montage about the kings life and everyone has to stand up during it to pay their respects. The people here love the king. His face is on billboards all over town. Unfortunately he is quite old and recently ill, and his son is not very popular. It will be interesting when the power is passed down the lineage. I leave for Colombo, Sri Lanka the day after tomorrow in the morning. My flight is at 7am which is nice because I'll arrive early, but the airport rail link doesn't open until 6 which is not enough time. To avoid having to pay for my hostel and a taxi I am going to spend the night at the airport. It will be terrible but save me about 800 baht, roughly 27$.  Once I get to the airport in Colombo I am going to take a train to downtown, about 30 rupees, and then take another train through the mountains to a town called Kandy. The Internet is amazing, especially travel forums. All this information is online, and the specific outline of how to leave the airport and how much it should cost is incredibly helpful. People advise to say it is not your first visit because people will automatically double the price. Bargaining is everywhere which is awesome because I love haggling. This will be the first country on this trip where you tip also, a new change. I'll have to use the ATM at the airport to have rupee, because unlike everywhere else the dollar is definitely not accepted. Colombo is definiteely worth a visit but I will save that for the other side of the journey. Being in Bangkok now gives me no real urge for a metropolitan city. I'll save it for the end. That's all I know. I'll be home on June 21 which is absolutely insane. I've learned that the world is much smaller than I ever suspected. I've run into the same people in multiple places, all completely random. I Have been able to see the faces of friends and family on the computer, and keep up with news, and buy a ticket to a random island in the indian ocean and two days later actually set foot there, on the other side of the world.  A young Cambodian girl asking for money questioned me when I said I had nothing. "why you have this?" pointing to my earrings. "why you have this bracelet, these clothes, the headband. Why you say you have nothing when you have all these things?" I didn't have an answer. I stood there dumbly and she walked away, interpreting my stillness as rejection. I didn't stop her, people advise not to give to beggars because it feeds the cycle, but I regret not giving her an answer. I don't know why I have these things and she doesn't. Luck of the draw. There is no validity in any reason because it's all random. The gift of simply being an American, wow, it is insane how good we have it. Life is good. With food, water, medicine and school. Big emphasis on school. It's amazing to see the kids here who can't study past eighth grade because they have to work and think about all the American college kids who flunk out of school binge drinking and flirting. The world is a fascinating place and human dynamics will never stop intruiguing me.

Back to Bangkok and into Cambodia

Leaving myanmar was bittersweet. The country is welcoming, geographically diverse, and on the verge of some major political, cultural, and economic developments. The people were so eager to help, to talk, to proudly share their traditions. And yet it was difficult traveling there. No ATMs, insanely slow Internet, and intense heat. Each day felt like an adventure within itself. I already miss the tea leaf salad, tomato salad, and Shan noodle soup. There is a thing called betelnut which is a red nut wrapped in a palm leaf that you chew on like gum. It has caffeine and becomes addicted. The streets were stained blood red from betel spit. Many men had blood red, gruesome teeth. The only women I saw with betel teeth were in villages. Walking down the street we were stared at a lot but never maliciously. I felt at ease in Myanmar. Three weeks flew by and it was with sadness we said goodbye to our new friends and the new country. Once back in Bangkok my dad treated me to a stay at a nice hotel. I booked a room at Le Meridien which soared over my expectations of a nice hotel. It was a glorious visit in Bangkok, one that I'll always remember. Unfortunately in BK Michael and I had to say goodbye after just over a month of traveling together. He is now in India and I am in Cambodia. I'm very thankful to have met such an amicable traveling companion and it's very bizarre to be on my own again. I'm not used to it. I'm in a small town in western Cambodia called Battambang. It is very quaint and realtively quiet. On Saturday morning I took the sky train to the end, Mo Chit. From that station I waited form the local bus for about twenty minutes that would take me to the northern bus station. I looked at my watch and noticed it was 9:40. I didn't have a ticket or know the bus schedule but I had a hunch there was a 10 am bus so I sucked it up and payed 50 baht $1.75) for a motorbike taxi. Luckily I did! I got to the station, bought my ticket, and within minutes was leaving on the last bus of the day to the border. This particular Thai-Cambodian border is notorious for scams and I had been forewarned of what to expect by many travelers. The bus drops you off about 4km from the border so we had to take a tuk-tuk, 20 baht each. I am now with Eva, an Austrain girl who was on my bus. We're splitting room here in Battambang. There are a number of buildings that say "offical visa office" and try to make you pay to exit thailand which you should never do!! The tuk-tuk driver pulled into one of these buildings but I said no, no, border. After a tiny debate he turned around, continued about 25 meters then stopped. Which was the right place, except it doesn't look like "a border" especially nothing like a US border. There is no line or toll booth that distinguishes one side to another. A hint is that the Cambodian side has casinos that start immediately. But we found the actual official buildings and made it through okay. It was stressful getting a bus from there because they all leave in the morning, it was now 4 pm. A bus was just pulling away and was convienently going to Battambang. Eva had planned on going to Siem Reap but had to come on the same bus or wait there overnight. Which is nice because we're splitting an awesome room for just $5 each. This is the beginning of the end of my trip. Cambodia is my last country and I have a whole month to explore it! I will take a boat to Siem reap and see the temples of Angkor Wat. I have no plan but I think I'll head east from there, make my way back up the southern coast to Phnom Phen then back to Bangkok for the last time! Crazy how time flies.

Trekking and miraculously surviving a train ride

Greetings from Northern Myanmar. I am currently in a small town called Pwin U Lin which means nothing to anyone except you can relate how hard it is to remember the names of towns here. Especially like the last town, spelled Kyaukme and pronounced Chao-Mae. Anyway I arrived at this pleasant town last night at the unfortunate hour of three AM, seems to be a Burmese standard time of arrival, after taking the scariest train ride in history. But first, the trek! In Kyaukme we trekked with Camille, an English woman who is the sweetest person I've met on the road. And Dan, a Canadian who is hilarious and extremely organized so we've been relying on him for a lot of the travel details. And Meg, an American woman who lives in SF and is awesome. The five of us did a trek together with an amazing guide named Naing-Naing. It was two days and we walked at a pleasant pace up beautiful ridge lines and through tiny villages that see very few Westerners. The people were so friendly. We must have drunk tea at ten houses and everyone says hello. They don't speak Burmese, only dialects, but Naing-Naing could speak 6 languages and communicated with them for us. The group officially bonded when we showered together. Before anyone's thoughts become X-rated, everyone in Burma wears Longyi's which are sarong type skirts that are a loop. So you hop in and tie it at the top, and take a bucket shower outside with your body completely covered. I'd seen people do it the entire trip and finally we were able to try it! It was so fun! Without any major wardrobe malfunctions, luckily, as there were many kids watching amused by our awkwardness. Naing Naing helped us organize transportation to the next town, where I am now, and we decided to take the government run train for  the experience. Four hours, $2. Wooden bench seats, lots of bugs, and open windows.  It was supposed to leave at 4 but it started raining and whether or not the train would depart became questionable. A train that can't go in the rain? A foreshadow of the ride to come. The ride was rockier than any bus I've ever been on. It left at 8pm and we arrived at 3am which is the third time that's happened and is entirely inconvenient. At one point the train stopped and someone had to get out with a hammer and nails to fix the tracks. The entire cars shook from side to side making sleep a challenge. And at one point all of our backpacks fell off the overhead racks and onto us. The booths were wooden benches that faced each other and the windows were open for some air and allowed a minor bug infestation. But the ride was a blast. We arrived at the train station about four hours before the train ultimately left and got well drunk playing cards and drinking beer. There was a group of about thirty locals that watched our card game without a clue to how it worked, but chipped in with some commentary on how my hand was doing. Whenever I would pick up a Joker, which in this game is the most valuable card, they'd all whisper "ooo joker" and defeat the purpose of secrecy. But by the time we left we were all pretty drunk and we had a good laugh and were sort of able to sleep on the train.  Tomorrow we'll wake up early and try to get to Mandalay, a major Nothern city. I say try because we're entirely unsure of how it will work. There is no bus, despite it being one of the biggest attractions of the North. We have to find a pick up truck (the one's here have bench seats in the back) and go, which will be fun but is unfortunate after three hours. But we'll get there with plenty of time before the 4:30 pm bus to Bagan, our final destination in Myanmar. It will be a 14 hour ride, getting us to Bagan at the lovely hour of 4 am. Bagan is a city of 4,000 ancient temples that are essentially deserted. And we're going with Meg and Camille, we've created a little group! Dan has a bit more time here than us so he's taking the same route but slower. Hopefully we'll cross paths one last time in Bagan.  And that's that! Myanmar has flown by and been incredible. It is a place we should all hope to visit and plan on returning to. There is a ton of area I have not seen and would like to, but the visa length will not permit. It's been amazing though, and even though Im excited to go back to Bangkok (mainly to have access to ATMS. That's been difficult), and hopefully some Western food (just one pizza is all I need!) I will miss this place dearly. 

Introduction to Myanmar, in Yangoon

What an amazing country. Where they drive right handed vehicles on the right side of the road. Where men wear skirts. Where people put white chalky paint on their faces (some sort of religious symbol). Where there are no ATMS, 7-11's, or Starbucks. A mainstream band called AC IC paints the billboards and despite the evident poverty they advertise for Cannon, Rolex, and Timex. Where broken down American cars come to die (with their left sidedness). This place is foreign in every sense of the word. And I love it. The food is incredible, although the street food looks dodgy. The internet is slow, despite what I heard, and cold bottled water is a rarity. I'm traveling with Michael, an Australian I met in Bangkok at the beginning of my trip. We are on a tight budget because we brought in all the USD that would last us. The food is cheap though, luckily, and we've been able to walk everywhere in the old capital of Yangoon, where I am now. Yangoon is dirty and crowded but amazing. Everyone smiles at us. If they're not smiling they're staring and when we say hello ("Minga laba") they always say hi back. We've been approached frequently by people who seem to have no other goal than to practice English. Today someone told me he LOVES Obama. And they are so helpful it's amazing. We went to two temples today, one with a massive reclining Buddha, bigger than the one in Bangkok which attracts hoards of tourists. Today was Buddha day, a holiday, and at the second temple, Shwedago Pagoda, there were thousands of people gathered to cleanse Buddha statues with holy water. The Lonely Planet describes this temple as, if you were to see only one in all of SE Asia, it should be it. And with the billions that there are - that's saying something. It was a $5 entrance fee for foreigners only (prices here are usually quoted in USD, except food). The temple was huge. And beautiful. Google it if you can, I don't know how to begin describing it. 365 feet tall, gold, emerald, turquoise, some diamonds, rubies, thousands of Buddha statues. You could walk around that place for hours. Which I would've had it not been mobbed with people. But it was so crowded and hot that I spent about an hour there and continued on. We've been walking everywhere, not able to afford taxi's, and the walk home was brutally long. But rewarding. We spent the afternoon hiding in the AC because I have never been hotter in my life. I ate fried noodles with vegetables for dinner and we're currently sitting at a bizarre doughnut shop that offers wifi. Not many places do. Tomorrow we're talking a 15+ hr bus ride to Inle Lake up north. Then we'll make a loop to Mandalay, Bagan, and some small towns around there. None of these names mean anything to you but they are beautiful places. Bagan has over 2,000 temples. Mandalay is the second largest city (?) and Inle Lake is a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains. Im really excited. Not sure how often I'll be able to write, but this country is amazingly safe. Ive never felt safer, even though we're in a big city. The people are just too friendly. When Michael and I get separated on the street someone will stop him and point to me, to show him where I am. Its happened twice now, and even though we were never lost, it is a kind, heart warming gesture. People stare and take photos, but they've seen very few white people and it must be exciting. It is certainly exciting to be here.

Back in Bangkok

I came back to this massive city to acquire my Burmese visa. After a 20 hour bus journey from Southern Laos I spent about three hours in the Embassy just dropping off my paperwork (and sweating). But it worked and I'll pick up my visa tomorrow!

Laos was pretty great. I had expectations that I would love it infinitely, which I actually didn't, but I think my experience there was slightly tainted. In Luang Prabang I spent a couple days in the hospital with a friend who had gotten severely ill. The other days we went to a beautiful waterfall with cascading green pools of warm and welcoming water. And when Tess flew off to Singapore to seek proper medical care I hopped on the first bus to Vang Vieng, a beautiful small town where Westerner's go to party and tube. And buy buckets of alcohol that are very cheap. I had one really fun day of proper drinking then took off to the 4,000 islands in Southern Laos where the Mekong river splits up into (surprise) 4,000 islands. It was supposedly a place to go and relax, and that is exactly what we did. In fact there isn't anything to do there except relax. One day we rented bikes and biked to another island to see the second largest waterfall (by volume) in SE Asia. The other days we watched movies at Adams bar literally all day. It was fun though, the first time so far where I've done nothing with my day and it was pretty enjoyable. The food on the island was overpriced and extremely bland. And their currency - Kip - was so annoying it was unbelievable. 7,500 kip to 1 USD. Meals costed anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 kip, and the bus ride costed 260,000 kip. So you feel like you're spending a bunch of money, taking out 700,000 kip from the ATM, but in reality its only about $90.

Now I'm back in Bangkok at the wonderful hostel WE Bangkok. Its clean, nice and has working AC. The showers are deluxe. Bangkok is HOT. The food is good though and there is a ton of diversity. The sky train is my favorite way to get around, its a metro system in the air so when its moving you feel like you're floating. The city is so big I will never conquer it all but I have to say this time around its growing on me.

But I am excited to get out of Thailand and go to Myanmar (Burma). After that, Cambodia!!

Songkran

The craziest holiday I've ever heard of! Officially the Thai New Years, this three day celebration makes people go wild. Traditionally Buddha statues are cleansed with holy water. In modern times, it is a huge water fight! Its acceptable to drench anyone and everyone with water, even small children and old people. It's really great. The concentration of partying happens at the gate of the old city which is where I spent all day yesterday. They set up huge stages with music and foam, and there was water fill up stations every few feet. No one was without water. The hostel owns a truck that they took us around in. We had three huge barrels of water that we would dispense with buckets onto every passerby. It was a blast!! Today the celebration continues at the hostel but Im off to get a $5 massage first. In a few days Im going to Laos with my friend Tess from Canada! We're going to Luang Prabang first. It's going to be a long bus ride but well worth it.

New Hobby

MOTORBIKING!!!

SO fun. The best way I've discovered to see the country. Despite the fact that Tiffany and I had never ridden bikes before, we took off an a four day adventure called the Mae Hong Son loop and have loved it!! 1,000 kilometers and a few rain storms later, we made it safely. Have a long journey home tomorrow but its been worth the tribulations.