As an expat living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Sherry wanted to embrace life as a local, which included learning to navigate the hectic streets by motorbike. For many countries, motorbikes are the main source of travel – it’s not uncommon to see people transport livestock, refrigerators, and families of 5 or more on two wheels, even during a monsoon. And rather than just become another passenger, Sherry decided that she wanted to take control of the motorbike.

Though her rented bike spent it’s first weeks parked in her living room, Sherry eventually got over her fear of taking it on the road, even obtaining a “license” in hopes of being a legal driver.

In her “Motorbike Diaries”, Sherry opens up about the ups and downs of this experience, with witty observations of the motorbike culture in Vietnam. And within time, she finds herself to be fitting right in – masks and rain ponchos included.

And in her “Expat Adventures” Sherry shares what it’s like living in a dust bowl of pollution, tasting new cuisines, the literal price one pays being a foreigner, and dealing with a foreign hospital system.

Through these experiences, Sherry gained insight into a unique culture, which helped her to develop a “Saigon City Guide” for the Indie Travel Podcast.  She has even been spotted on the streets of Saigon by backpackers who listened to the podcast! “Three travelers came up to me while eating and ask if I did a podcast on Saigon – I said yes and they let out a collective burst of joy. They apparently had listened to the podcast and were following my Saigon tips during their vacation in Vietnam! They even asked to have my picture taken with them…CRAZY!”

So even though you may not have a year to get to know Saigon, Sherry’s tips are a great resource for your visit.

8 Questions – Northern Vietnam
When I decided to go to Vietnam I realized that besides seeing a few Hollywood movies about the war, I knew very little about the country and the American history there. This was really the first country that I visited so far in my travels that was tightly intertwined with US History – all within my lifetime. I felt that I needed to educate myself if I was going to be traveling in such a hotbed of history.  Read More

One Man’s Pet is Another Man’s Dinner
I’ve seen my share of markets during my travels – I feel like I”m pretty seasoned when it comes to seeing every imaginable type of veggie or fruit, smelling every fowl odor that comes along with the fish markets, and I’ve been exposed to cuts meat and parts of animals that will shred your stomach. Every market still seems to have a surprise to it – and that’s what draws me in. The Bac Ha market in Northern Vietnam is tucked away high in the hills and it’s full of local flavor. Read More

Hanoi – the City that Sleeps
Hanoi is a large metropolis of 3.1 million people. Yet there are no sky scrapers. However, there are about 100 motor bikes for every one car! In cities of this size we tend to think they they never sleep – that they are always bustling. However I was stunned to find out that Hanoi did sleep – it shut down around 11PM and got it’s beauty rest – and that’s when I arrived. Read More

How to Cross the Street in Vietnam
The first time I went to Rome I was in awe of all of the motor bikes – zipping around – I thought it was great in a chaotic sort of way. When I arrived in Bali this year and thought, Rome is for amateurs! I’ve never seen so many motor bikes in my life – and families of 4 riding on one motorbike. I really thought that I had seen it all. I landed in Vietnam and I think I have now entered the motorbike capital of the world. I read in a magazine that there are around 100 motorbikes for every car in Hanoi…and I completely believe it. Read More

Hue – Where My Luck Finally Ran Out
Out of the train and into the sauna of Hue. We traveled by train through the night into what is considered as South Vietnam. Hue is a small town of about 300,000 people (I’m not being sarcastic) and it holds a very prominent place in Vietnam history. The first and most important thing to know is that Hue is pronounced ‘way’. Read More

A Stitch in Time – Hoi An
I have been a clothes hound my whole life. I still remember my favorite outfits from when I was a little girl (the blue holly hobby top). My mom used to sew me outfits, yet she never passed that sewing skill on to me – I preferred to simply shop for my clothes in the mall! Clothes have always been memorable to me. I like to play this game with my nieces where they model clothes and shoes from my closet and I tell them what city and store I bought it from. So when we pulled into Hoi An – the tailoring capital of Vietnam (and maybe SE Asia) – I felt like I had come to the promised land! Read More

The City with Two Names – SaigonI always wanted to change my name. When I was about 8 years old I told my brother and sister that I was no longer going to answer to being called Sherry anymore; from this point forward I would be going by the name of Farrah. I idolized Farrah Fawcet and used to re-enact every episode of Charlies Angels each week with my neighborhood girlfriends Donna and Jenny. I of course was Farrah every week – apparently this re-enactment was going to my head. Saigon had a similar identity crisis in the 70’s. Read More

Goodbye Vietnam
You can’t come to Vietnam and not recall Robin Williams famous words “Goooodddd Moorrrnnninggggg Vietnammmmm!!!” I had spent one month in Vietnam – the longest in any one country yet (besides my SE Asia home base of Singapore). I had high expectations for Vietnam, and I’m happy to say that they were met. Read More

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Travel Slogans for Bali
Ahhh – Bali – peace, quiet, simplicity, cultural, relaxation, great food – and the home of the $8 massage….perfect. Bali was going to offer me some new culture again which I was really excited to see. It was also going to offer me some time with my favorite Belgian – no, not a waffle – my girlfriend Veronique! Veronique and I met a few years back through a mutual friend (Angie) while traveling through France (that was a mouthful) and we have remained travel buddies ever since! It’s always great to have a well traveled Belgian who can speak multiple languages to travel with! Read More

Do you have a cow? Lombok, Indonesia
Happy New Year! My travels continue in 2007! Every year for the Christmas Holiday my sister and her family go somewhere in Southeast Asia for a week, lay on the beach and relax before the kids have to go back to school. I decided that I would go with them and continue my travel adventures with them for a week. After all – I’ve traveled alone, traveled with friends, so why not try traveling with a family! This year they chose Lombok, Indonesia – an island east of Bali. Read More

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Not So Sweet Dreams – Langkawi
I’m enjoying a perfectly relaxing serene week on a sunny beach in Langkawi Malaysia with my family. I’m taking a vacation from my traveling. I write, catch up on reading, work on my tan, brainstorm on ways to make a living, play games with my nieces – yet I awake in the middle of the night overcome with a feeling of despair. I’m having nightmares. Not the kind where someone is chasing me with a machete through a dark, deserted forest in the pelting rain. Nor am I dreaming my normal reoccurring anxiety nightmare where I am trying to drive up a steep hill in my old Ford Escort and I am still spinning my wheels as I loose ground in 1st gear and start rolling backwards down the hill. Instead, I dream of being back in NYC seeing my old friends. I look around at the familiar faces and places and have no idea where I fit in any longer. Read More

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Family Ties – Singapore
I landed in Singapore ready to see something familiar – my family! I was ready to empty out and fumigate my suitcase, sleep in the same bed for multiple nights in a row and get in the Christmas spirit. However, after a few hours in Singapore getting the tour of my sister’s home, sitting down to a family dinner, helping nieces with their homework – I quickly realized – this is probably the most foreign place I’ve visited so far. Read More

Piercing Palooza: Thaipusam
This week I attended a unique religious festival in Singapore. This festival only occurs a handful of places in the world, and luckily Singapore is one of them! I was so excited to go see this event, as I had seen footage of it on Globetrekker (my favorite tv show and dream job) in the past and have always been fascinated by it. When Cyndi told me that she got us tour tickets to go view it – I was ecstatic! I even treated my camera to a professional cleaning with the Cannon Service Center in Singapore in order to get the best possible shots! Read More

Auspicious New Year – Oink Oink
aus·pi·cious (ô-spshs) adj.
1. Attended by favorable circumstances; propitious: an auspicious time to ask for a raise in salary.
2. Marked by success; prosperous
3. Term commonly used during Chinese lunar new year.
Read More

Singapore – the Good, the Bad, and the Weird la
I’ve spent approximately 3 months on and off in Singapore – it’s been my home base for SE Asia. I feel like I’ve got to know it fairly well – all of it’s ups and downs…and oddities. I’ve tried to compile a list of some of my observations. Read More

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If You Build It, They Will Come – Cambodia
I arrived in yet another 3rd world country, another country with a recent, torrid history full of war, and death. Yet even though Cambodia is nestled between Thailand and Vietnam – it really isn’t like these other countries, it has found its own identity. My first experience when entering Cambodia was entering the grand, new Siem Reap International Airport. It was beautifully designed, clean and cool – extremely rare for a third world country. While we were waiting in line for immigration there was an ATM so I decided to quickly get some Riel – however – much to our surprise – the ATM spit out US dollars. This definitely wasn’t like any country I had been in before! Read More

Running Among Gods
There are a few places in the world that everyone should see, Angkor Wat is one of them. As most of you know, I am someone who hates to do what everyone else it doing; so I took it a step further last weekend. I didn’t just see Angkor Wat, I ran through it. My sister had participated in the Angkor Wat Half Marathon and 10k a couple of years ago and raved about how much fun it was. Since I found myself only a short 50 min. flight away from Siem Reap, I thought I better run on over there and check it out myself. Read More

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Planes, Trains, and a Broken Down Automobile
I left Singapore on a photographic journey to head back in the world of rice fields, $4 massage, spicy food, small villages, and hill tribes – Laos. I hired Jonathan Taylor, a professional photojournalist out of Bangkok, to accompany me and tutor me for the next 9 days. These 9 days were the least planned of any of my travels to date; all I knew was that Jonathan and I were to take an overnight train from Bangkok to the border of Laos, cross over by foot, and the rest was a great big mystery to me.  Read More

The Fast and the Furious – Boat Racing on the Mekong
I arrived at the village of Tha Phra as the sun was going down. It was a normal Tuesday night for the men and boys of Tha Phra, they showed up on their motor bikes after a long day, they chatted amongst themselves, changed into their boating clothes, and played wicket ball. Wicket ball is a Laos game which is a mix of hackey sack, badminton, and volleyball. It was truly mesmerizing to watch their athleticism as they jumped through the air and contorted their body to kick the wicket/ball over the net.  Read More

Processional for Food – Giving Alms
Every morning in Buddhist communities it happens like clockwork – giving alms. Giving alms is the process of monks going out to get food from people that want to make a ‘good deed’. People fill monk’s bowls with rice, drinks, oreos, biscuits – anything that they may enjoy. By offering food to monks, the lay Buddhist is making a stronger connection with the Monks and Buddhism in general. This is really the main source of food for the monks living in the temple, they depend on the community to feed them. It’s a wonderful ‘ritual’ and I was lucky enough to participate and witness it while in Laos.  Read More

Whiskey and Babies – Luang Prabang, Laos
Yes, this may be an unlikely combination, however, when you enter a rural village in Laos, you never really know what you are going to encounter. I went in search of whiskey, and found a 5 day old baby.  Read More

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When my friend Russ and I decided to go to Borneo, we had a single goal – to climb Mt. Kinabalu, the highest peak in SE Asia. Ever since the sad day that I was banished from Kilimanjaro due to altitude sickness, Mt. Kinabalu in Borneo had been in my sites. I thought that even though I couldn’t make it up to 19,000 ft. (Kilimanjaro), I should be able to make it to 13,000 ft. (Kinabalu). I had determination – an intense determination that had been building since Africa.

The literature about the climb said that a reasonably fit person could summit. It takes two days to make the 8.5km climb – the first is spent going up, up, up from 5000 ft. to about 10,000 ft. where you hunker down in a lodge/hut.
The hut is basically an unheated wooden structure that pretty much resembled most of the hostels I have been staying in. Bunk beds, shared bathroom, luke warm water at best. On day 2 you are to get up at 3AM and start on the summit route in the dark. You make it to the summit (13,435 ft.) by sunrise. The temperatures around the summit are normally right around freezing – 32 degrees – and the wind is brutal.

I struggled through the first day, sweating like a piece of lard, huffing and puffing as if I smoked 2 packs a day, but I did make it. Russ took off in front of the pack early. The last time I saw him was at 2.5 km at a little rest hut. As he came into my view, he was sitting on the bench talking on his blackberry. After that he was on a mission to get to the lodge.

I made it to the Laban Rata Hut in the early afternoon in the drizzling rain (10,800 ft). I met up with Russ who had been there for about 40 minutes before me. We had a chance to set down our packs and relax for a bit, after which we made our way up to our dorm room and got settled in.

We were in the center of a cloud, therefore when we arrived you really couldn’t see a thing. All of a sudden at 4PM the skies cleared and we could witness what surrounded us – granite. The hut was situated right at the tree line, and when you looked up, all you could see was naked granite rock. Our task would be daunting the next morning. We had a good carb dinner at the lodge and were treated to an amazing sunset above the clouds which was stunning.

Our guide suggested that we get started the next morning at 3AM. So we tried to go to sleep early to prepare for the next day’s climb. It was going to be cold and windy – so we laid out all of our winter gear and laid down for some zzzz’s. Unfortunately, I was quickly reminded that in altitude, you don’t really get good sleep. Sure, you lie down, you sort of doze off – but it’s not a fitful sleep. I lay there sleeping on and off for a few hours – my mind racing with thoughts of the summit and anything else that I could worry about. Needless to say when our alarm went off at 2:40am I wasn’t feeling very well rested. We donned our layers of gear, mittens, hats and headlamps and took off.

The climbing was a bit more technical, steep steps, big rocks to negotiate and steep granite rock that you needed a rope to get up the incline. This wouldn’t have been so bad, except that we were doing it in the dark. When you can look around and see your surroundings, there’s a certain comfort in that. However, with a headlamp you feel like you are in a tunnel for 3 hours – you can’t see more than 4 ft. in front of you. Russ took off pretty quickly and I didn’t see him again until the summit. That left me with our guide – slowly climbing to the top in silence.

As we got higher, I started feeling nauseas, and was dizzy and disoriented from the altitude. Since I had experienced similar feelings before on Kilimanjaro, I at least knew what it was and decided that I would keep pushing forward. I certainly couldn’t walk a straight line so I just tried to follow our guide up the rock face. There was a rope the whole way up the rock so that you could use it in the steeper parts and you could simply follow it as your trail marker at other times. In the dark all I could see was that rope and the rock face. It felt as if you were on the side of a steep cliff and one wrong move and you would fall off the side of the mountain. Therefore not only was I battling the lack of oxygen, but also the fear of falling to my death! I would stop quite frequently to catch my breath.

The wind was whipping as we continued to go up – there was really no protection from it. Sometimes it would gust so strongly that it would blow you off your course and you would lose your footing. Now I also had to worry about being blown off the mountain…great. I looked to my right and started to see a light in the sky – I was determined to make it to the top for sunrise. As we approached the top, our guide perched me down on a rock and I sat in the blistering wind trying to get out my camera. At this point I had no feeling in my fingers (I only had on light running gloves), so I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to take a picture! I tried to hunker down and about 4 minutes later…up popped the sun!

I looked around at my surroundings for the first time and was amazed at the beauty. We were on a rock above the clouds. It was stunning. Finally – I was able to summit a mountain. I was relieved and excited…and still a bit nauseas! I found Russ who had been at the summit in the cold for the last hour (he was the first person to arrive on the mountain). We were happy to find each other still in tact!

The descent was long, hard, wet, and agonizing for the knees. It took about 7 hours total to get down to the beginning of the trail (descent from 13,000ft. to 5000ft.). With every step down I could breathe easier, and felt more euphoric. This climb brought a bit of closure for me…the chapter that had been started on Kilimanjaro, was more complete now. Or was it? I still have thoughts of trying Kili again – yet I don’t know if I’m cut out for the amount of work that it would take again. It is a constant nagging in my head. But for now, it’s tamed a little, and Russ and I can enjoy our accomplishment. Who knows what the future holds for me and climbing – I love it, I hate it – but more than anything it teaches you about yourself, your body, and what you are capable of. It awakens my inner spirit – good and bad.

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My curiosity with Borneo started around the year 2000 when I was living in San Francisco. I had just moved to the west coast and I was up late one night watching television. I came across the Eco-Challenge, an adventure race that featured a variety of crazy and dangerous sports including hiking, mountain biking, kayaking through rapids, horseback riding, caving, and abseiling. It could take teams anywhere between 3 and 6 days to complete and it was in a place called Borneo. I had never heard of it before, but it sounded and looked completely exotic – this sheltered mid-westerner was hooked.

I watched utterly amazed at what these people were going through. They raced 24 hours a day living off of cliff bars and fighting off hallucinations due to dehydration and lack of sleep. Not to mention racing with foot-rot and leeches crawling all over their bodies. These were the toughest people that I had ever seen in my life…and I wanted to be one of them. I was in awe of them and the dangerous, lush, jungle landscape that surrounded them. I got out the map that night and looked up Borneo – it took me quite some time to find it as I had never really heard of it before – but when I did, I knew that it would be someplace that I would visit one day.

After watching Eco-challenge, I started getting interested in adventure racing – wondering if I was tough enough to really do what those people did. My next few vacations I took were adventure vacations to test out my ability in the various activities as well as testing out my ability to ‘rough it’. After sleeping in the Australian rain forest in a hammock scared to death of every noise and bump in the night, I realized that I probably wasn’t cut out for the adventure racing life, but the experience kicked off my interest in travel to exotic places and smaller scale adventures. I wanted to go explore, I wanted adventure, and I wanted to push myself. Shortly after I got hooked on Eco-Challenge, the first Survivor aired on television, also shot on an island in Borneo.

My friends and I would watch Survivor every week religiously. I loved the mental game that came along with Survivor, getting people to do what you wanted – persuasion mixed with athletic activity. I was so in love with the concept of Survivor that I actually applied for the 2nd season of Survivor. I was still on a quest to be considered ‘tough’. I obviously never made it on the show, but I’ve been a fan ever since.

When I decided to do my around the world trip, I got out a world map, laid it on my floor, and immediately knew that I had to stop in Borneo…there was never a question in my mind. It was my ’spiritual travel birthplace ‘ – and I had to take this opportunity to see it.

Fun Fact: Borneo is the world’s third largest island and contains three countries – Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

READ MORE:
Where to Go: Timing | Where to Go: What Calls You | Where to Go: Comfort Level

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Vietnam…Scooters…Everywhere.  They are your first impression when entering the country and a lasting one throughout.  After all…they are everywhere.  The best part about Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) were the scooters.  If you weren’t zooming around the city on back of one, you had to dodge them.  And what fun that was – just like a live action game of Frogger.  And since the few sidewalks that are around turn into parking lots for the scooters, you are forced to become one with the traffic.  Add on top of that cyclos, bicycles, and the occassional bus or car, you’ve got fun every step of the way.  This all goes for the rest of Vietnam as well, on different levels – but it’s all part of the charm.

It’s difficult to sum up my time in Vietnam as there have been so many impressions made and experiences happened.  As I made my way South to North – Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Halong Bay, Hanoi – each step has been a journey in itself.

HOW I GOT AROUND

1. Scooter – of course.  Whether zooming through the streets of HCMC or the villages of Nha Trang and Hoi An, it was an exciting way to travel around Vietnam and visit places tour buses or Westerners never go.  Another person from my group and I rented a motorbike one day in Hoi An and visited villages where we were greeted like celebrities.  Women huddled together gossiping would point and laugh – field workers would stop and stare – and kids would jump up and down shouting hello.  It was all very humbling.

2. Boat – being paddled through the maze-like jungle of the Mekong Delta.  Visiting floating villages and markets, where the locals lives revolve around the water.  Relaxing on top of a boat as we cruise the various islands off Nha Trang, sometimes snorkeling, sometimes swimming with our host as he served up drinks from the floating bar.  Floating down the Perfume River in Hue aboard a boat on which the family lived, visiting Pagodas and Royal Tombs along the way.  And sailing to Cat Ba Island in Halong Bay, past the numerous islands and caves that make up this World Heritage Site.

3. Bicycle – In Hoi An, our guide took us out for dinner to a “local” place, only 30 minutes away – on bike.  Imagine 12 of us riding in pitch blackness on village roads.  Just as you get used to the darkness, a scooters headlight blinds you and you hope you don’t run off the road, or into someone else.  A similar challenge was met in Hue, but instead of darkness, it was rain.  Add heavy traffic into that, and it was quite adventureous.

4. Trains – Three in total – two at 12 hours, one at 18.  Plenty of beer could ensure a good nights sleep – for some.  And the adventure to get the beer, walking through endless compartments filled with locals sitting in hard seats (or lying underneath them) made our berths seem extravagant.  But no one enjoyed being woken up at 4:30am by blaring Vietnamese Muzak.

AN ENTREPRENEURS DREAM

Want to open your own business?  Welcome to Vietnam.  Do you have access to a CD burner and photocopier?  You can open your own record shop.  A two litre bottle for petrol and a bicycle pump?  You’ve got yourself a road side station.  Are you an ambitious restauranteur?  All you need is some knee-high plastic chairs and table and a kerosene stove.  Want to open a market?  A stick with two baskets on either end to hold your fruits or veggies and your in business.  And of course the land of tailors – Hoi An.  For $100 you’ve got yourself a whole new tailored wardrobe in one day.  It’s addiciting!  Myself – I got tailored two trousers, 3 shirts, a 3/4 length wool coat, a traditional Vietnamese dress, and two pairs of shoes custom made for that price.

THE WAR

As an American, there is no escaping the “American War” here.  And after seeing primitive yet highly effective booby traps, the extensive underground tunnels of the Viet Cong, and the density of the jungles & rivers, it is no surprise that America lost the war.  And as the only American on the tour, our local guide was always quick to point things out to me only — “that’s the old CIA headquarters”…”the US Embassy used to be there”…”what did you think of the War Crimes Museum?”  But there are no hard feelings, as this country has only been at peace in the last 10 years after hundreds of years at being at war with various nations and itself.

AND THE CREEPIEST EXPERIENCE AWARD GOES TO….

Uncle Ho.  Yes, Ho Chi Minh himself.  Or should I say, his well preserved yet utterly creepy body.  He arrived back in Hanoi just in time from his annual “preservation” trip to Russia.  But as freaky as seeing his body was, it was the pomp and circumstance surrounded by the visit that made it truly unique.  The rules included, no bags or cameras allowed inside the Mausoluem – dress respectively, no hats or shorts – walk quietly in pairs – and you can not put your hands in your pockets.  Walking up the red carpet inside the darkened tomb with guards surrounding him, it ironically felt like I was in line for a ride at Disney World.  Bring on “Uncle Ho’s Magic Roller Coaster”.

ANNOYANCES

See Cambodia

Of course I haven’t even touched on the vast beauty of the endless rice fields, the charm of Hanoi and Hoi An, the Vietnameses freaky obsession with Karaoke, and the food, oh glorious food.

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I’ve had an ill feeling that has plagued me for the last year. I first remember it coming on in New Zealand. Then it hit me stronger in Vietnam. I was feverish about it in India. It is the feeling of being in some type of moving vehicle, traveling through a country, and seeing about 25 perfect photographs outside my vehicle window. I would feel ill thinking – “if only I could tell them to stop so I could get out and take a picture.” Yet I sat there helpless watching my beautiful shots go whizzing by, wondering if I would ever be able to capture this image again.

I would get queasy when I saw a group of people intimately interacting, simply being themselves, but I couldn’t get the nerve to go up and ask them if I could take a photograph. Instead, I would linger a bit, and then sulk off mad at myself for not having the guts to be a real photographer! The few times I did get the guts to go up and ask if I could take a photograph (fumbling through this conversation in broken English, pointing at my camera and smiling) they would normally say ‘yes’ and then give me some big, posed, toothy grin – transforming the shot from a nice little intimate, cultural gathering, to a Sears family portrait.

However, I have decided to put an end to this fear…I decided to hire a professional photographer to help me improve my photography skills of people so that I am no longer afraid to go ask someone for a photo or to ask someone to stop so that I don’t have to shoot out of a car window. I had actually been thinking about this for quite some time. I had taken photography courses in New York, but now I’ve been practicing photography on the road daily. When you actually start using a skill you had learned, then you have a ton of questions.

So I’ve been traveling around gathering up photography questions in my head with no one to ask them to. Questions about technique, the profession, using flash, saving digital photos, editing digital photos…the list if long. I have looked into taking a photography workshop in various countries, but none really had worked out until now. I was doing research on travel in Laos when I came across an ad for a photography school in Asia – specifically Bangkok. The ad talked about custom photography tours to Laos, so I clicked through and inquired about more information. After a number of emails back and forth with the photographer and checking references, I decided to splurge on this unique opportunity – I hired the photographer to travel through Laos with me and teach me about documentary photography.

Jonathan Taylor is a professional photographer from the UK living in Bangkok. He’s a photojournalist that has done work for various publications including Time, as well as serving as a photo editor for a publication in Bangkok. He also speaks Thai, which would prove useful in Laos. Plus, the real benefit was that he knew how to go into a town, talk to the locals, talk to the taxi drivers, develop the right relationships with people, and sniff out a good photographical story.

In one of our many email exchanges, he told me that we would go into towns in Laos, find out what was happening there, and then hopefully find some story that we could document, such as a traveling Chinese acrobat team. Little did he know, but the idea of following around a Chinese acrobat team and photographing them was what sold me…it sounded cultural, unpredictable, crazy, and fun! Granted – I knew that I may not find that acrobat team, but I would get further with him than on my own. At the very least, I could have him tell someone to stop the car so I could get out and take a photograph. Plus, I would be traveling through Laos – a scenic, quiet little country in SE Asia that I had been wanting to see for quite some time now.

You can read more about my adventures with Jonathan in the “Destination – Laos” section and below is a preview of some of the photos taken during the trip.

Photography School of Asia – http://www.jonathantaylor.net/photographyschool/courses.php

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Six days in Cambodia – not enough time to experience all the beauty of her people, countryside villages or temples, but enough to exhaust you of the horrors and atrocities of her past and present.

Some highlights:

Sitting for lunch just as we crossed the border in a village where very few Westerners stop.  Out of nowhere, 50 plus kids emerged, and kept emerging, watching us in awe, laughing, giggling and pointing.  Some would shy away when cameras were taken out, others would act up and jump on one another.  They were amazed by music players and entertained by counting to ten.

The ornate beauty of the Silver Pagoda and Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.  In the heart of the capital, behind its walls one finds vast grounds offering peaceful quiet, beautiful trees & flowers, numerous memorial stupas, and priceless statues & jewels that somehow survived the Khmer Rouge reign.

The splendor of Angkor Wat – lying in ruins amidst the jungle yet still offering amazement & wonderment of a time long past.  Intricately detailed carvings telling stories of war, religion & culture.  Dozens of larger than life smiling Buddha faces looking out in contentment.  And massive tree roots entwining & engulfing what few remains are behind.  Sunrise or sunset, middle of the day – it offers beauty at anytime.

Sitting in a hammock by the lake enjoying a beer and picnic lunch under the many grass huts as locals look on in amazement as we hop in inner tubes and float in the water.  After all, it’s winter, and 85 degrees is cold for them.

Sampling assorted local dishes and fruits – amok fish, clams, curries, tamarinds, sticky rice, papaya, and even fried cricket.

The endless sprawling rice fields, with palm & eucalyptus trees lining the edges, bicyclers traveling on roads from sightless destinations, and village homes on stilts with rafts to access the front door.

Some annoyances:

“Disco Dancing” buses on roads so damaged over time and wet seasons that repair will just disappear after the next wet period.

Endless number of people approaching you every ten steps; Moto drivers (Madame, where do you go?) – Children asking for money or trying to sell you something, quite persistently (Madame, you buy from me?  Two for $1) – and amputee victims on crutches or in wheelchairs (Madame, give me money).

Then of course there are the atrocities:

The Killing Fields, where 20,000 of the approximately 2.3 million victims of the Khmer Rouge regime lay in mass graves.  Over 8,000 skulls make up a memorial stupa (temple) where you can see evidence of them being bludgeoned to death.  In order to save precious bullets, their necks were slashed with palm fronds, they were left to suffocate amongst the other bodies, or they starved.  After rains, you can see bone fragments and teeth of those still buried.

And the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum – once a school, it was turned into the largest torture and murder prison in the country.  Only seven of the 10,000 people brought here survived the months of tortures, beatings, and starvations.  On the walls are photos of the thousands of victims, taken by the Khmer Rouge to document all that they had done.  The faces on these men, women and children are filled with fear & hopelessness as they knew what future awaited them.

The corruption in this country is still very apparent and changes in its political and economic systems will still take a great deal of time to change.

But I can’t end on that thought.  My last day ended the way it began – amongst the sweet innocence of the village children.  We visited one of the few completely free schools in Cambodia, largely supported by Intrepid Travel.  The students performed costumed local Khmer dances for us, and they were so sweet trying not to giggle or smile at one another as they performed. Those not dancing peered over windowsills, sat underneath desks or looked in from doorways to get a glimpse of an even better show – staring at us in wonderment.  We ended the day by taking a sunset boat ride, past floating villages that relocated according to the season, the sun looking like a red fire ball as it set down on the water.  A beautiful final image of a country with a horrible past, but hopefully a brighter future.

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It’s hard to believe we are already in Laos – our final destination. It’s bittersweet as this is the place I was most looking forward to going but it also means our trip is quickly winding down. But we couldn’t ask for a better place to unwind than the French-colonial town of Luang Prabang.

We knew very little about Laos beforehand, but that was part of the appeal. And the little that we did hear proved to be true – it was much more laid back and less hectic than other Southeast Asian countries, we’d run into far fewer tourists, and that the towns and people were lovely. And that is the perfect way to summarize the essence of Laos – lovely. Even before landing, the site of the green rolling hills from the airplane were so inviting and the friendly smiles of the immigration officers were so welcoming. We knew this would be a great place and way to end our adventures.

We decided that after running around for eight weeks we would base ourselves in Luang Prabang for our short time in Lao rather than trying to squeeze in too much. And that was a great decision. Luang Prabang is located in Northern Laos amongst the rising mountains and flowing rivers, most notably the mighty Mekong. And if you were to pick the most popular destination in Laos, this would be it. And it’s easy to see why. Laos opened up to tourism in 1989, and with over 30 temples in Luang Prabang alone, it was recognized as an Unesco World Heritage site in 1995. This meant that years of disrepair were addressed yet its French-colonial antiquity was well preserved.

And as you walk the quiet streets and alleys past colorfully shuttered doorways and saffron-robed monks, the charm reverberates through your body. It’s easy to spend a day just strolling amongst the temples with stops at the many craft shops and even a rest for a $4 massage or a refreshing Beerlao.

Luang Prabang has no shortage of quaint guesthouses and boutique hotels and we decided to stay at the Apsara, which has been recognized as one of the top boutique hotels in all of Southeast Asia. And the accommodating staff made the stay that much more pleasant.

One thing that has also impressed us in Laos is the level of English spoken by those we encounter. Perhaps it’s because most hotels and tour operators employ university students (where it is required to study English), but the level of comprehension is pretty amazing. Not only can you easily have a conversation with someone, they also understand our sense of humor, making for lots of shared laughs.

We decided to do a couple of day trips from here – one being a kayaking trip down the Nam Ou to where it meets the Mekong. And the other excursion was a trip out to the waterfalls of Tat Kuang Si. But our favorite experiences were the little things that make Luang Prabang special: early mornings to watch hundreds of monks and novices receive alms; a dinner of Laos barbeque with the helpful staff showing us how to properly grill; and bartering over 50 cents for a scarf with the women at the night market.

Our stay in Laos was short but sweet and made a lasting impression. We definitely plan to venture back for more.

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Michael and I traveled to Laos as part of our 2007 career break. The following is an excerpt from our travel blog.

While in Laos we did tear ourselves away from Luang Prabang for a two-day trek through some local hill tribe communities. We were told that for a true authentic hill tribe experience, Laos was the place to do it. It was what Thailand was like 40 years prior before the lure of the tourist dollar turned the experience into a Disney-like operation.

And there is no lack of operators in Luang Prabang offering guided experiences. After some research we decided to go with White Elephant Adventures as the owner, Derek, sold us on a trek that had only been done once before.

This trek started along the banks of the Mekong River and would take us up and through three types of ethnic villages – the Lao Loum, who reside along the rivers and most closely resemble the Laos in language, religion and culture; the Khamu, who live on mid-altitude mountain slopes and have been used in the past as indentured servants; and the Hmong, who live at high-altitude and breed cattle, pigs, water buffalo and chickens. Previously the main source of income for the Hmong was opium but the government has aggressively eradicated those crops.

(Click here for more information about the Hmong involvement in the CIA operations during the Vietnam War.)

The lowland part of the hike didn’t last long as we quickly began our ascent up the mountain. Our small group of three was being led by Gai, otherwise known as Mr. Chicken, and the only person who has done this hike before. He is also an ethnic Hmong. He was accompanied by Tomchan, an ethnic Khamu and university student who just began leading treks, as well as Mr. Year, also an ethnic Hmong, who would be assisting in carrying our food and extra water.

Our hike took us through beautiful forest terrain and after a couple of hours on the trail we stopped in a Khamu village for lunch. There were several children, puppies and chickens running around but otherwise this village of stilted houses seemed like a ghost town. They don’t encounter too many falang (foreigners) here and are extremely shy. But we could see some people spying out of doorways and windows and eventually a group of giggling kids gathered around to watch us eat. As they have their own language the little Laos we learned meant nothing so it was frustrating not to be able to communicate. But smiles and waves seem to be universally known.

Ahead for us that afternoon was several hours of a steep ascent. And when Gai pointed to the top of a mountain proceeded by a jagged 45 degree angle path, we knew we had our work cut out for us. Even with necessary rest breaks every ten minutes, we had to keep reminding ourselves that this was what we wanted to do – get off the beaten path. There were many “just one more up” from Gai and when we thought we could no longer pull ourselves up, we were on top of the mountain.

Glowing bright red from the crimson surface and setting sun we were welcomed into this Hmong village by the sounds of giggling children, crowing roosters, oinking pigs and yipping puppies. It was as if we walked onto a movie set. Every breathless step up the mountain was worth it for this moment.

After putting our bags down in our thatched hut we strolled around the village. Much like the Khamu, the Hmong are very shy, but there seemed to be a lot more activity happening about, and it wasn’t just the people. Everywhere we turned were an assortment of animals roaming about – we wondered how anyone could keep track of which ones belonged to them. And soon one of them, a waddling duck, was to become our dinner.

As the sun quickly set we ate dinner by candlelight before retiring to our platform bed for the night. With individual mosquito nets protecting us from intruders, we soundly slept as our tired bodies desperately needed a good rest. We were greeted in the morning by the sounds of roosters and a beautiful clear sky. As we were actually on top of the mountain, the clouds that usually appear every morning in Luang Prabang were actually below us. And as we began our steep descent into a sea of clouds, we felt like we were literally on top of the world.

For an hour and a half we trekked straight down through the forest before coming upon the rice paddies of the lowlands. And during our afternoon hike back to the Mekong, it was hard to believe how far and fast we had descended. It was a hard two-days hike but well worth every step.

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Text Version: We were excited to be moving on to Thailand and Laos  - two countries whose cultures were completely different from our own.

In Thailand we did the things that most visitors do – we visited the ornate temples of Bangkok; we relaxed on the beautiful beaches in the south; we dove the undersea world of the Simlan Islands; and we even went on an elephant trek.

Our true goal for this part of the trip was to visit places most people don’t and experience the culture up close and personal.  We started with a visit to Khao Lak – the area of Thailand most affected by the tsunami of 2004.  And even though it had been almost three years, there were still visible reminders of the waves destruction.

By scooter we headed up the coast to witness for ourselves the three reminders of that day that greatly stood out.  2km inland sits an enormous police boat that was patrolling the waters that day, protecting the King’s grandson who was jet skiing.  And further up the coast sit two more boats.  One is known as the Red Devil, because it caused the most destruction of any fishing boat, destroying everything in its path as well as taking dozens of lives.  And the other is the Blue Angel, which a Burmese sailor was able to navigate through the town, caused no destruction and even saved two people in the water who were able to cling to its side.

We also decided to do a home stay in the small Muslim village of Tung Nang Dam, population 130.  Our host, P’Noi, was gracious to welcome us into her home and share her life with us.  And despite a language barrier, we were able to help her with her many projects, including one that hopes to replenish the orchid population in the forest.   We were also able to assist with feeding the goats as well as learning how to cook some local cuisine.  This experience greatly pushed us out of our comfort zones and made a lasting, and positive, impression on us both.

After being on the go for so long, we decided to spend our remaining time in Laos.  The French-colonial town of Luang Prabang oozed charm and was a perfect spot to unwind and still take in the culture.  The peacefulness of the early morning fog was a great backdrop to witness hundreds of monks receive their daily alms.  And during a two-day hill tribe trek, we felt like we were literally on top of the world staying in a local Hmong village – a place where very few foreigners visit.  It was yet another experience that pushed us out of our comfort zone but was one of the most memorable of the trip.

And this is where our travels would end – at least for the time being.  Nine weeks on the road only made us hungrier for more.

You can read more about our experience in individual Thailand and Laos posts.

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We left the quiet windy roads of New Zealand, where we were greeted by sheep at every turn, to the tuk-tuk filled traffic of Bangkok, where the King’s smiling face looked down at us from billboards, banners, and even buildings.  Bangkok travel would definitely prove to be a completely different experience.

Having arrived late afternoon, we decided to fight off travel lag by exploring the Suan Lum Night Bazaar for Michael’s first market experience in Thailand. Rows upon rows were filled with fabrics, t-shirts, carvings and jewelry, among hundreds of items. But bargaining would wait for another day as we headed to the open beer garden for Thai food and beer.

It was not a late night by any means as we were to rest up for our big day ahead. With just one full day in Bangkok before heading south, we had to be sure to get in the “must see’s”: The Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha; Wat Pho, home of the massive Reclining Buddha; and Wat Arun – the Temple of Dawn.

Grand Palace Photos

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The Grand Palace is a massive complex covering 61 acres, and its numerous temples and buildings reach dramatically up into the sky, offering colorful and expansive views that are difficult to capture on film or video. And within the complex is Wat Phra Kaeo, considered the holiest Buddhist site in the country and home to the most important image, the Emerald Buddha. You could easily spend hours meandering around the complex.

Wat Pho Photos

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It was just a short walk down the road to Wat Pho, the oldest temple in Bangkok, which also houses the 45 meter long Recining Buddha. As you admire Buddha in the position of him reaching Nirvana, the clank of coins being dropped in bowls resonates throughout the building. It is believed that if you drop a coin in each of the 108 bowls it will bring you good luck and a long life.

Wat Arun Photos

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Then just a quick ferry across the river and we find ourselves at Wat Arun. This wat dates back to the Ayuttaya period (the former capital) so it takes on more of a Khmer style architecture (think Angkor Wat) and really stands out from the rest of the temples. As we ascended p the extremely steep and narrow stairs (not for those afraid of heights) we could look across the river and spy the Grand Palace.

Our tour would not be complete without a stop in the backpacker haven of Khao San Road. Having a beer during the day was enough experience for us, as the street turns into an all night party.

As this was Thanksgiving Day, we were fortunate to have been invited to an orphan-Thanksgiving, hosted by a former Peace Corps volunteer. Greg worked under Pimsuda, who is now the CCS Country Director for Thailand, so we dined with many ex-pats and CCS staff and volunteers, most of who weren’t even American. Still, we had a lovely rooftop feast with all the works – turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. We were indeed thankful for the experiences that brought us this far.

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We barely got to Thailand and already we were off and running. Our next stop – Trang in the south. This is where CCS’s other Thailand program is based and I was excited to see the staff again and have Michael meet them. It’s a short flight to Trang so we arrived in time for an early lunch with the staff. All of the volunteers had already left for the weekend, so we had them all to ourselves.

Over a delicious spicy meal the staff deliberated on what Michael’s Thai nickname should be (everyone in Thailand has a nickname). When I was last here, they bestowed “Chabaa” upon me, which translates into hibiscus flower (or crazy woman, depending on the tone. And that’s how I probably pronounce it as I always get laughs after I introduce myself). So they decided Michael should be “Nahm” which means water. Because, as they say, Chabaa needs Nahm. Awwwww.

Lunch was barely over and we were already off again – this time to one of the small islands just off the coast. Trang is not a popular tourist destination like so many parts of Thailand, and they have some great little islands that haven’t been discovered by the masses. We were excited for a few days of R&R along with two CCS staff members.

Koh Ngai Photos

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From the mainland we took an hour longtail boat from Pak Meng Pier to Koh Ngai (aka Ko Hai). With about a half dozen resorts along its mainland beach, Koh Ngai looked like a great starting point for our Thailand adventures. As it was low-tide when we pulled in, we were greeted up the rocky, exposed beach by a trailer that took us the rest of the way in. That afternoon while everyone else relaxed, I was able to stroll up the 1.5km coastline. Within a couple of hours, we wouldn’t be able to leave our resort, the tides were that severe.

Besides relaxing on the white beaches and kayaking off the coast, Koh Ngai is a great launch pad for snorkeling day trips around the other islands. We stopped at a few of the limestone karsts that jet out everywhere, exploring the colorful fishes that reside at their bases. And we hopped off our longtail boat for a restful lunch at Ko Kraden, which is the remotest, and some say most beautiful island, in the area. And we ended the day at Ko Mook to explore the Emerald Cave. The only way to access the inland beach is by swimming through the 80-meter cave, some of which is in complete darkness. But when the tidal waves push you through the last bit and you land on a white beach surrounded by limestone walls covered in green vegetation, any hesitation is long forgotten.

We also had the pleasure of celebrating Loy Kratong while on Koh Ngai (see slideshow). And after a fun night of celebrating, we said farewell to our friends and had one more day of R&R before hitting the road again.

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One thing is for sure the Thais really have the tourist transportation down. Whether it’s by longtail, ferry or high-speed boat by water, or minivan, tuk tuk or bus on land, the various networks of getting from one destination to the next is relatively easy to do – even if you don’t speak the language.

Our next destination was West Railay beach, which is situated in the province on mainland Krabi. From Kho Ngai we took a high speek boat to Ko Lanta (1 hr.) where we met up with a ferry heading to Ao Nang – the drop off point for destinations to Krabi. And as West Railay was tucked in amongst massive limestone walls, the only way to get there is by longtail boat, which picked us up from the ferry.

After coming from quiet Kho Ngai, West Railay seemed like a city to us – they actually had a food market, ATM and even a few vendors. Other than that, the resorts are all bungalow style and tucked into the landscape, which still offers a sense of exclusiveness. But it is definitely a popular base camp for many travelers, as it is central to visiting just about any destination around the Andaman Coast, even day trips. And there were plenty on offer. And because of the massive limestone formations surrounding the headland, it is a hot spot for rock climbing – even beginners.

We decided we would spend our few days doing a little more relaxing on the beach. But we also decided to get out and explore some of the area by kayak. Protected from the Andaman Sea by Krabi and Phuket is Ao Phang Nga Bay, which is edged by mangroves and limestone karsts. It is also known for its hongs, which house tidal lagoons only accessible by kayaking through murky tunnels and past limestone outcrops.

We decided to venture through the Bor Tor area. In addition to kayaking through mangroves and entering one of these lagoons, whose entrance was obscured by vines, we also visited caves which housed pre-historic wall paintings by the sea gypsies. Now sitting way above the tree line, these caves were once at sea level and the sea gypsies would make living rooms and bedrooms amongst the crags in the caves ceiling.

Back on West Railay, we enjoyed our last sunset looking out at all of the soccer matches happening up and down the beach. Like clockwork as the sun is about to set, Thais who have ended their work day, take to the beach for massive matches. It seems that anyone can jump in and at some point there must have been almost 40 people on one particular “field”. While sipping a cold Chang from our beach side table, their silhouettes were book-ended by the limestone karsts, glowing pink in the setting sun.

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From West Railay we decided that our next port of call and home base would be Khao Lak, which is situated just 70km north of Phuket. All we knew about Khao Lak was it was a great starting point for dive trips to the Similan Islands and that it was the area of Thailand most affected by the December 2004 tsunami.

Curiosity factor did play in part to us staying here, as we wanted to learn and understand more how that tragic day affected the community. One of our first stops was to the Tsunami Volunteer Center, where we got more details about the “numbers” (of the almost 9,000 people killed in Thailand, nearly 5,000 were from this area alone) as well as the various sustainable projects they have set up in response to the immediate and long-term affects of that day. They also provided us some information on some of the “landmarks” that are still there, showing the physical signs of the devastation. We would later spend a day on scooter doing a self-guided tour (see slideshow).

And from our dive instructors, we heard their experiences from that day and got some insight into the development of the area. From our standpoint, having just arrived, it seemed as if it was a thriving resort town, with dozens of beach side bungalow resorts, numerous restaurants & bars, a plethora of tailor shops and high-end hotels quickly being built up the coast for miles. But we were told that even in 2002, the town had barely any hotels, one bar and one restaurant. It was more of a stop to get to the Similans.

But development began to pick-up prior to the tsunami, as visitors were looking for a quiet alternative to Phuket. That day, nearly a third of those who lost their lives were tourists.

I found that when those who lived through that tragedy are asked about it, there is a pause to their response, as if a high-speed slide show of what they saw and felt runs through their heads. And a sadness creeps into their eyes. Having watched the towers fall from across the Hudson River on September 11 and volunteering for a month with the Salvation Army, I could understand a little bit of how they felt.

But unlike 9-11, they had to live with thousands of bodies lying everywhere for at least five days, with no electricity, gas or running water. If you needed to go out in the dark for some reason, it was best to memorize the path around bodies. As one person put it, she hopes that “no one I love ever has to experience something as horrible as that event.”

And even though building eventually began and tourists continue to come in numbers, many of the local people are afraid to live by the sea and for those whose livelihood is the sea (fishermen) it’s even more difficult. The same holds true up the coast in Kuraburi, were we would do our home-stay. One woman who was working at a resort by the water told us how she was whisked out to sea by the wave, where she managed to stay afloat for four hours. And she has even fought her fear of returning to the sea by taking diving lessons.

Immediate response projects have now evolved into sustaining ones and hopefully the affects of that day will turn into new opportunities for those affected.

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Of course our stop wasn’t just about the tsunami – we also managed to squeeze in some trips.  On one of these trips we visited Khao Sok National Park.  Known for its great jungle treks, we decided to let the elephants do all the work on this particular trek.  Lumbering along from atop our ride, we were taken along a beautiful hike to a waterfall, where we would stop for a “rest” and the elephants would get a bath.

After meandering back, we got to reward our ride with a “tip” – bananas.  We followed suit and had lunch at one of the parks lodges, which consisted of tree top bungalows.  Then a canoe trip down the jungle river, passing large limestone karsts that are believed to have been part of a reef system spanning from China to Borneo – five times the size of the Great Barrier Reef.

We then spent three days on a live aboard boat with Sea Dragon Dive Center diving the Similan Islands.  Rated as one of the top ten dive sites in the world, Michael was excited to once again slink into a wetsuit and strap on the oxygen tanks.  I was to be the lone snorkeler on this trip, so like Squirt from “Finding Nemo” I was riding solo in the water.

The group was made up of Germans, Brits, Canadians and us plus the British and South African instructors and our lovely Thai crew.  Everyone else was doing some sort of diving, either instructional (open water and advanced) or recreational.

All totaled they had nine dives, including a night one, and all saw some incredible sea life.  The ultimate for Michael and his group came on the last dive.  As they literally come to their descent at 24 meters, they were joined by a manta ray, spanning nearly 12 feet, who swam with them for over 20 minutes.  Despite other sea life around them, no one could take their eyes off of this incredible site.  Those on board the boat knew they saw something special as they ascended to whoops and cheers.

On the waters surface we were also greeted by a turtle and a dozen small dolphins frolicking at the bow.  And we also frolicked on the top deck for an evening bbq over beers and laughs.  It was a great trip and the party continued back on steady land in Khao Lak.

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Michael and I traveled to Thailand as part of our 2007 career break. The following is an excerpt from our travel blog.

Of all the places we would visit on this trip, the last place I thought Michael would be able to relate to the most was a small Muslim Village in Thailand.  But surprisingly, he eased right into sleeping on a mattress on a floor under mosquito netting with roosters crowing at 2am, speaking a completely different language from anyone else around us, and feeding baby goats twice a day.  But he easily compared it to consulting – traveling endlessly from one hotel to the next, needing to learn a new dialect or corporate speak, and understanding a new corporate environment and supporting it.  Makes perfect sense.

Our stay in Tung Nang Dam was thanks to Andaman Discoveries – an offshoot of the North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR) organization.  As their website states “we started by doing relief projects FOR community members, then we progressed to development projects WITH community members, now we are assisting with projects led BY community members.”

We were to stay four days/three nights in this small Muslim village, which consisted of just 35 homes and a population of 115.  Even though Tung Nang Dam is protected by mangroves, (hence you can only access it by boat), and no homes or lives were lost during the tsunami, the fishermen lost their boats and livelihood and many fish farms were damaged beyond repair.  And as part of the evolution of NATR “villagers decided that community-based tourism would allow them to generate additional income and support the community of their traditions, culture and lifestyle.  Community-based tourism could fit into their lives, and not force them to sacrifice their traditional lifestyles for the sake of tourists.”

Our host, P’Noi, and her family were the perfect hosts for this experience.  P’Noi was part of the NATR seven-month vocational training program that focused on using tourism as a tool for community development; cultural, environmental and adventure-based guiding methods; first aid and safety training; English language and computer skills; small business management and entrepreneurial training; and hospitality and travel planning skills.

One of P’Noi’s projects was an orchid conservation farm.  Orchids in Tung Nang Dam are becoming increasingly rare, as they are popular decorations for homes and restaurants.  Over-harvesting by mainland people has become a big problem in the jungles of the village.  P’Noi has developed a program of incubating orchid cuttings on her farm and transplanting them to the jungle once they are mature.  In addition, volunteers add their names, hometowns and date of planting on a plaque next to the orchid in hopes of dissuading people from cutting them.  We did our part by planting cuttings in coconut planters with hopes of them returning to the jungle in the future.  We also went on a jungle trek to fertilize those orchids that have been returned.

P’Noi and her family also had a goat farm, so every afternoon we would help shepherd them into their homes for the night as well as feeding the baby goats by bottle.  Michael quickly took to this chore and had a few favorite kids that would nip at his feet for more.  Another cultural activity that P’Noi shared with us was cooking.  She shared with us how to make the Thai equivalent of a small pancake, guided us in cooking a seafood lunch, and even grilled oysters on a fire with her brothers.

Of course the activities were just a side to the actual experience of living within a completely different environment, learning to communicate in broken Thai and sign language, and placing ourselves out of our comfort zone.  But as much as we struggled in this new environment, the fact that these people, who come from a very shy culture and have to learn much more in order to accommodate us, opened up their homes and lives to us was extremely humbling.

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