Time once again for another, and mind you our last, Bladon update. Since our last session we have encountered further southern beauty in Bolivia and Peru, among its people, their customs, the Andes and down all the roads that stretch in between. We last left you on our approach to the Southern Circuit. A three day adventure that took us first to the Salar de Uyuni, then to deserts, volcanoes, colored lakes, flamingos, geisers and beyond.
From Sucre we bussed, of course, down to Uyuni, Bolivia which is a tumble weed-wild west patch that sits right on the salt flat´s edge. It is here we met Sarah and Jase. A lovely couple from the states who seemed to be in line with exactly what we were planning for our next few days. And thankful we were for that. They brought fun times. (We will here enter our plug for http://www.backroads.com/, the incredible outdoor adventure company with all the luxury of home...they both work for Backroads...log on). We searched far and wide throughout this dustbowl and settled on a great outfitter who was to serve as our guide the next couple of days. Just the 4 of us plus the driver and off we went far onto the salt flats and high into the Andes! Johnny, our driver, was a quietly determined young cat who enjoys listening to his love songs via old school tape cassettes...over and over again. He drove an old landcruiser. Within hours of chorusing to the sounds of the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, we were surrounded by nothing but whiteness. At this time of year, a shallow layer of water covers much of the flats. The reflection from the clouds above creates quite the illusion. Only two colors exist on the salt flats: white and sky blue. It reminded me of that scene in the original Willy Wonka´s Chocolate Factory when the little boy with the scruffy voice is shrunk and is trapped in the TV set. For miles we drove across the great expanse and for hours our eyes settled upon nothing else besides a blank canvas, tiny pen head sized dots on the horizon to keep us in check. Not a place you would want to venture to alone. Thank you Johnny. We broke bread at an odd sight among the nothingness....an island in the middle of nowhere, Isla Incahausi, which at this time of year was deserted because no one but us would brave the adventure. Lucky, lucky us! Gigantic cacti, the piercing sun as it reflects off the salt, Johnny´s home cookin, white heavens!! Truly an incredible sight to see.
On the drive back Caroline jumped on top of the landcruiser, but Johnny had none of it.
Further south we drove and to a village where we sipped on a scrumptious soup, drank tea and went to bed. Up we were early the next morning and I caught a nice sunrise on my walk to the outhouse. Loaded up the salt encrusted landcruiser and further we drove into SW Bolivia. After just a few minutes it was evident that the next couple days were going to be gorgeous. Our drive into the arid, bleak high country brought us in close contact with wild flamingos, mineral rich mountain lakes and jagged snow peaks so close it felt like we could reach out and grab ém. The further we drove the thinner the air. Through miles of desert, praries full of llamas and alpaca, fields of snow and blue skies, boulder fields reminescent of a Dali painting...all the while Johnny playing his love songs. A final push that day brought us to the shores of Lago Colorado and into the national park where a distant cousin of the llama greeted us. Caroline named him leche. It was a cold night, we witnessed an intense white blanket of a snow storm, I got some weird stomach bug, we played cards and drank some wine and up predawn we were the next morning. Within an hour we topped off in altitude at 16,500 feet and witnessed an amazing sulfur induced sunrise. Johnny took us to a vast expanse of natural sulfur geyers and up early they were too. The Earth´s lungs. We were on top of the world it seemed or on Mars, one or the other. The sulfur rich ground was nothing like we have ever seen. Huge, deep pools of bubbling ooze and fumes. On we pushed past several volcanoes and lakes (one that was made famous by a great Andrew Malec photo) and to the border of Chile where we said our goodbyes to Sarah and Jase. Thanks guys, that was fun. Around we turned facing Bolivia to the left, Argentina to the right and Chile in the rearview. It was us, Johnny and the love songs back to Uyuni.
We were next headed to a Sarah and Jase recommended place for relaxation but after the 6 hr loved induced ride with Johnny and then directly onto a 10hr busride back to La Paz, we both looked at eachother and realized we needed a place we knew, a bed, a shower and maybe a bit of shopping...yes, that is the key word..Caroline is typing now!! Plus the road to the recommended place is coined ¨the most dangerous road in the world¨...not that we weren´t up for the adventure, but just not in the rainy season! So a few days back in La Paz gave us exactly what we needed and off we were to Copacabana for the first of a few visits to Lago Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.
Copacabana, shmokacabana...definitely does not fall in suite with its namesake to the east. A very expensive, rhasta, dreadied filled town that we were so over at this point. Pero it was the launching point to the lovely Isla del Sol, the birthplace of the Sun. The sun was alive and well and treated us to a spectacular view of the lake and a fantastic day of relaxation on a terrace overlooking the lake. It was a day we skipped ¨the hike¨ and sat down and did what we so rarely made time to do...reflect. Jubes, jobs, and our future were spoken of in excess and it was fantastic! On the way back into town we realized that some of the rocks around the island contained hidden treasures so we spent the rest of our day...BUSTING THEM OPEN!!! Hellfire!! At dinner we ran into some hipped out cats from ´Bama and then encountered a horrential storm that was exhilirating. The next morning we left the birthplace of the sun with the fondest of memories. Back in Copa we had a lovely dinner with our new Columbian friend, Madonna, whose stories of travel in her day and of Columbian prisons back in the old days, kept us very enthralled.....we hope to visit....Columbia, not its prisons!!
Off to Peru we go without the hassle of our last border crossing. Enter....Monica Moore and the best hotel room yet! I wont elaborate but you just don´t know what it feels like to walk into a real hotel room...white sheets, a bedside table with lamp, a bathroom that doesn´t make you feel like you could contract a disease...oh luxuries!! Back to Monica. So Monica arrived to tons of conversation and good times because man oh man were we glad to see someone we knew and loved...talk talk talk!! One day spent in Puno, not much to write home about and the next morning early we took off for the docks in Puno for a visit to Isla Taquile. The docks are where we met Louis..how he will change our lives. Isla Taquile and its people are unique in this area because they solely speak Quechua and all the women dress in a full skirt with red tops and the men in traditional garb for festivals. First we made a pitstop at the floating islands made of reeds, not very stable if you ask me and pretty touristy, then to Taquile. This is where the negotiations for a early departure the next morning lead us to our adventure of a lifetime. Because of Louis and because of Mario, the man we arranged the early boat out with, we ended up the only non Taquiliens on the island and in the home of the most important family on the island. Mario, one of the sons, and previously mentioned, was the mayor of his sector and the entire family had a book written on them and their fabric making. Our day was spent touring the island with Louis who was a fabulous guide and our evening was spent on the cot in the kitchen with the entire family looking over the book while Monica translated. Thank God for Monica!! Patrick fell in love...dont worry she was 5 and her name was Rosio. She, with her hefty appetite, ate dinner wedged between the two of us giggling more than eating....we didn´t mind a bit. We were also joined by the patriarch of the family. Our after dinner postre if you will was not of the eating kind but of the dress the gringos in our local atire kind....little stinky!! He He, but by far the most unique, incredible, enlightening experience of the trip. We were so blessed for that opportunity. That family welcomed us into their home, fed us the largest meal made solely of carbs (never knew possible) and made sure that we left Isla Taquile with full minds, full hearts, and a full belly.
To Cusco and the Sacred Valley we go....Cusco is a town that is so tourist bogged we were sure it wouldn´t be spectacular. But once again, do not assume....cause it was gorgeous. The town itself is wedged in between two mountains and between the Plaza de Armas and San Blas, the artsy area on the hill...it is a lovely town. We spent our time wandering around town and eating delicacies at a cafe/movie house owned by a lovely Dutch woman. Thanks to her we all three got to watch Juno, a fantastic movie and later P and I watched Atonement, so not as good as the book. Train tickets were bought along with many a trinket for the Moore clan and we were off into the Sacred Valley.
First stop, Pisac...a town made famous for its Sunday market and ruins..not really sure how much bigger the market can get on Sundays. Friday seemed good to us. We rose super early the next morning, early enough to beat the ticket guy and we entered our first incan ruinas in Peru.. at no precio and with no otras personas...fantastic! Three or so hours were spent wandering around the 5 cities of Pisac with not a soul in sight and it was marvelous. I would assume, rightly this time, that that rarely happens. After a leisurely walk down we boarded an afternoon bus for our next Sacred Valley town, Ollantaytambo.
Ollantaytambo was a much more touristy town and when we saw that we would not beat the ticket guy to the ruins, and with Patrick having a fever, we all decided to bypass the Ollantaytambo ruins so we wouldn´t get all ¨ruined out¨. Don´t dismay, it was a lovely town and the launching point for our train to Aguas Caliente....base camp for Machu Picchu. Now this train, the most touristy operation of them all, is worth all the money cause you travel from the outskirts of the mountains into what they call ¨the eyebrow of the jungle¨...breathtaking.
Enter Aguas Caliente and Machu Picchu....Aguas was a gorgeous town, which again was surprising cause we had heard mixed reveiws...take no ones opinions to heart while traveling...we all have different ones. The town itself is fairly small but what makes it spectacular are the densely lush green peaks that jutt up all around you teasing you with dreams of machu picchu and because of the wildest class 8 river that busts through the middle of town. One mildewy night was spent on the front end (olfactory memories of the mtn house in cashiers) and we woke at a cracking 4:40am to catch the first bus out for Machu.
Machu Picchu in a nutshell..here it goes...got there before sunrise, couldn´t see shit (pardon my language), nothing, nada...started raining, tried not to cry, made our way to the other end of machu where we had plans to hike whyna picchu (the peak in the distance in the pics), couldnt see ten ft in front of us the whole time, #´s 27, 28, 29 at 7:15 am for Whyna, hiked up, grueling, still couldnt see %&*!, ate some breakfast, looked up and realized that we were being treated to some cloud partidge, scrambled to find where machu was below in case the clouds parted a bit....and they did and I think I might have screamed...we were teased with the tiniest of openings but it was superbly spectacular, descended around 10am and my mom and monica´s dad had been up to something cause we were greeted with clear blue skies, blaring sun and the most perfect day at machu picchu in weeks.....the rest is history...the photos speak for themselves. Funny thing is that when we first arrived we were staring at the postcard photo the whole damn time, we just didnt know it...much better in reverse.
Back in Aguas Caliente for lunch!!
The rest is history from here. Our last night in Aguas was spent with a dip in the hot springs, where we met a lovely couple from Montreal. Canada, our forgotten neighbor to the North. Man do we need to get up there. An early night to bed and we were on the early train back out of the eyebrow. We arrived back in Cusco by sunset and enjoyed a lovely last supper with Monica where she had her first taste of Alpaca and man was it tasty. She left us the next day, good times were had, CLAP CLAP Monica!! Our last day in Cusco was spent with Atonement, wandering and talk of how crazy it was that we only have a week left.
Plane flight into a 10 hr busride and we make it to Trujillo along the northern coast of Peru. Sketchy hotel finding, find one, it too is sketchy, so we settle on one in the middle. Beautiful town with yellow and blue colored buildings lining the Plaza. Head to Huanchaco, a nearby beach town, for some much needed sun recharge. Two days later, oops, we are red as lobsters....we hate it when that happens!! Before we came to be where we are at the moment, in the Terminal Terrestre in Chimbote, we had to have one last adventure and that lead us to a night in along a bay, in a desert, in a town called Tortugas. We arrived in Chimbote from Trujillo around lunch and headed to the Central Mercado where we were to catch our ¨taxi¨ to Tortugas. We drive into a warehouse/chop shop and get into a 1970´s Duke of Hazard style, renovated Pontiac, old engine and all. Classic!! 30 minutes later through the middle of the desert we turn off the Panamerica and head into Tortugas. After arriving, we realize that we are the only people around. No locals, no tourists, no cars, nada. Takes us a few minutes to figure out what the hell is going on, but hey it´s pretty. We find a place to sleep with a nice view and the next 24 hrs are total relax...total! We both finished our books, Patrick had one Chaco stolen by the wild dog bandits of the desert and we had some tasty pescado along with a great conversation with the chef. We left today ready for Lima and that means ready for our trip home.
See ya in the United States!!
love,
us
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
An America, none-the-less
So, the 40 something hour legger home wasn´t as bad as one would have anticipated. We wouldn´t recommend it by any means but definitely do able. Kinda like a really hard hike; glad you did it but wont be returning anytime soon...We briefly overnighted in L.A., spoke to friends and family, loaded up on supplies, had a well needed and deserved cheeseburger, fries and cold budweiser with our friend John and scrubbed our bodies clean. God bless washclothes!! Back to the aiport at 7 am for a 8 hr flight to Lima, no sweat!
No expectations Lima....a very good thing because it completely blew us away. From the moment we left the airport a sense of ¨home¨came over us. I don´t know if we would ever have noticed the similarities but having come directly from Asia to Lima afforded us a much different perspective than most. The streets are built the same way as home, the gas stations are on the corner, there was a stretch of road that would rival any Clemson blvd or Atlanta hwy. We were glad to be back in America...whichever one!!
We spent the first day wandering around our neighborhood, Miraflores, with our dear friend Ricardo. An excellent tour guide, we might add. Miraflores is a more affluent neighborhood on the coast of Lima. Parks, flowers, shops, restaurants all line the high cliffs that overlook the ocean. Lima is clean (a truly great thing), people are athletic, dogs are pets, it was a truly lovely surprise. The next day, our fist Domingo in Peru was spent in the truly Peruvian manner, a long afternoon at home with the fam over a big meal....well maybe not our N. American family but now we can say that we have a S. American one. Ricardos tia, tio, cousins (dont know that one), y madre welcomed us with open arms to a lovely day of relaxation, difficult conversation(good way), and a fantastic meal. We left late in the day stuffed and full of so much joy that only quality time at home with the family can bring....we miss you all. Our last day in Lima was spent on a world wind tour of historical downtown Lima with Ricardo and two of his amigos from Paita. We learned a lot!
A quick 45 min flight and we were in another world. Our next stop was Arequipa and the canyon lands of Peru. Arequipa is a lovely town built of all white rock that has come from many years of El Misti, the nearby active volcano errupting. He made a show our last day in town....not the lava, the volcano (clouds!!). Our time in Arequipa was spent pigeon watching benchside at the Plaza de Armas, visiting Santa Catalina Monastery, and eating a lot of Turkish foods, go figure...hell yeah to a doñer kebab! Reminded us of Achims in Athens sin the dipping sauce....After a few days spent wandering through Arequipa we boarded a 6 hr bus to a nearby, yeah nearby just takes that long, town of Cobanaconde.....Note to self, when it takes 6 hours to go not a far distance, when all the gringos are off the bus and are replaced by Alpaca (oh so cute), chickens, fresh vegetables and traditionally dressed campesinos....one knows they are headed someplace sweet!!! Way more than 6 hrs, we roll into town. We are taken to our room, no need to elaborate and then head too our hostels restaurant for our first taste of Alpaca steak....one of three things on the menu, not bad, not bad!!
The next morning we get up early to leave our packs in Cabanaconde and head off on what is to date one of our hardest and greatest adventures yet.....we were to tackle Cañon del Colca...the second deepest canyon in the world and second only to the one right next to it. A mere 150 m deeper....so for arguments sake, it´s like the deepest ever!! Our first two hours or so were spent hiking the canyon rim. We do not know if our pics will do justice but we can truly say that it was some if not the most majestic landscape we have ever laid our eyes upon...all seriousness. The Andes mtns are snowpeaked, trees are replaced with this vibrant green moss that fades and brightens with the sun and terrain and the shear vertical dropoffs and heights make you truly feel how small you are. Another 2 hour decent took us to the canyon bottom where we patched up blisters and recharged on granola (downhill is brutal on the lower half)! We then made our way slowly, very slowly, back up through two villages before we stopped again in the last village of Malata where festival was taking place. Let us give you a mental image here. These are small villages, nestled in the Andes that are only reachable by a 4 hour rough hike or by mule and donkey and these Malatans, we will call them, were drunker than piss dancing their butts off all in traditional dress with two full marching bands....The best trumpeter in the lands wouldn´t hold a candle to a Malatan trumpeter at these altitudes!!! After a brief pit stop, only because we thought if we stopped for too long we would no longer be able to move or we would have to join in the festivities, we started our last 1 hour decent to the evenings base camp, Oasis.
Brief description, the Oasis is a triangular strip of land at the Canyons base where only the river runs. It is fed by the river and by three waterfalls that pour from right out of the Canyon rock wall. Out of nowhere, the solid rock wall of the Canyon turns into a vibrant green jungle where the waterfalls flow out; quite a contrast. The water is warm and the Oasis is home to many pools. Our stop for the night provided us with our most rustic sleeping situation yet (somehow more rustic than a tent, huh) a great meal cooked by a 17 year old boy and a visit from the ghost of our cat Asparagus (see pics)....All in all, a nice respit before tackling our uphill hike out....
Hike out....no need to explain.....straight up from the bottom to the top...hours...remind you this is the second deepest canyon in the world and the higher we got the thinner the air...BRUTAL!! Oh yeah though, get this...we are taking our 400th water break I see a hiker several yards up trail put on his cap and it is a UGA hat....his name was Jonathan and he is a 2006 grad...Small world...we´re kinda old!! Made it to the top with a few more blisters and our legs incapable of functioning for the next few days. I reapeat BRUTAL. Makes ya feel good though!!
From Cabanaconde we head back to Arequipa for a few hour layover before bussing it into La Paz, Bolivia...now this is a story!! It being the 5th of Feb., an average day to most, but just happens to be Carnival in Bolivia and much of S.A we decide to cross the border between Peru and Bolivia without a visa.....yes, we should have known but our Bible said we didn´t have to have one but due to the election of the beloved communist Pres. Eva Morales, the rule was recently changed as of Dec. 1 for all Americans (always!!)...We now need a visa and it conveniently costs as much as China and India..we will never understand. We exit Peru with no problem and are immediately turned down in Bolivia. Told to return to Puno (4 hours away and we had already been on a bus for 9hrs) to get a visa....Oh hell no!! Our new friend, Miguel, a Columbian born U.S. citizen who was aware of the visa was told that one could just pay at the border, get visa no problems... Incredibly long story short, our bus company was very helpful, he tried, than his boss showed up, then the head of immigration for Desaguedero, Bolivia showed up drunk as piss and 2 hours later after much deliberation, our entire bus committing very arrestable verbal gestures at the guards (they were pissed), me crying, our friend just happening to have $100´s in U.S. dollars (weird) we crossed the border having had one of the most terrifyingly stressful experiences of our lives. LONG LIVE MORALES!!!
La Paz, the highest capital city in the world for you trivia buffs...The city is very beautiful with steep cobblestone streets, brick structures (a contrast to the Peruvian rock), a urban dowtown with broad streets, cafes, and parks and the most interesting female population yet ....Qualifications for a traditional Bolivian woman...
1. Very broad shoulders and large upper torso
2. long black hair plaited into two braids with danglies at the bottom
3. a cardigan covered by a dressy apron
4. these pleated, puffy, right below the knee skirts made out of velvet, curtain apholstery etc.
5. And the most important piece: a top hat that looks like it would be worn by a child in mid 1800´s england but worn in the middle of their head and placed right on top, no pins nothing..just sitting their...P really wanted to casually flick one off.
A truly original sight...truly!!
Nothing too exciting happened in La Paz. Bolivia has a nice capital city.
Now for our second longest bus ride ever...13 hrs..we arrive in Sucre, our present location. Coined the most beautiful Bolivian city, home to the signing of Bolivias Independence and unofficially to the best market we have seen on this trip. The options from veggies, meat, cafeteria, raisins and prunes, spices and dry goods was what beat some of the others but man do we love a good market. Just the smell of the fresh fruit and veggies alone we could have stayed forever...Why can´t we have this at home? I know why cause I and everyone else I know would quit work and spend all day at the market and then at home cooking and eating...Lovely!! Yesterday, we visited a small village outside of town for their legendary Sunday market. Wouldn´t call it legendary (i mean it has to be pretty good for my standards) but was a nice day trip and we finally closed the search for a Bolivian textile. Our hotel here did provide us with two things that we embarassingly will admit we desperately needed....it had a kitchen so we bought cereal, bananas, and milk and yes, our tv (which we dont have often, this is a hostal for longterm guests) had E! and we were able to see Grammy red carpet, the Grammys, all in bed with a big bowl of cereal....you gotta love that!!
So you find us now on a very rainy cold day in Sucre where we had some soup at the market and decided to do a mid trip blog post. Our time exploring the world, its people and cultures is coming to a close and we are ready I think. We are ready to come home and see you, the people we love most in the world and to start this new adventure, journey in our life...
Up next, two of the greatests in the world....the largest salt flats in the world and then back up to Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world before heading back to Peru to meet the lovely Monica Moore. We have looked forward to our time with her for many a month now and it symbolizes both a great new adventure on our trip because we will make new memories, share old ones and visit one of the new 7 wonders of the world, Machu Picchu but it also means our time is coming to a close. We love you all so much and can´t wait to share our stories and experiences with you in person. This is exactly what makes us all better people, the sharing of lifes experiences and life observations. A great thing...communication!!
Enough communication for now..
love,
C and P...i think he has been looking for a Diet Coke this whole time..he he, thanks DREW B!!
No expectations Lima....a very good thing because it completely blew us away. From the moment we left the airport a sense of ¨home¨came over us. I don´t know if we would ever have noticed the similarities but having come directly from Asia to Lima afforded us a much different perspective than most. The streets are built the same way as home, the gas stations are on the corner, there was a stretch of road that would rival any Clemson blvd or Atlanta hwy. We were glad to be back in America...whichever one!!
We spent the first day wandering around our neighborhood, Miraflores, with our dear friend Ricardo. An excellent tour guide, we might add. Miraflores is a more affluent neighborhood on the coast of Lima. Parks, flowers, shops, restaurants all line the high cliffs that overlook the ocean. Lima is clean (a truly great thing), people are athletic, dogs are pets, it was a truly lovely surprise. The next day, our fist Domingo in Peru was spent in the truly Peruvian manner, a long afternoon at home with the fam over a big meal....well maybe not our N. American family but now we can say that we have a S. American one. Ricardos tia, tio, cousins (dont know that one), y madre welcomed us with open arms to a lovely day of relaxation, difficult conversation(good way), and a fantastic meal. We left late in the day stuffed and full of so much joy that only quality time at home with the family can bring....we miss you all. Our last day in Lima was spent on a world wind tour of historical downtown Lima with Ricardo and two of his amigos from Paita. We learned a lot!
A quick 45 min flight and we were in another world. Our next stop was Arequipa and the canyon lands of Peru. Arequipa is a lovely town built of all white rock that has come from many years of El Misti, the nearby active volcano errupting. He made a show our last day in town....not the lava, the volcano (clouds!!). Our time in Arequipa was spent pigeon watching benchside at the Plaza de Armas, visiting Santa Catalina Monastery, and eating a lot of Turkish foods, go figure...hell yeah to a doñer kebab! Reminded us of Achims in Athens sin the dipping sauce....After a few days spent wandering through Arequipa we boarded a 6 hr bus to a nearby, yeah nearby just takes that long, town of Cobanaconde.....Note to self, when it takes 6 hours to go not a far distance, when all the gringos are off the bus and are replaced by Alpaca (oh so cute), chickens, fresh vegetables and traditionally dressed campesinos....one knows they are headed someplace sweet!!! Way more than 6 hrs, we roll into town. We are taken to our room, no need to elaborate and then head too our hostels restaurant for our first taste of Alpaca steak....one of three things on the menu, not bad, not bad!!
The next morning we get up early to leave our packs in Cabanaconde and head off on what is to date one of our hardest and greatest adventures yet.....we were to tackle Cañon del Colca...the second deepest canyon in the world and second only to the one right next to it. A mere 150 m deeper....so for arguments sake, it´s like the deepest ever!! Our first two hours or so were spent hiking the canyon rim. We do not know if our pics will do justice but we can truly say that it was some if not the most majestic landscape we have ever laid our eyes upon...all seriousness. The Andes mtns are snowpeaked, trees are replaced with this vibrant green moss that fades and brightens with the sun and terrain and the shear vertical dropoffs and heights make you truly feel how small you are. Another 2 hour decent took us to the canyon bottom where we patched up blisters and recharged on granola (downhill is brutal on the lower half)! We then made our way slowly, very slowly, back up through two villages before we stopped again in the last village of Malata where festival was taking place. Let us give you a mental image here. These are small villages, nestled in the Andes that are only reachable by a 4 hour rough hike or by mule and donkey and these Malatans, we will call them, were drunker than piss dancing their butts off all in traditional dress with two full marching bands....The best trumpeter in the lands wouldn´t hold a candle to a Malatan trumpeter at these altitudes!!! After a brief pit stop, only because we thought if we stopped for too long we would no longer be able to move or we would have to join in the festivities, we started our last 1 hour decent to the evenings base camp, Oasis.
Brief description, the Oasis is a triangular strip of land at the Canyons base where only the river runs. It is fed by the river and by three waterfalls that pour from right out of the Canyon rock wall. Out of nowhere, the solid rock wall of the Canyon turns into a vibrant green jungle where the waterfalls flow out; quite a contrast. The water is warm and the Oasis is home to many pools. Our stop for the night provided us with our most rustic sleeping situation yet (somehow more rustic than a tent, huh) a great meal cooked by a 17 year old boy and a visit from the ghost of our cat Asparagus (see pics)....All in all, a nice respit before tackling our uphill hike out....
Hike out....no need to explain.....straight up from the bottom to the top...hours...remind you this is the second deepest canyon in the world and the higher we got the thinner the air...BRUTAL!! Oh yeah though, get this...we are taking our 400th water break I see a hiker several yards up trail put on his cap and it is a UGA hat....his name was Jonathan and he is a 2006 grad...Small world...we´re kinda old!! Made it to the top with a few more blisters and our legs incapable of functioning for the next few days. I reapeat BRUTAL. Makes ya feel good though!!
From Cabanaconde we head back to Arequipa for a few hour layover before bussing it into La Paz, Bolivia...now this is a story!! It being the 5th of Feb., an average day to most, but just happens to be Carnival in Bolivia and much of S.A we decide to cross the border between Peru and Bolivia without a visa.....yes, we should have known but our Bible said we didn´t have to have one but due to the election of the beloved communist Pres. Eva Morales, the rule was recently changed as of Dec. 1 for all Americans (always!!)...We now need a visa and it conveniently costs as much as China and India..we will never understand. We exit Peru with no problem and are immediately turned down in Bolivia. Told to return to Puno (4 hours away and we had already been on a bus for 9hrs) to get a visa....Oh hell no!! Our new friend, Miguel, a Columbian born U.S. citizen who was aware of the visa was told that one could just pay at the border, get visa no problems... Incredibly long story short, our bus company was very helpful, he tried, than his boss showed up, then the head of immigration for Desaguedero, Bolivia showed up drunk as piss and 2 hours later after much deliberation, our entire bus committing very arrestable verbal gestures at the guards (they were pissed), me crying, our friend just happening to have $100´s in U.S. dollars (weird) we crossed the border having had one of the most terrifyingly stressful experiences of our lives. LONG LIVE MORALES!!!
La Paz, the highest capital city in the world for you trivia buffs...The city is very beautiful with steep cobblestone streets, brick structures (a contrast to the Peruvian rock), a urban dowtown with broad streets, cafes, and parks and the most interesting female population yet ....Qualifications for a traditional Bolivian woman...
1. Very broad shoulders and large upper torso
2. long black hair plaited into two braids with danglies at the bottom
3. a cardigan covered by a dressy apron
4. these pleated, puffy, right below the knee skirts made out of velvet, curtain apholstery etc.
5. And the most important piece: a top hat that looks like it would be worn by a child in mid 1800´s england but worn in the middle of their head and placed right on top, no pins nothing..just sitting their...P really wanted to casually flick one off.
A truly original sight...truly!!
Nothing too exciting happened in La Paz. Bolivia has a nice capital city.
Now for our second longest bus ride ever...13 hrs..we arrive in Sucre, our present location. Coined the most beautiful Bolivian city, home to the signing of Bolivias Independence and unofficially to the best market we have seen on this trip. The options from veggies, meat, cafeteria, raisins and prunes, spices and dry goods was what beat some of the others but man do we love a good market. Just the smell of the fresh fruit and veggies alone we could have stayed forever...Why can´t we have this at home? I know why cause I and everyone else I know would quit work and spend all day at the market and then at home cooking and eating...Lovely!! Yesterday, we visited a small village outside of town for their legendary Sunday market. Wouldn´t call it legendary (i mean it has to be pretty good for my standards) but was a nice day trip and we finally closed the search for a Bolivian textile. Our hotel here did provide us with two things that we embarassingly will admit we desperately needed....it had a kitchen so we bought cereal, bananas, and milk and yes, our tv (which we dont have often, this is a hostal for longterm guests) had E! and we were able to see Grammy red carpet, the Grammys, all in bed with a big bowl of cereal....you gotta love that!!
So you find us now on a very rainy cold day in Sucre where we had some soup at the market and decided to do a mid trip blog post. Our time exploring the world, its people and cultures is coming to a close and we are ready I think. We are ready to come home and see you, the people we love most in the world and to start this new adventure, journey in our life...
Up next, two of the greatests in the world....the largest salt flats in the world and then back up to Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world before heading back to Peru to meet the lovely Monica Moore. We have looked forward to our time with her for many a month now and it symbolizes both a great new adventure on our trip because we will make new memories, share old ones and visit one of the new 7 wonders of the world, Machu Picchu but it also means our time is coming to a close. We love you all so much and can´t wait to share our stories and experiences with you in person. This is exactly what makes us all better people, the sharing of lifes experiences and life observations. A great thing...communication!!
Enough communication for now..
love,
C and P...i think he has been looking for a Diet Coke this whole time..he he, thanks DREW B!!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Southern India
Well, here we are back in Chennai after a what seems like a long tour of southern India. We board a plane this evening heading back to good 'ol USA (but only for a short few hours) before leaving again, we know, for Lima. We'll be so close to home...but getting there will be soon enough. This afternoon we enjoyed our last thali meal. With full stomachs we sit here and reflect on our latest experiences.
After leaving from Chennai our first time through we headed straight for the Nilgiri Hills and into a small, less developed, hill town by the name of Kodaikanal. What a gorgeous place we thought to spend Caroline's birthday...among the mountains, full of tea fields and eucalyptus trees. It was a weather disaster. Frigid temperatures and a constant downpour left us with little to do besides huddle around our extremely small space heater in our room. Not how this husband intended on celebrating his wife's birthday. Damn, but oh well because we enjoyed it as much as we could, and that meant getting to know the local scene a bit better. Nestled in this small patch of mountainous terrain are, like Kodaikanal, these small "hill stations." A nice area to enjoy hiking and the like if the weather cooperates, which is didn't at all. Our true joy in Kodai was a small bakery on the main drag that sold a few select items each day. It was the only sun on our otherwise rainy stay. While waiting for our late departure bus leaving this town, we ran into a great American couple and their baby. Tim, Katie and Liam live in Kodaikanal and invited us to their home to weather the storm while sharing a bowl of chili and hot chocolate. We hope to keep in touch with these two. Their home is one of the second oldest in town. A homestead of sorts. Beautiful! After intriguing conversations with them (which we don't find as often enough on the road) we hopped on board our sardine can of a bus and took off. From Kodai we visited Ooty, another hill station. Again, cold, wet weather ensued and I took a high grade fever. It passed as did we, onward again.
Getting close to the holiday season was evident throughout our time in the south. There are lots and lots of Christians in this part of India. Churches galore! And if you know how materialistic Hinduism tends to be, try splashing some of that type fervor onto the Immaculate Mother Mary and the Cross. We found ourselves in a bigger town called Mysore, and it was indeed Christmas time. On the eve, we decided to splurge a bit and dined on a buffet dinner at an old renovated palace outside of town, Lalitha Mahal. The palace, a palace mind you, was huge and completely done up in garlands and twinkles. Here we were dining among Indian families, among a decked out Indian Santa Claus and his sidekick elf who were mingling about, eating half way decent food, listening to variations of familiar Christmas carols during breaks from the trance/house playing music of a DJ.....saying to ourselves, this is a first. It was great! Oh, and we won the grand door prize but decided to give it to a newly wed couple since it didn't quite fit with our next leg of the trip. Our walk home was sketchy but we made it. Christmas morning we attended an English church service across from our hotel (I think it was Methodist or a form of it). We drank our usual chais and ate oranges afterwards. Later in the day we enjoyed our Christmas presents to each other. Ayurvedic massages each (yikes if you're not down with lots of oil and a loin cloth) and a short yoga session.
We left rejuvenated.
After spending a few days in Mysore, we journeyed further west making a bee line for the coast. Here in a town called Calicut we took our first sight of the Arabian sea waters. Getting there is a funny story. Leaving Mysore just past midnight, on a bus, left us wondering what we were getting into. After being over an hour and a half late, round the corner it comes bumping to the beats of Indi-tech. We jump on board and are confused to find not seats, but a full size bed. Weird. Winding roads and the thumping of music left us dazed when we finally got off. At one point, we hit a bump and Caroline goes flying up outta bed and hits her head. At every turn, rolling back and forth like something on a dashboard. Stopping late in the evening so that the driver and his mate can get a chai break was our only moment of calmness.
In Calicut we took a day trip into the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary where we caught glimpses of wild reindeer, spotted deer and the ass of an elephant, the latter from a far distant. One of the few places in India that we weren't stepping over trash and smelling human urine. But, it is here, thanks to the park rangers and staff, that we experienced firsthand some more of India's corruption. Ahhhhh. Details later if you want but just gets us too fired up to talk about. After only a couple short days in Calicut, we trained our way (yes, back to the wonderful trains) to the town of Fort Cochin and into the great state of Kerala. Here is where we decided to say goodbye to 2007. Our accommodation here was our first homestay. How enjoyable it was! It was at the home of Beena and her husband Sutthesh that we enjoyed several days of bliss. Comfortable home life with home cooked meals, the camaraderie of those in the neighborhood, nice bike rides, lots of reading and sitting still. One day while on our bikes we were riding down an alley and could smell fresh cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric. Mmmm. Due to some over-booking confusion, Beena and Sutthesh insisted that we sleep in their room, minus them. We don't know where they slept, or for that matter when they ate. Such hospitable hosts. People to learn from. While in Cochin (a very Charlestonesque type town), I bought my first dhoti (traditional male sheet wrapped around the lower half..I now own a couple), Caroline got Sutthesh's fish moi lee recipe, we danced among the neighbors on NYE (Caroline wore her Saree and me my dhoti), we bought essential Indian herbs and spices to help fill up our cupboard back home, watched fishermen pull and tug at old Chinese fishing nets, heard the meaning of new years celebration from a 13 year old girl (a beautiful statement), burnt a life sized model of Papa Christmas, viewed Vasco de Gama's original burial plot, visited the oldest synagogue in all of India, took in a Jan. 1 carnival celebration where we were interviewed and made it on TV and of course partook in more cups of chai.
Kerala state makes up the extreme southwestern corner of India. They refer to it here as "God's Country." And it is. An area full of coconut palms and salt laden air, fresh fish, warm people and history, Kerala turned out to be our most enjoyable part of India. It is here that the oldest Christian settlement in the world exists, outside the middle east. Interesting that we learned that the apostle Saint Thomas migrated here and settled. Kerala allowed us, much like Cambodia and Laos, to catch our breaths.
From Fort Cochin we stayed along the coast further south into Alleppey. It is from here where we hired an overnight houseboat, a ketevallum, and took to the backwaters. A popular thing to do among the locals and foreigners alike, cruising the backwaters is a must do when in Kerala. For 22 hours, and only us and 3 crew members, we slowly puttered along the canal sized waters through rice paddies and fishing villages. Really the only time in India when we sat in complete silence...and under the stars. The crew fed us great food and I played them jazz music from my iPod (I don't' think they've ever heard it before). Not sure if the boat captain had rhythm or not, but his left foot seemed to bounce to the jazz drum. When we parked our boat "Trivulum" along the banks for the night, we met another couple who were stationed nearby. With Ben and Melissa, both from good 'ol USA (a small world to meet them on the backwaters), we capped our evening off together under the stars on their boat deck, sipping on some sort of clear liquor and enjoying good company. The next morning off we puttered back to humanity. Caroline asked the captain if he'd turn around for another 5 days, but he wouldn't. We could've used it. We met back up with Ben and Melissa that afternoon. I convinced Ben to buy himself a dhoti, and he did. We all spent a couple of hours at the Alleppey train station together before heading further south.
A week into the new year and we found ourselves south of Alleppey in the coastal town of Kovalam. It is here, and perhaps 2 other places in all of India, where foreigners can wear typical sunny beach attire while having to endure minimal male gawking. Having been covered up for so long up to this point, we decided to deal with the amount of tourists in this town for a couple of days in order to soak up some sun. It did us some good. Kovallam, much like the town near it that we visited, was dutiful. Sun rejuvenation. I did get a haircut one of the days. The cutter was playing MJ's "off the wall" album...Ash, you would've been dancing. Side note: it is in Kovalam that Caroline and I spotted the largest spider we've ever laid our eyes on. Huge, massive long legs and hairy and on our bedroom wall. It was disposed of.
Out of Kollam we took our last, long Indian train excursion from the western coast to the east. With a matter of days left before flying out, we decided to visit the french infused town of Pondicherry. A great bicycling town, Pondicherry was unique in that half the town is french. It is here where we spent the anniversary of Julia's passing; a day that we both dreaded, but it turned out to be a wonderful day full of reflecting, eating and shopping...all in the name of Julia.
From Pondi as the locals call it, we bussed a bit further north to Mamalupurram. A visit that I almost didn't make. As the bus was driving away with me still in the middle, pack on and Indian women pushing all while Caroline was screaming from the side of the road to the driver.."there's still a whitie on board...stop." I got off successfully and joined my wife. You've got to love these government bus rides. A short visit in Mamalupurram before heading back to Chennai. In Mamalupurram we met a great guy from Kashmir, Ajaz. He was a shop owner who wasn't you're typical get-you-in-the-door kind of guy. We ended up sharing great conversation with him and he restored our faith in the Indian way of doing business. We needed that. A great last impression. We shall remain in touch.
It is now getting closer to our departure flight out of India. This would be the perfect time to reflect on the things we learned, loved and despised, but we've been sitting in this Internet cafe for 3 hours with mosquitoes biting at our ankles. So, we'll save our reflections until later.
We miss and love you all. Wish us luck on our 40 hour journey back across the Pacific. We will soon be in the same time zone as most of you and that only means that home is around the corner.
Our best,
Patrick & Caroline
After leaving from Chennai our first time through we headed straight for the Nilgiri Hills and into a small, less developed, hill town by the name of Kodaikanal. What a gorgeous place we thought to spend Caroline's birthday...among the mountains, full of tea fields and eucalyptus trees. It was a weather disaster. Frigid temperatures and a constant downpour left us with little to do besides huddle around our extremely small space heater in our room. Not how this husband intended on celebrating his wife's birthday. Damn, but oh well because we enjoyed it as much as we could, and that meant getting to know the local scene a bit better. Nestled in this small patch of mountainous terrain are, like Kodaikanal, these small "hill stations." A nice area to enjoy hiking and the like if the weather cooperates, which is didn't at all. Our true joy in Kodai was a small bakery on the main drag that sold a few select items each day. It was the only sun on our otherwise rainy stay. While waiting for our late departure bus leaving this town, we ran into a great American couple and their baby. Tim, Katie and Liam live in Kodaikanal and invited us to their home to weather the storm while sharing a bowl of chili and hot chocolate. We hope to keep in touch with these two. Their home is one of the second oldest in town. A homestead of sorts. Beautiful! After intriguing conversations with them (which we don't find as often enough on the road) we hopped on board our sardine can of a bus and took off. From Kodai we visited Ooty, another hill station. Again, cold, wet weather ensued and I took a high grade fever. It passed as did we, onward again.
Getting close to the holiday season was evident throughout our time in the south. There are lots and lots of Christians in this part of India. Churches galore! And if you know how materialistic Hinduism tends to be, try splashing some of that type fervor onto the Immaculate Mother Mary and the Cross. We found ourselves in a bigger town called Mysore, and it was indeed Christmas time. On the eve, we decided to splurge a bit and dined on a buffet dinner at an old renovated palace outside of town, Lalitha Mahal. The palace, a palace mind you, was huge and completely done up in garlands and twinkles. Here we were dining among Indian families, among a decked out Indian Santa Claus and his sidekick elf who were mingling about, eating half way decent food, listening to variations of familiar Christmas carols during breaks from the trance/house playing music of a DJ.....saying to ourselves, this is a first. It was great! Oh, and we won the grand door prize but decided to give it to a newly wed couple since it didn't quite fit with our next leg of the trip. Our walk home was sketchy but we made it. Christmas morning we attended an English church service across from our hotel (I think it was Methodist or a form of it). We drank our usual chais and ate oranges afterwards. Later in the day we enjoyed our Christmas presents to each other. Ayurvedic massages each (yikes if you're not down with lots of oil and a loin cloth) and a short yoga session.
We left rejuvenated.
After spending a few days in Mysore, we journeyed further west making a bee line for the coast. Here in a town called Calicut we took our first sight of the Arabian sea waters. Getting there is a funny story. Leaving Mysore just past midnight, on a bus, left us wondering what we were getting into. After being over an hour and a half late, round the corner it comes bumping to the beats of Indi-tech. We jump on board and are confused to find not seats, but a full size bed. Weird. Winding roads and the thumping of music left us dazed when we finally got off. At one point, we hit a bump and Caroline goes flying up outta bed and hits her head. At every turn, rolling back and forth like something on a dashboard. Stopping late in the evening so that the driver and his mate can get a chai break was our only moment of calmness.
In Calicut we took a day trip into the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary where we caught glimpses of wild reindeer, spotted deer and the ass of an elephant, the latter from a far distant. One of the few places in India that we weren't stepping over trash and smelling human urine. But, it is here, thanks to the park rangers and staff, that we experienced firsthand some more of India's corruption. Ahhhhh. Details later if you want but just gets us too fired up to talk about. After only a couple short days in Calicut, we trained our way (yes, back to the wonderful trains) to the town of Fort Cochin and into the great state of Kerala. Here is where we decided to say goodbye to 2007. Our accommodation here was our first homestay. How enjoyable it was! It was at the home of Beena and her husband Sutthesh that we enjoyed several days of bliss. Comfortable home life with home cooked meals, the camaraderie of those in the neighborhood, nice bike rides, lots of reading and sitting still. One day while on our bikes we were riding down an alley and could smell fresh cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric. Mmmm. Due to some over-booking confusion, Beena and Sutthesh insisted that we sleep in their room, minus them. We don't know where they slept, or for that matter when they ate. Such hospitable hosts. People to learn from. While in Cochin (a very Charlestonesque type town), I bought my first dhoti (traditional male sheet wrapped around the lower half..I now own a couple), Caroline got Sutthesh's fish moi lee recipe, we danced among the neighbors on NYE (Caroline wore her Saree and me my dhoti), we bought essential Indian herbs and spices to help fill up our cupboard back home, watched fishermen pull and tug at old Chinese fishing nets, heard the meaning of new years celebration from a 13 year old girl (a beautiful statement), burnt a life sized model of Papa Christmas, viewed Vasco de Gama's original burial plot, visited the oldest synagogue in all of India, took in a Jan. 1 carnival celebration where we were interviewed and made it on TV and of course partook in more cups of chai.
Kerala state makes up the extreme southwestern corner of India. They refer to it here as "God's Country." And it is. An area full of coconut palms and salt laden air, fresh fish, warm people and history, Kerala turned out to be our most enjoyable part of India. It is here that the oldest Christian settlement in the world exists, outside the middle east. Interesting that we learned that the apostle Saint Thomas migrated here and settled. Kerala allowed us, much like Cambodia and Laos, to catch our breaths.
From Fort Cochin we stayed along the coast further south into Alleppey. It is from here where we hired an overnight houseboat, a ketevallum, and took to the backwaters. A popular thing to do among the locals and foreigners alike, cruising the backwaters is a must do when in Kerala. For 22 hours, and only us and 3 crew members, we slowly puttered along the canal sized waters through rice paddies and fishing villages. Really the only time in India when we sat in complete silence...and under the stars. The crew fed us great food and I played them jazz music from my iPod (I don't' think they've ever heard it before). Not sure if the boat captain had rhythm or not, but his left foot seemed to bounce to the jazz drum. When we parked our boat "Trivulum" along the banks for the night, we met another couple who were stationed nearby. With Ben and Melissa, both from good 'ol USA (a small world to meet them on the backwaters), we capped our evening off together under the stars on their boat deck, sipping on some sort of clear liquor and enjoying good company. The next morning off we puttered back to humanity. Caroline asked the captain if he'd turn around for another 5 days, but he wouldn't. We could've used it. We met back up with Ben and Melissa that afternoon. I convinced Ben to buy himself a dhoti, and he did. We all spent a couple of hours at the Alleppey train station together before heading further south.
A week into the new year and we found ourselves south of Alleppey in the coastal town of Kovalam. It is here, and perhaps 2 other places in all of India, where foreigners can wear typical sunny beach attire while having to endure minimal male gawking. Having been covered up for so long up to this point, we decided to deal with the amount of tourists in this town for a couple of days in order to soak up some sun. It did us some good. Kovallam, much like the town near it that we visited, was dutiful. Sun rejuvenation. I did get a haircut one of the days. The cutter was playing MJ's "off the wall" album...Ash, you would've been dancing. Side note: it is in Kovalam that Caroline and I spotted the largest spider we've ever laid our eyes on. Huge, massive long legs and hairy and on our bedroom wall. It was disposed of.
Out of Kollam we took our last, long Indian train excursion from the western coast to the east. With a matter of days left before flying out, we decided to visit the french infused town of Pondicherry. A great bicycling town, Pondicherry was unique in that half the town is french. It is here where we spent the anniversary of Julia's passing; a day that we both dreaded, but it turned out to be a wonderful day full of reflecting, eating and shopping...all in the name of Julia.
From Pondi as the locals call it, we bussed a bit further north to Mamalupurram. A visit that I almost didn't make. As the bus was driving away with me still in the middle, pack on and Indian women pushing all while Caroline was screaming from the side of the road to the driver.."there's still a whitie on board...stop." I got off successfully and joined my wife. You've got to love these government bus rides. A short visit in Mamalupurram before heading back to Chennai. In Mamalupurram we met a great guy from Kashmir, Ajaz. He was a shop owner who wasn't you're typical get-you-in-the-door kind of guy. We ended up sharing great conversation with him and he restored our faith in the Indian way of doing business. We needed that. A great last impression. We shall remain in touch.
It is now getting closer to our departure flight out of India. This would be the perfect time to reflect on the things we learned, loved and despised, but we've been sitting in this Internet cafe for 3 hours with mosquitoes biting at our ankles. So, we'll save our reflections until later.
We miss and love you all. Wish us luck on our 40 hour journey back across the Pacific. We will soon be in the same time zone as most of you and that only means that home is around the corner.
Our best,
Patrick & Caroline
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Northern India
Namaste! It is now the day after Christmas and we've been in the south of India for 13 days. We will save an update for this part of the country for later; so for now allow us to recap our experiences in the north.
After a curry meal on board India Air and our first ever upgrade to business class, we touched down in India's capital city, New Delhi. Greeted by John's uncle, Vijay, who was incredibly hospitable and helpful during our stay there, we gathered our game plan and away we went. From the minute we stepped out of the airport and hit traffic we instantly knew India had a lot in store for us. Delhi (and for that matter India itself) is unique in countless ways and requires a quintessential gut for the unexpected. December in the city can be a little chilly at night so we instantly found our $5 sweaters to stay warm. We visited the point of assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. From the room where he spent the last 40 days of his life, you can follow the steps of his final walk. Now a highly interactive and youthful place, this museum has much to offer and for those visiting like us there is much to gain. We also visited the home/museum of the late Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. A woman ahead of her time diplomatically, and with a fashion sense like Jackie O., Indira too was assassinated on the grounds near her home. Our hotel stay brought with it the unforgettable Sunil. An Indian who truly knows the meaning of hospitality. He proved to be a friendly guy who helped us not only navigate around the city, but also gave Caroline chocolates and a rose for her birthday..not to mention the glass bangles and Saree, gifts from his wife. Among the constant blanket of smog that stretches over the city, there dwells millions of people per square mile. Delhi is a dirty, smelly, busy place where public urination is widespread, but amidst all of the obvious negative there are the smiles, waves, colors and spiritual life that only exist here in India. The next week and a half of our trip will be very hectic, here we go....
After 4 days in Delhi we leave on a pre-dawn train to Agra. Late as ever (happens more than not) we arrive in Agra, nap and check out Agra Fort. At the Fort we catch our first glimpse of the Taj and we become as giddy as Patrick's admirers at the Indian Embassy in Bangkok (more of that later, but I have a very handsome husband!!) Our tricks learned throughout our journey pay off as the touts are rampant in Agra but we don't buy their **%&^$&. To sleep and up again pre-dawn (second day in a row) for The TAJ. Before we get to her, let us just share our disappointment with Agra itself. After visiting Siem Reap and seeing how a 'world wonder' could help boost the economy of an area, one would think the same about a place like Agra. Wrong!!! For the first time on this trip, while walking to the Taj at 5:30 in the morning, we were frightened! A ghetto lies outside of one of the greatest wonders of the world. As we will learn further on our trip, money does not trickle down. It stays in one circular place and that is very sad. Enough of that, after paying an exorbitant price for foreigners I am officially the first female into the Taj gates for the day and another guy was from Knoxville, go figure!! You will see the pics so there is no need to go into detail, but in the past four months we have now seen 3 World Wonders and I can tell you for a fact we both have never stood in more awe in our lives. Goosebumps covered our entire body as she magnificently towered above us. Damn she was gorgeous!! Quick history, the Taj was built as a mausoleum for the Kings wife and son who both died in childbirth. Does P love me that much???? He He. She is built entirely of marble, entirely, and that is amazing considering what we pay for marble today. Workers were brought in from all over Asia to build her. We eventually wander into the mausoleum and are lucky enough to catch it at a perfect time. The only light in the room is a marble chandelier that castes a low glow and tons of shadows about the room. When we were in there it was absolutely quiet for about 1 min while a man said a chant. It was probably one of the most memorable moments of our trip. Spectacular! We are now officially freezing and have an afternoon bus back to Delhi to make.
Back to Delhi, late of course, we book it to the train station and board an overnight train to Haridwar. We arrive in Haridwar, now our third day of pre-dawn awakeness, and have our first day in one of the Holiest regions of the world. The mouth of the River Ganga!! Hari means god, and dwar means door...Haridwar in the hindi language means "door to god." The Ganges River flows quickly in this area as many Hindu pilgrims make it here to enjoy its relative purity due to the proximity of the Himalayas. Once in Haridwar we attended a nightly Hindu ritual along the banks of the Ganges. As night fell, chanting and music filled the streets. Pilgrims lined the banks making offerings, lightining floating candles in the water and performing acts of Hindu ritual. We found ourselves, with shoes off of course, among thousands of others taking part along the Ganges. People would come up to us and show their appreciation with hugs, hand shakes and would powder our foreheads with bindi markings (sometimes rather forcefully for $ ofcourse, we were onto them!). We each took a small sip from the river water. It was all too incredible. We also took in two mountain temples one of which provided some nice reflection. From Haridwar we took a daytrip to Rishikesh. Further north up into the Himalaya foothills, Rishikesh is famous for its many ashrams and yoga centers. The Beatles retreated here once and it is said where they wrote much of their White Album. From the surrounding area we can attest to how inspiring a place like this can be. With us was a friendly guy we met named Aritra. A native Indian from Calcutta who now lives in New Zealand, Aritra made for great company. We had a great conversation with him along the river and off we went.
After our short, but enlightening, stay we made it back to Delhi for a few hours pitstop and then off again on yet another trainride...this time the long haul to Calcutta (Kolkata), our third overnight train in 4 days. Calcutta is a typical Indian city from what we could tell, but with a more cosmopolitan twist. Much more of a walkable city with greenspace. We enjoyed it. Here we met up with another of John's relatives, Ajay, who once again showed us great hospitality and friendship....it runs in their family. On our last evening there we dined with Ajay, his wife and their two kids at their home. It was wonderful. You sometimes take for granted what it's like to gather around a table and share a meal..full of great converstation and food. We miss that. Also in Calcutta, we visited the Victoria Memorial and took in Mother Teresa's Motherhouse and Convent. The Sisters of Charity offically close their doors to the public the one day of the week that we were there, but these two South Carolinians found their way in despite, for a tour of Mother's tomb and her former living quarters. We shared a private moment in the room where her body rests, a tranquil place despite the noises of a hectic Calcutta street just out the window. We offered prayers and left notes of rememberance for our passed loved ones and friends. The brief time that we were there left us filled with inspiration as we admired what this one soul was able to accomplish for humanity. On top of her tomb in flower pedals reads Love Until it Hurts.
Wish there had been more time in Calcutta, but maybe for another day. A pollution filled rishshaw ride to the airport and off to Chennai in the south!
We are beginning to figure this country out, little by little. From the, first confusing, head bobs to all the names and meanings of the many Hindu gods, our stomachs are strengthening not only from the onslaught of spicy curries, but also from the daily experiences we take in each day we walk out the door.
Hope the holidays treated ya'll well and that the coming new year brings new perspectives and a fresh start for everyone. All our love.
-P & C, C & P and P & C (ha)
After a curry meal on board India Air and our first ever upgrade to business class, we touched down in India's capital city, New Delhi. Greeted by John's uncle, Vijay, who was incredibly hospitable and helpful during our stay there, we gathered our game plan and away we went. From the minute we stepped out of the airport and hit traffic we instantly knew India had a lot in store for us. Delhi (and for that matter India itself) is unique in countless ways and requires a quintessential gut for the unexpected. December in the city can be a little chilly at night so we instantly found our $5 sweaters to stay warm. We visited the point of assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. From the room where he spent the last 40 days of his life, you can follow the steps of his final walk. Now a highly interactive and youthful place, this museum has much to offer and for those visiting like us there is much to gain. We also visited the home/museum of the late Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. A woman ahead of her time diplomatically, and with a fashion sense like Jackie O., Indira too was assassinated on the grounds near her home. Our hotel stay brought with it the unforgettable Sunil. An Indian who truly knows the meaning of hospitality. He proved to be a friendly guy who helped us not only navigate around the city, but also gave Caroline chocolates and a rose for her birthday..not to mention the glass bangles and Saree, gifts from his wife. Among the constant blanket of smog that stretches over the city, there dwells millions of people per square mile. Delhi is a dirty, smelly, busy place where public urination is widespread, but amidst all of the obvious negative there are the smiles, waves, colors and spiritual life that only exist here in India. The next week and a half of our trip will be very hectic, here we go....
After 4 days in Delhi we leave on a pre-dawn train to Agra. Late as ever (happens more than not) we arrive in Agra, nap and check out Agra Fort. At the Fort we catch our first glimpse of the Taj and we become as giddy as Patrick's admirers at the Indian Embassy in Bangkok (more of that later, but I have a very handsome husband!!) Our tricks learned throughout our journey pay off as the touts are rampant in Agra but we don't buy their **%&^$&. To sleep and up again pre-dawn (second day in a row) for The TAJ. Before we get to her, let us just share our disappointment with Agra itself. After visiting Siem Reap and seeing how a 'world wonder' could help boost the economy of an area, one would think the same about a place like Agra. Wrong!!! For the first time on this trip, while walking to the Taj at 5:30 in the morning, we were frightened! A ghetto lies outside of one of the greatest wonders of the world. As we will learn further on our trip, money does not trickle down. It stays in one circular place and that is very sad. Enough of that, after paying an exorbitant price for foreigners I am officially the first female into the Taj gates for the day and another guy was from Knoxville, go figure!! You will see the pics so there is no need to go into detail, but in the past four months we have now seen 3 World Wonders and I can tell you for a fact we both have never stood in more awe in our lives. Goosebumps covered our entire body as she magnificently towered above us. Damn she was gorgeous!! Quick history, the Taj was built as a mausoleum for the Kings wife and son who both died in childbirth. Does P love me that much???? He He. She is built entirely of marble, entirely, and that is amazing considering what we pay for marble today. Workers were brought in from all over Asia to build her. We eventually wander into the mausoleum and are lucky enough to catch it at a perfect time. The only light in the room is a marble chandelier that castes a low glow and tons of shadows about the room. When we were in there it was absolutely quiet for about 1 min while a man said a chant. It was probably one of the most memorable moments of our trip. Spectacular! We are now officially freezing and have an afternoon bus back to Delhi to make.
Back to Delhi, late of course, we book it to the train station and board an overnight train to Haridwar. We arrive in Haridwar, now our third day of pre-dawn awakeness, and have our first day in one of the Holiest regions of the world. The mouth of the River Ganga!! Hari means god, and dwar means door...Haridwar in the hindi language means "door to god." The Ganges River flows quickly in this area as many Hindu pilgrims make it here to enjoy its relative purity due to the proximity of the Himalayas. Once in Haridwar we attended a nightly Hindu ritual along the banks of the Ganges. As night fell, chanting and music filled the streets. Pilgrims lined the banks making offerings, lightining floating candles in the water and performing acts of Hindu ritual. We found ourselves, with shoes off of course, among thousands of others taking part along the Ganges. People would come up to us and show their appreciation with hugs, hand shakes and would powder our foreheads with bindi markings (sometimes rather forcefully for $ ofcourse, we were onto them!). We each took a small sip from the river water. It was all too incredible. We also took in two mountain temples one of which provided some nice reflection. From Haridwar we took a daytrip to Rishikesh. Further north up into the Himalaya foothills, Rishikesh is famous for its many ashrams and yoga centers. The Beatles retreated here once and it is said where they wrote much of their White Album. From the surrounding area we can attest to how inspiring a place like this can be. With us was a friendly guy we met named Aritra. A native Indian from Calcutta who now lives in New Zealand, Aritra made for great company. We had a great conversation with him along the river and off we went.
After our short, but enlightening, stay we made it back to Delhi for a few hours pitstop and then off again on yet another trainride...this time the long haul to Calcutta (Kolkata), our third overnight train in 4 days. Calcutta is a typical Indian city from what we could tell, but with a more cosmopolitan twist. Much more of a walkable city with greenspace. We enjoyed it. Here we met up with another of John's relatives, Ajay, who once again showed us great hospitality and friendship....it runs in their family. On our last evening there we dined with Ajay, his wife and their two kids at their home. It was wonderful. You sometimes take for granted what it's like to gather around a table and share a meal..full of great converstation and food. We miss that. Also in Calcutta, we visited the Victoria Memorial and took in Mother Teresa's Motherhouse and Convent. The Sisters of Charity offically close their doors to the public the one day of the week that we were there, but these two South Carolinians found their way in despite, for a tour of Mother's tomb and her former living quarters. We shared a private moment in the room where her body rests, a tranquil place despite the noises of a hectic Calcutta street just out the window. We offered prayers and left notes of rememberance for our passed loved ones and friends. The brief time that we were there left us filled with inspiration as we admired what this one soul was able to accomplish for humanity. On top of her tomb in flower pedals reads Love Until it Hurts.
Wish there had been more time in Calcutta, but maybe for another day. A pollution filled rishshaw ride to the airport and off to Chennai in the south!
We are beginning to figure this country out, little by little. From the, first confusing, head bobs to all the names and meanings of the many Hindu gods, our stomachs are strengthening not only from the onslaught of spicy curries, but also from the daily experiences we take in each day we walk out the door.
Hope the holidays treated ya'll well and that the coming new year brings new perspectives and a fresh start for everyone. All our love.
-P & C, C & P and P & C (ha)
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Land of orange robes
And.....we're back....and in Bangkok; I believe the setting of our last encounter. Good place to really sit down and run through your thoughts because we have already both had dreads put in, bought all the fisherman pants and same same tees imagineable, talked with like everyone about the "real Beach" and all on like ten buckets....so what else is there to do, man? Now let us take you back, back to Nov. 5, 2007.
Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon to the more modern new agers, is a city known for its mopeds, motorcyles, bicyles, and anything else that runs on less than four wheels. Coming off of 3 months in SE Asia, you think, it couldn't be much different.....oh my friend, how you are wrong, so wrong (see pic). We both agreed that being hit by a car or bus would be so much more enjoyable than a motorcyle going 100mph anyday. So what were we doing when we weren't staring in awe at the shear volume of motos flighing by or screaming in shear excitement/joy running across the street (because it is fun!!), we did what all tourists do in Saigon and that is visit American War (as it is known there) monuments and museums. Our first stop was the War Remnants Museum. A small open air museum with fighter planes, tanks, helicopters and tiger cage replicas. About two steps in you realize that what is on display here are pictures and information that we as Americans will never lay our eyes on in America. It was so dreadfully emotional, all of it. Tears were flowing, we both without acknowledging to eachother were not opening our mouths both out of the mood in the air but also because at that moment we were embarassed to be Americans.......then our moods changed. I won't harp on this much but will explain how it all changed. Yes, this is a war we lost, a war we never should have been in in the first place (god, how history repeats itself) but if as a foreigner you knew nothing of this war, you would leave hating us, Americans and all that we stand for. This emotion followed us to the Cu Chi Tunnels outside of Saigon the following day where at one point you were allowed rifles and ammunition to "shoot like the americans did." Videos and commentary both described us as "savage Americans who shot at leaves, trees, and babies" but the Viet-khong were "kind, gentle American killers". I mean at one point I actually laughed out loud. We hope not to offend anyone by our feelings, because we were not alive during the war but it just all felt so funny. So biased and in a weird but good way, we kinda left still loving our country unconditionally despite its mistakes. I guess you can say that our time in Ho Chi Minh City was like a Sunday after watching Schindlers List. We did find two, new both of course, fattening street foods for our repetoire and they were mini pancake sandwiches with a cream sauce center, yum, and the start of baguette sandwiches Vietnam style and they are so very tasty. Baguette sandwiches will follow us this next month, no complaints from us.
We leave two days later on a well needed overnight train for Hoi An, Vietnam which is about half way up the country. ***sidenote, our time in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos is very short, a huge regret on our part but we were only able to visit about two places in each.** Oh, Hoi An! Our first Unesco World Heritage sight and not our last. We have found a new way to travel. Find the Unesco sights and go there because they are all the most charming, lovely towns. Always great food, cafes, shopping, culture, art, heritage and smal enough that the countryside awaits you just 2km out of town. We spent about 5 days in Hoi An and loved every minute of it. Probably because we had clothes made about everyday. For those of you who don't know, Hoi An, for some reason, is the capital of tailors. Everyone flocks here from all over to have clothes made. A "caroline's" dream and P's but we don't want to embarass him...the man likes his suits. Hoi An is also famous for a noodle salad dish called cau lau. A very simple dish of special noodles (famous because they have to be boiled with the well water from Hoi An), lettuce, pork, beansprouts, and these fantastic crutons that we couldn't decide if they were of bread content or fried pork content, but none-the-less it was tasty. We barely make it out of Hoi An because the rain which had started the moment we arrived, continued and the last night we were there while on the internet, we looked out the door to see a canoe going up and down the street. The water had been up a few streets but in no time, the whole city was flooded but we were lucky enough to have picked the only block of town that didn't flood and we made it out safely....that boat in the street was definitely one for the books.
Cambodia is where we arrive. A country that we now, in retrospect, wish we had more time to spend in. Who knows, perhaps we will return someday for other reasons alltogether. Our first visit was of course the famous town of Siem Reap. We found an off the beaten track, laid back guesthouse from which we would base our next 3 pre-dawn days venturing through the sun drenched mossy rocks and ruins of Angkor...and ALL her temples. An expansive kingdom sized area full of ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples is an amazing thing unto itself, but witnessing it each day as the sun rises is quite astonishing. Yawning, clothes on, teeth brushed, bug spray applied, bite of breakfast with a side of malaria pills, a quick stretch, on the bikes and we're off. A 20 minute ride on 'ol rickety bikes with headlamps on, crawling under a "do not enter" rope, scurring up up for crisp sunrise aton Phnom Bakheng Temple was how we started this thing. Nearly 13 miles on day 1. Our bums and legs 'a achin. The remainder of our 3 days were spent with sunrises, we kissed alone at the Ta Nei Temple (and come to find out had a spirit at our side while there), a peaceful ride along the moat atop the wall surrounding Angko Thom (I love it when Caroline rides a bike with me), a friendship with our man Mr. Nan, a drive to far off temples and villages passing through amazing countryside and witnessing beautiful people, especially children. All smiles and of course naked running through streets and yards. We met Matthew, a man whose voice attracted Caroline's ear from far away. He is from east Tennessee. That accent, a unique welcome given where we were. We visited the Cambodian Landmine Museum. Another startling place to witness. Our last day in Siem Reap was spent watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat.
While still in Siem Reap we enjoyed, hands down, the best dessert we've ever shared together....chocolate fondit with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Damn!! Looking for a recipe is a must when we return home. From Siem we traveled on dusty roads to a town called Kopan Chom. Here we made a quick but frenzied vehicle change from bus to what we now like to call a "Cambodian Taxi." Andrew, you might be able to relate: this taxi was one of those old 4 door mid-90s Toyota Camrys (Mom, the kind we use to have). Let's just say it should safely fit 5 passengers including the driver. Well about half way down the road, C and I find ourselves doubled up in the front seat, 5 across the back and the driver, he wasn't alone either. So you've got the driver sharing HIS seat with another guy and then 7 others of us piled in this thing going really fast down dirt roads, dodging cattle and cars all the while a Cambodian CD on repeat. We are safe now and that's all that matters. We won't be subjected ourselves to that again. I'm just glad the car wasn't manual transmission. We arrive safely in Kratie, another town along the Mekong, and enjoy more of Cambodia at its finest. We rented a motorbike and headed out of Kratie up the Mekong to an area famous for Irawaddy dolphin spotting. These are rare, endangered fresh water river dolphins. We saw a few, a bit unexciting but the bike ride to and fro was fantastic. Doubled up on a 2 seater we head out riding up the banks of the Mekong, dodging cows and chickens and naked children. Bananna trees hanging over the dirt road. Every passing face a huge smile...."helloooo." Beautiful villagers, seemingly happy and content with their simple life. Stopped at a Buddhist pogoda for a prayer before heading back to Kratie.
From Kratie we travelled further north where we would eventually border cross by land into Laos. Here we shared a kiss, Caroline in Cambodia, me in Laos.
In the south of Laos the Mekong River splits into a wide stretch of area made up of 4,000 or so islands. Some very small, some large enough to accomodate villages. We made our way up by boat to the island of Don Det. A mid sized island surrounded on all sides by the muddy flow of the Mekong. The most primitive of conditions (besides later when we would stay in a village in the mountains) we've experienced yet. After a rain drenched night sharing the island's famous "pumpkin burger" with a kiwi and his American girlfriend, we hunkered down in our cabana on the water....one of many mosquito net evengings. The night was long and claustrophobic. From Don Det and surround islands, we biked to SE Asia's largest (by volume) waterfall and rode through rice paddies. Out of Don Det we drove up to Laos' 3 largest town, Pakse where we would then fly out on Thanksgiving Day for the northern town of Luang Prabang.
After getting off the plane (a nerve racking one on Laos Air), we searched out a Thankgiving meal of sorts. To our surprise, a native Georgian from Augusta owns a restaurant there and we dined on "turkey" Laos style. Here we coincedentally met 2 UGA grads and had a wonderful evening of meat and red wine. One of the grads, a woman and her family from Atlanta, filled us in on their 1 year abroad experience. She, a former member of the same sorority that Caroline was in at UGA and all around seemingly cool mom, he, a UVA grad taking a leave of absence of sorts from his ATL job and their 2 kids. Home schooling them along the way! Amazing! They left us realising that life is worth so much more and that anything is possible. A wonderful family. We hope to keep in touch. Luang Prabang is an amazing town. Nestled in the mountains of northern Laos, it's an UNESCO World Heritage town. Here we would base ourselves for a solid week. Time to slow down and take it in. We read, I got a buzz cut, good night market shopping, red meat on my birthday and a bottle of Cote Du Rhone, exchanged emails with Bee a Buddhist monk, long walks and meeting locals. From here we took a 2 day trek into the mountains, spending the night in a small village, donating books to 2 schools and learning much from our guide Poy. The trail full with teak and bananna trees, poinsettias, water buffalo, coffee bushes and a crazed drunken frenchman. I spent the last afternoon of my golden year rinsing in a river, Caroline on the banks playing with kids. Awoke to 28 back in Luang Prabang giving alms to passing monks during a cold sunrise and a scrumptious dinner with my wife. We spent the last night there sitting on the banks of the Mekong in front of huge ball of fire sunset. Goodbye for now Luang Prabang.
We have now made it back to chaos that is Bangkok to refuel and catch up with ya'll. Changes have been made to our schedule so check out the intinerary section on the side of our blog page. Due to small regrets of not having enough time in certain areas along the way, we have decided to extend our time in India. We want to fully exhaust the subcontinent. We have chosen to cut Chile from our path down the road and focus mainly on Peru (and parts of N.Chile) when time comes.
Happy Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanza (sp?) to you all. We hope the air is nippy, lights are twinkling and that everyone has that good feeling deep inside.
Our love,
Caroline & Patrick, and then, Patrick & Caroline
Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon to the more modern new agers, is a city known for its mopeds, motorcyles, bicyles, and anything else that runs on less than four wheels. Coming off of 3 months in SE Asia, you think, it couldn't be much different.....oh my friend, how you are wrong, so wrong (see pic). We both agreed that being hit by a car or bus would be so much more enjoyable than a motorcyle going 100mph anyday. So what were we doing when we weren't staring in awe at the shear volume of motos flighing by or screaming in shear excitement/joy running across the street (because it is fun!!), we did what all tourists do in Saigon and that is visit American War (as it is known there) monuments and museums. Our first stop was the War Remnants Museum. A small open air museum with fighter planes, tanks, helicopters and tiger cage replicas. About two steps in you realize that what is on display here are pictures and information that we as Americans will never lay our eyes on in America. It was so dreadfully emotional, all of it. Tears were flowing, we both without acknowledging to eachother were not opening our mouths both out of the mood in the air but also because at that moment we were embarassed to be Americans.......then our moods changed. I won't harp on this much but will explain how it all changed. Yes, this is a war we lost, a war we never should have been in in the first place (god, how history repeats itself) but if as a foreigner you knew nothing of this war, you would leave hating us, Americans and all that we stand for. This emotion followed us to the Cu Chi Tunnels outside of Saigon the following day where at one point you were allowed rifles and ammunition to "shoot like the americans did." Videos and commentary both described us as "savage Americans who shot at leaves, trees, and babies" but the Viet-khong were "kind, gentle American killers". I mean at one point I actually laughed out loud. We hope not to offend anyone by our feelings, because we were not alive during the war but it just all felt so funny. So biased and in a weird but good way, we kinda left still loving our country unconditionally despite its mistakes. I guess you can say that our time in Ho Chi Minh City was like a Sunday after watching Schindlers List. We did find two, new both of course, fattening street foods for our repetoire and they were mini pancake sandwiches with a cream sauce center, yum, and the start of baguette sandwiches Vietnam style and they are so very tasty. Baguette sandwiches will follow us this next month, no complaints from us.
We leave two days later on a well needed overnight train for Hoi An, Vietnam which is about half way up the country. ***sidenote, our time in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos is very short, a huge regret on our part but we were only able to visit about two places in each.** Oh, Hoi An! Our first Unesco World Heritage sight and not our last. We have found a new way to travel. Find the Unesco sights and go there because they are all the most charming, lovely towns. Always great food, cafes, shopping, culture, art, heritage and smal enough that the countryside awaits you just 2km out of town. We spent about 5 days in Hoi An and loved every minute of it. Probably because we had clothes made about everyday. For those of you who don't know, Hoi An, for some reason, is the capital of tailors. Everyone flocks here from all over to have clothes made. A "caroline's" dream and P's but we don't want to embarass him...the man likes his suits. Hoi An is also famous for a noodle salad dish called cau lau. A very simple dish of special noodles (famous because they have to be boiled with the well water from Hoi An), lettuce, pork, beansprouts, and these fantastic crutons that we couldn't decide if they were of bread content or fried pork content, but none-the-less it was tasty. We barely make it out of Hoi An because the rain which had started the moment we arrived, continued and the last night we were there while on the internet, we looked out the door to see a canoe going up and down the street. The water had been up a few streets but in no time, the whole city was flooded but we were lucky enough to have picked the only block of town that didn't flood and we made it out safely....that boat in the street was definitely one for the books.
Cambodia is where we arrive. A country that we now, in retrospect, wish we had more time to spend in. Who knows, perhaps we will return someday for other reasons alltogether. Our first visit was of course the famous town of Siem Reap. We found an off the beaten track, laid back guesthouse from which we would base our next 3 pre-dawn days venturing through the sun drenched mossy rocks and ruins of Angkor...and ALL her temples. An expansive kingdom sized area full of ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples is an amazing thing unto itself, but witnessing it each day as the sun rises is quite astonishing. Yawning, clothes on, teeth brushed, bug spray applied, bite of breakfast with a side of malaria pills, a quick stretch, on the bikes and we're off. A 20 minute ride on 'ol rickety bikes with headlamps on, crawling under a "do not enter" rope, scurring up up for crisp sunrise aton Phnom Bakheng Temple was how we started this thing. Nearly 13 miles on day 1. Our bums and legs 'a achin. The remainder of our 3 days were spent with sunrises, we kissed alone at the Ta Nei Temple (and come to find out had a spirit at our side while there), a peaceful ride along the moat atop the wall surrounding Angko Thom (I love it when Caroline rides a bike with me), a friendship with our man Mr. Nan, a drive to far off temples and villages passing through amazing countryside and witnessing beautiful people, especially children. All smiles and of course naked running through streets and yards. We met Matthew, a man whose voice attracted Caroline's ear from far away. He is from east Tennessee. That accent, a unique welcome given where we were. We visited the Cambodian Landmine Museum. Another startling place to witness. Our last day in Siem Reap was spent watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat.
While still in Siem Reap we enjoyed, hands down, the best dessert we've ever shared together....chocolate fondit with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Damn!! Looking for a recipe is a must when we return home. From Siem we traveled on dusty roads to a town called Kopan Chom. Here we made a quick but frenzied vehicle change from bus to what we now like to call a "Cambodian Taxi." Andrew, you might be able to relate: this taxi was one of those old 4 door mid-90s Toyota Camrys (Mom, the kind we use to have). Let's just say it should safely fit 5 passengers including the driver. Well about half way down the road, C and I find ourselves doubled up in the front seat, 5 across the back and the driver, he wasn't alone either. So you've got the driver sharing HIS seat with another guy and then 7 others of us piled in this thing going really fast down dirt roads, dodging cattle and cars all the while a Cambodian CD on repeat. We are safe now and that's all that matters. We won't be subjected ourselves to that again. I'm just glad the car wasn't manual transmission. We arrive safely in Kratie, another town along the Mekong, and enjoy more of Cambodia at its finest. We rented a motorbike and headed out of Kratie up the Mekong to an area famous for Irawaddy dolphin spotting. These are rare, endangered fresh water river dolphins. We saw a few, a bit unexciting but the bike ride to and fro was fantastic. Doubled up on a 2 seater we head out riding up the banks of the Mekong, dodging cows and chickens and naked children. Bananna trees hanging over the dirt road. Every passing face a huge smile...."helloooo." Beautiful villagers, seemingly happy and content with their simple life. Stopped at a Buddhist pogoda for a prayer before heading back to Kratie.
From Kratie we travelled further north where we would eventually border cross by land into Laos. Here we shared a kiss, Caroline in Cambodia, me in Laos.
In the south of Laos the Mekong River splits into a wide stretch of area made up of 4,000 or so islands. Some very small, some large enough to accomodate villages. We made our way up by boat to the island of Don Det. A mid sized island surrounded on all sides by the muddy flow of the Mekong. The most primitive of conditions (besides later when we would stay in a village in the mountains) we've experienced yet. After a rain drenched night sharing the island's famous "pumpkin burger" with a kiwi and his American girlfriend, we hunkered down in our cabana on the water....one of many mosquito net evengings. The night was long and claustrophobic. From Don Det and surround islands, we biked to SE Asia's largest (by volume) waterfall and rode through rice paddies. Out of Don Det we drove up to Laos' 3 largest town, Pakse where we would then fly out on Thanksgiving Day for the northern town of Luang Prabang.
After getting off the plane (a nerve racking one on Laos Air), we searched out a Thankgiving meal of sorts. To our surprise, a native Georgian from Augusta owns a restaurant there and we dined on "turkey" Laos style. Here we coincedentally met 2 UGA grads and had a wonderful evening of meat and red wine. One of the grads, a woman and her family from Atlanta, filled us in on their 1 year abroad experience. She, a former member of the same sorority that Caroline was in at UGA and all around seemingly cool mom, he, a UVA grad taking a leave of absence of sorts from his ATL job and their 2 kids. Home schooling them along the way! Amazing! They left us realising that life is worth so much more and that anything is possible. A wonderful family. We hope to keep in touch. Luang Prabang is an amazing town. Nestled in the mountains of northern Laos, it's an UNESCO World Heritage town. Here we would base ourselves for a solid week. Time to slow down and take it in. We read, I got a buzz cut, good night market shopping, red meat on my birthday and a bottle of Cote Du Rhone, exchanged emails with Bee a Buddhist monk, long walks and meeting locals. From here we took a 2 day trek into the mountains, spending the night in a small village, donating books to 2 schools and learning much from our guide Poy. The trail full with teak and bananna trees, poinsettias, water buffalo, coffee bushes and a crazed drunken frenchman. I spent the last afternoon of my golden year rinsing in a river, Caroline on the banks playing with kids. Awoke to 28 back in Luang Prabang giving alms to passing monks during a cold sunrise and a scrumptious dinner with my wife. We spent the last night there sitting on the banks of the Mekong in front of huge ball of fire sunset. Goodbye for now Luang Prabang.
We have now made it back to chaos that is Bangkok to refuel and catch up with ya'll. Changes have been made to our schedule so check out the intinerary section on the side of our blog page. Due to small regrets of not having enough time in certain areas along the way, we have decided to extend our time in India. We want to fully exhaust the subcontinent. We have chosen to cut Chile from our path down the road and focus mainly on Peru (and parts of N.Chile) when time comes.
Happy Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanza (sp?) to you all. We hope the air is nippy, lights are twinkling and that everyone has that good feeling deep inside.
Our love,
Caroline & Patrick, and then, Patrick & Caroline
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving
Waking up
coffees, maybe teas
watching people.
Folding down page corners, constantly
sweating
eating.
Do you have local incense?
The continual search for the Ramayana.
Good food
the path from Jinshaling
musty room, but burning incense.
Not so good food,
asking each other questions
temple prayers.
Rain, oh the rain
bargaining
hawkers - like finding that evening's food stall....mmmm.
Iced coffees are tasty
as is unidentifiable food boiling in a pot.
Buying cheap watches
french infused Ho Chi Minh City.
Thinking about our future home.
Bus or train?
Her haircut, she doesn't like
motorbikes: Beijing is grade school/Ho Chi Minh City is graduate school
asian men must think smoking cigarettes gets them into heaven
bike riding in the countryside with each other
Sweaty bandannas used for multiple purposes
morning fitness
Angkor at sunrise
mosquito net evenings
Cambodia!
village children - smiling and naked
meeting strangers
Leave shoes at door
getting lost but finding our way.
Learning to take nothing for granted
For all of this and for all of you, we are THANKFUL.
Some people can stay gone from home forever, but some people don't have all of you to come home to.
Happy Thanksgiving with so much love,
Patrick and Caroline
**please eat extra for us
coffees, maybe teas
watching people.
Folding down page corners, constantly
sweating
eating.
Do you have local incense?
The continual search for the Ramayana.
Good food
the path from Jinshaling
musty room, but burning incense.
Not so good food,
asking each other questions
temple prayers.
Rain, oh the rain
bargaining
hawkers - like finding that evening's food stall....mmmm.
Iced coffees are tasty
as is unidentifiable food boiling in a pot.
Buying cheap watches
french infused Ho Chi Minh City.
Thinking about our future home.
Bus or train?
Her haircut, she doesn't like
motorbikes: Beijing is grade school/Ho Chi Minh City is graduate school
asian men must think smoking cigarettes gets them into heaven
bike riding in the countryside with each other
Sweaty bandannas used for multiple purposes
morning fitness
Angkor at sunrise
mosquito net evenings
Cambodia!
village children - smiling and naked
meeting strangers
Leave shoes at door
getting lost but finding our way.
Learning to take nothing for granted
For all of this and for all of you, we are THANKFUL.
Some people can stay gone from home forever, but some people don't have all of you to come home to.
Happy Thanksgiving with so much love,
Patrick and Caroline
**please eat extra for us
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Up through Thailand
We have arrived in Bangkok. The city that seems to never ask any questions, or for that matter, mind anything. In the meantime our trip from veggie madness in Phuket took us to a couple beaches where we, attempted, to catch our breath and relax in the sun before beginning what we've coined, the next leg of our trip. We found our way to the Ko Phi Phi islands due southeast. The rain followed, but oh well. Phi Phi is beautiful. A string of jagged islands, hovering over jade colored water. Despite what seems to be a thriving community, the people of these islands (and all over from what we could tell) are still dealing with the devastation of the tsunami. One day we climbed to a viewpoint and spoke with a elderly gentleman, a gardener by trade (I admired his green thumb), about the tsunami. He reported that thousands of people gathered near where he lives in order to escape; all the while he was laughing in a way that seemed to say, it's mother nature...and oh well! Very humble.
Hired a "long boat" driver one day and we puttered over to more remote areas that had our jaws'a open and necks'a aiching. Pristine.
Off to another area close by (relatively) called Railay. Here we spent several days easing our minds in the wilderness, doing laundry, sea kayaking, a nice halloweeen dinner, Caroline battling food poisoning (but not from the halloween dinner mind you), wandering around an empty cave (guano is potent stuff) and climbing down 100 or so feet into a lagoon...which by the way was an incredible feat on our parts....thick mud caked our path up/down, grabbing branches to prevent fall, sweating, juggling a camera for the perfect shot while thinking...Cirque du Soliel perhaps?....down to the water and all around solid wall. We love lagoons. Poynter, can't wait to compare our stories. All in all, quite a time and my watch broke (second cheap one I've bought).
Bangkok brought dutiful times. Day one was operation visas! Laos: thumbs up (easy); Vietnam: half thumbs up half thumbs down; India: thumber D!! The latter took us 2 hours of sitting, negotiating, bargaining and paying more than expected. We look forward to our time soon in this land. We each received haircuts, freshened up on books, met up with our friend Suzy from Ireland, whom by the way has become a good friend, a couple tuk tuk rides, maybe a trip down to the red light district (Mom...just to people watch, just to people watch, I promise), some good street food dining and now it's Monday and we've gathered for a time here to send you all our best wishes, hoping that autumn and the thanksgiving season are treating all well. We miss you and look forward to hearing from y'all soon. New pictures have been posted to Snapfish, I'll send you a link asap. We depart for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon to some of you) this afternoon.
Goodbye for now.
Love,
-Patrick & Caroline
Hired a "long boat" driver one day and we puttered over to more remote areas that had our jaws'a open and necks'a aiching. Pristine.
Off to another area close by (relatively) called Railay. Here we spent several days easing our minds in the wilderness, doing laundry, sea kayaking, a nice halloweeen dinner, Caroline battling food poisoning (but not from the halloween dinner mind you), wandering around an empty cave (guano is potent stuff) and climbing down 100 or so feet into a lagoon...which by the way was an incredible feat on our parts....thick mud caked our path up/down, grabbing branches to prevent fall, sweating, juggling a camera for the perfect shot while thinking...Cirque du Soliel perhaps?....down to the water and all around solid wall. We love lagoons. Poynter, can't wait to compare our stories. All in all, quite a time and my watch broke (second cheap one I've bought).
Bangkok brought dutiful times. Day one was operation visas! Laos: thumbs up (easy); Vietnam: half thumbs up half thumbs down; India: thumber D!! The latter took us 2 hours of sitting, negotiating, bargaining and paying more than expected. We look forward to our time soon in this land. We each received haircuts, freshened up on books, met up with our friend Suzy from Ireland, whom by the way has become a good friend, a couple tuk tuk rides, maybe a trip down to the red light district (Mom...just to people watch, just to people watch, I promise), some good street food dining and now it's Monday and we've gathered for a time here to send you all our best wishes, hoping that autumn and the thanksgiving season are treating all well. We miss you and look forward to hearing from y'all soon. New pictures have been posted to Snapfish, I'll send you a link asap. We depart for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon to some of you) this afternoon.
Goodbye for now.
Love,
-Patrick & Caroline
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