Tales of a red-soled climbing gypsy

Nepal vs. Tibetan

sweetcheeks03 — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 20:00:00 GMT

Next stop was Nepal.

I wasn't ready for what Nepal was to bring. With all the research that I didn't do about Nepal served to show me the need to look at things like weather and climate.

As we flew into Kathmandu, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the beauty from the terrain to the multiple colors of buildings. Here was where so many people were suffering and recovering from t lethal shakes of the earth. As I stepped off the plane i was caught off guard by the briskness and smoke of the air. I was not wardrobe ready for this climate. I had assumed that it would be hot and sweaty like thailand. Wow was I wrong! The airport was the first sign of what Nepal was to be like. The baggage carousel was downstairs and being that there was only one meant that everyone was awaiting their bags. Not oBly was everyone pushy the lack of personal space and abundance of body odor was overwhelming. Nepal's local people are so diverse. As the gentleman who tried to assist me coming out of the airport said, "there are 3 different Nepalese people. Light ones. Asian ones who look like you, and dark dark ones from India." This is the truth. As I awaited my contact, I was stared at and talked to like I knew what was going on. Boy were they wrong! Finally my contact Dolma showed up and rescued me from the clutches of the pushy taxi drivers yelling at me.

We loaded Frankie (my pack) into the car and headed into the heart of the city. The amount of dust and smile surprised me which explained why everyone wore surgical masks or something covering their nose and mouth. Dolma, noticing my lack of anything but my sweater graciously offered me a warm jacket that I proceeded to wear everywhere from sunrise to sunset every day.

Bangkok self discoveries

sweetcheeks03 — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:04:00 GMT

Being in Bangkok for a few days gave me a look into some of my limits and some experiences that pushed me. I found that when places say an approximation of time to their property or how long it takes always expect 30 minutes more at least.

After we all arrived and separated to our different accommodations, first and foremost I couldn't find a taxi that would head in the direction of my place. Finally a motorbike said he would take me. Yes! My first time riding a motorcycle. Granted it would have been a little easier if I didn't have to lug around the "beast" but such was life. Thinking it would be just a quick jaunt to the hotel and a fun experience, we managed to shove everything onto the bike. Well what thought to be a 10-15 minute ride turned into an hour and a half and the driver didn't know where the place was. Frazzled and ready to just get to my place and relax I walked in and checked in. To say that the pictures were an exaggeration was an understatement. The place was borderline horrific. Being able to touch both hands on each opposing wall, dirty linens and 0 housecleaning done, a ceiling that was about to rupture was to be my place of rest.

Lesson 1. Time to and from places is far from accurate or even approximation.

Lesson 2. Just because it's cheap doesn't make it habitable nor was it acceptable for my standards. I am not a snob but this pushed my limits and made me realize why go so cheap if I've worked my butt off to be able to stay in remotely decent facilities.

Thus being realized, and knowing that I couldnt find a new place for the night, I grinned and beared it. Negativity was not going to win.

Lesson 3. Even in the most trying and being pushed to emotional limit, positivity is the one thing that you HAVE hold onto. Being angry, crying, giving up, or letting ones self doubt in and creating negative thoughts wouldn't make a situation better or create a new plan.

The next day came and it was a new day of great times and experiences. First on the list was to find a better place to stay and get resettled in. That was done in a jiffy and I found the next days to be filled with blessings that surpassed any initial stresses. With a massage from a Thai professional and a little bit of pampering it ended on a bright note! Off to Nepal!

Realizations of what we take for granted

sweetcheeks03 — Thu, 7 Jan 2016 13:35:00 GMT

Exploring done, we headed to meet the kids from the local foundation that Dick helped fund. We headed out to lying Buddha and Town to give blessings and alms to the local town people.

Meeting the kids was such a rewarding opportunity. The kids all coming from villages who wanted to learn. Some stayed in the children's dorms or others came from far villages. Each with a dream and a yearning to grasp any opportunity to make themselves better. One particular boy I met wanted to be a pilot. Through the bus ride he took me on as his appointed to lead around and show me the ropes. You could tell how much he enjoyed practicing his English and interacting with us.

After giving alms, the highlight of the trip. The waterfall. Starting from a placid little creek to a roaring fall, crashing into the rocks below. Many of the kids were so excited but didn't know how To swim, so they blew up balloons and stuffed them under their shirts as flotation devices.

For hours we splashed around, swam under the falls (or floated), jumped off rocks, and just monkeyed around enjoying each other's company. It was a perfect day filled with laughter and new founded friendships. Hauling ourselves back onto the buses we set out for home. The whole two hour trip I sat and talked to the young man and learned how humble and how excited he was to learn. It made my heart so warm and his acceptance and helpfulness towards me was so sweet.

Saying goodbye for now was hard because I wanted so bad to sweep him back to the states and give him every opportunity that I knew of. The reality of such ideas are so easier said then done and make you ask yourself, "honestly, what could i really give him? Caring for another human is no light task, and the ability to make it happen almost impossible". So, i will instead communicate with him and cheer him on and do what I know I can to be a good role model and help him within my powers.

The days seem to just roll into one. And the time Never seems long enough when you have so many activities and friends around you.

From the night markets and wandering the streets of multiple stalls of souvenirs, clothes, food, spices, and everything else you can imagine; great little hole in the wall restaurants; to art streets and the hubbub of local and tourist life melding; Cambodia was coming to an end.

5 days in Cambodia and it was time to head back to Thailand where the group would split up after breakfast the following day. Some staying a little longer. Others back to their homes.

A city of chaos after serenity

sweetcheeks03 — Tue, 5 Jan 2016 00:27:00 GMT

From the serene country side to the hustle and bustle of siem reap was quite the jolt. The busy streets filled with tuk tuks swerving around cars and motorcycles careening around tuk tuks. Wherever you looked there was a cloud of dust filling the air and nose. But even amid the chaos tourists and locals still pressed to see the temples of the Angkor.

We started the exploration of the wall around Angkor wat by rekindling the memory of learning to ride a bike again. Hoping that the skill would revisit us and not let us fall for lack of training g wheels. Making our way up dirt paths with sections of deep dirt that liked to rear its ugly head and make your wheels go awry. The experience was such a great adventure that by the time we were done we felt like skilled mountain bikers.

Visiting all the temples was amazing. I have to say tho that Angkor thom was my favorite. The ruins were taken over by trees and their roots. Giving the temple a mysterious aura and it being shrouded in shadows was mesmerizing. My being so taken with the place left me susceptible to the notorious scam artists everyone warned about. Having wandered away from the group I found myself accompanied by a local who motioned me to follow him and he would show me something most wouldn't see. Thinking that I was "special" I ignorantly followed him. He did show me some cool places however after scamming me out of some dinero I felt like I learned my lesson well..... Or at least until it happened to me again.

Temple exploration was accomplished though.

Photos: Laos heart strings

sweetcheeks03 — Mon, 4 Jan 2016 00:52:00 GMT

A little piece of my heart

sweetcheeks03 — Sun, 3 Jan 2016 11:21:00 GMT

The last days in Laos were amazing. Taking a 2 hour van ride to a small village was quite the roller coaster. The roads or lack there of kept us jostled to alertness lest you catch some air under your rump and grapple for anything to hold into so that you don't obtain a concussion. Once we arrived we were on the river where the beauty was well worth the lack of shocks on the vans.

Next morning I decided to be brave and go for a jog since we had been eating nonstop and I hadn't done anything worth being called exercise. The fog was just rolling off the water and I was blessed to get some endorphins going with a view. After I felt that I had gotten a decent workout in I headed back down and got ready for a day of boat break downs and attempting to steal a little girl.

Our morning agenda was to take a boat down the river and visit a local weaving village. As we all clambered into two boats we settled in for a calm boat ride. To start it was so cold and none of us was prepared for the very chilly breeze so we used the life jackets as wind shields and wrapped them around ourselves. As we made progress down the river, suddenly we hear a clunk. As we all look to the side of the boat we realize we are in very shallow water and our propeller has dropped. Our driver being as prepared that he was had a spare and thinking we were in the clear, we propelled on. Only to find that our boat was filling with water at a steady rate. The guys got out and started trying to drag the boat to a little isle in the middle and we all jumped ship. After an hour of the boat driver bailing out water, we fixed the hole and away we went (with high trepidations). Finally we reached the other boat at the village and made our way up to meet the locals.

As we walked the village I saw a little girl playing in one of the huts. She drew my attention because she was full of curiouaity and mischief. She and I automatically became friends and she was leading me by the hand around the village. As she held my hand she and I walked to the head of the village, I attempted to turn her around and lead her back to her mother. But with a strong determination she turned me around and tried to walk down the steps. One of the other little girls came running after and grabbed the little girl ignoring her cries and flailing arms. She gave me a look of pure suspicion and swooped her away as if I was trying to take the little girl. Who knows, I probably would have. As I walked down the steps alone I could hear the cries of the little girl and felt my heart strings tug thinking about the life that awaited her.

A shamans' blessings

sweetcheeks03 — Fri, 1 Jan 2016 14:00:00 GMT

As the day progressed, our tour guide and all time favorite guy, Phon, led us to his village. There we were ushered into a house and asked to sit interspersed between the village elders and head shaman. As we sat on the floor we were placed around an alter laden with homemade foods made from the local women and a boiled chicken with little bowls filled with rice. Before we could even think about the chicken lying there, the shaman started singing and chanting a blessing for us. The other elders joined in creating a quite the choir experience. I was seated in between the shaman and the elder who was to be doling out the Blessing Food. As the chanting came to an end each elder was given a stick holding white little ropes and they proceeded to tie a string onto as many of us that they could, while chanting a blessing. By the end, I think I had enough ties on to make a mop head. While they were chanting the elder sitting by me started to tear apart the chicken and placing pieces of its meat into the bowls and handing them out to all of us. Being that I was seated right next to him, I had to be really sneaky as to not offend or let on that I wasn't about to eat the offering. Thank goodness for all the other food except that we were all stuffed from lunch and it was painful to haw to try to eat all the food they kept piling on our bowls. The elders kept opening packages and offering me the food. One elder even peeled a banana for me. Haha. As the ceremony came to a close I was filled with amazement of all the graciousness and kindness these people bestowed upon us. We all walked away feeling humbled for all the blessings that they wished upon each one of us. As we left the village we strolled back to the boats and made our way back to our rooms to relax and freshen up.

Alms for the monks

sweetcheeks03 — Fri, 1 Jan 2016 05:00:00 GMT

5 am comes very early when you are determined to stay up till 12. Still on California time I stayed up even later, adrenaline and lack of sleepiness keeping me wide awake, but I was not about to miss the next day's events. We awoke before the morning light to line the streets and wait for monks both young and old, dressed in the proverbial orange robes, to hand out alms of rice and packaged foods for the new year. Hundreds of locals and tourists lined the streets all sitting on little red stools that wrapped around the town. We watched in anticipation for the procession to reach us so that we could flick gobs of sticky rice into their pots without touching the rims, a scarf draped down our front and our feet barren of shoes pointed away from the procession lest we offend the monks. As they filed our way they ranged from the older monks, faces lined with wisdom and leathered from many life experiences to the young ones, faces bright and hopeful ready start their monk hood lives. They came silently with their bowls open and ready to aceept our offerings. To put into words the feelings that I experienced would be very difficult, but if I could try I would have to say it was a humbling and fulfilling feeling and unforgettable experience.

As the last monk departed and we were out of foods, we ambled to the early morning produce market to check out the local veggies. As we started the walk down the street of the market we were bombarded by so many different sights and smells. Each stall ranging from on the ground to a wooden table, laden with interesting veggies and even odder proteins; live chickens, rats, bats, frogs, crickets, herbs and spices, leafy greens, bright tropical fruits, and textiles to name a few. Every stall hawking their wares trying to entice you to buy from them as you wind your way down the street. Then came the meat side street; women sitting higher up in their stall butchering and bagging their meats. To try to figure out what meats they were offering was something I didn't feel the need to find out As it was it was quite the blood bath. Everything from organs and body parts sitting out ready for the shoppers to choose what piece they wanted. What an intense and very raw experience for the vegetatarian. The street food came next, the food coming from the previous stalls; bbqed, smoked, braised, and skewered ready for the adventurous tourist or seasoned local. If you wanted some clothes, bags, jewelry, hiusegolds, or anything else they were last to end the market.

We breakfasted on Laos coffee, mangos and papaya, and fried coconut sticks then headed down to the Mekong River to take a boat to a local village across the river. We walked through the village along the road built by UNESCO and noticed the stark difference of the village life to the streets of Luang Prabang. Shantys and clapboard house compared to well built buildings, pads on the wood floors and clothes lines filled with many colors lined the makeshift homes. Children running barefoot down the road making up imaginary games with sticks, mothers following behind with babes on their hips.

Back to the boat, we set out to a silk textile place where we had lunch and saw the many looms set up to produce silk goods. We saw the dyes that were made from plants and trees and the worms that produced the silks. I don't think I am comfortable wearing silk after that experience.

Photos: Laos

sweetcheeks03 — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:38:00 GMT

Photos: Taiwan

sweetcheeks03 — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:24:00 GMT

A Laotian New Year's Eve

sweetcheeks03 — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:00:00 GMT

After a quick sleep in Bangkok I met the GFF group at the airport. In amps attempt to deal with numerous confusing interactions with airport people who had no idea what I was saying and vice versa, wrong directions, and utter confusion and chaos; I found the hotel that I was supposed to be at and unloaded my pack. We took an hour flight to Laos. As we landed I was struck with how beautiful and raw the landscape was. It was a picture right out of a national geographic magazine with its green, lush foliage and mountains and covered with canopies with jungles and the imagination of wild tigers and bears skulking in its shadows. As we got off the plane, we proceeded to the lines for visas and immigration. Wow there were crowds of people, but we fought through and got on the road to our hotel. The drive through the villages to get to our place of rest was such a stark contrast to the busyness and urban flow of Bangkok, showing the first glimpse into what we were to experience and fall in love with.

It being NYE, our hotel provided a dinner to ring in the new year. To say that I was unprepared for an event such as this would be the understatement for the year (thank goodness there was only one day left, but still) but I did my best to look like a little less like a California girl fresh off a plane. It was a great way to meet the rest of my traveling companions and get to know them over laden tables with seafood and various meats prepared in the local flair. Needless to say I didn't eat much. As people munched, the show started with Laos women doing different dances from the surrounding villages and decades and local music. As the night progressed, diners slowly trickled to their rooms unable to make it to the bitter end.

By the time 12:00 hit, our own group dwindled from 11 to 3, and because we fought to the bitter end to ring in the new year the 3 of us created quite the bond that would lead to laughter and a few shenanigans. A first to ring in the new year abroad and so excited to see what it will bring. 5 minutes later we all headed to bed because a 5:30 wake up was going to be a little rough to say the least.

Sleeper in Thailand

sweetcheeks03 — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 11:51:00 GMT

Well after a long 48+ hours I finally got a bed and a shower. Oh the feelings of rejuvenation! Now comes the adjusting to things like say, cold showers and hard beds.

Yesterday I got to visit Taipei and see some cool sights. To my brother's suggestion I was able to connect to Christine from my high school days that lived there. She graciously showed me around and helped me experience a little bit of Taiwan. It was rainy and wet but that didn't stop us from standing in line for a local, but famous breakfast joint in Taipei To experience soy soup? Your pick of savory or sweet and a delish egg sandwich thing. I've still been able to keep to vegetarian eating, even with the weird looks of all the people I ask (Mainly the flight attendants so far). However I haven't asked what exactly is in the broths of such foods. Next we took the train system to Chiang Kai-Shek memorial hall. Beautiful! We watched the guards switch shifts in a very formal marching kinda thing. Well I say watched but i wasn't able to see much due to the abundance of people and my lack of vertical abilities. A very kind gent took a video the whole time for me.

Next we went to the older part of Taipei where a lot of the stalls were textiles and food. Talk about every fabric, color, pattern, or texture you can only dream about. It amazes me that people didn't get lost in the labyrinth of cloths! With so many stalls in the market that has the same wares and products it makes you wonder how they stay in business. With the success of not getting lost amidst all the colors and patterns, we ventured out to go and find a Taipei street food favorite - the stinky tofu! My brother being the very venturesome eater of the family suggested the need to try this local bite. Not sure why since he has abhorred tofu since a wee lad, when my mother tried to trick him by making a tofu pie or cheesecake and see if he would eat it, while my other brother and I snickered in anticipation it seeing his face. However I jumped with both feet. To say that it stinks is an understatement. It smells like poop that's being fried, but it was quite delicious and I ate my fair share (even after I googled how it was created). I won't ruin it for you so if you dare go look it up.

After that we departed to the 101 building that was said to be the tallest building in the world until Dubai decided to rain on that parade! 95 stories high, at least. We didn't go up because it was foggy and raining. But the view of it was awe-striking. Then she dropped me back at the airport.

A good way to kill a 7 hour layover if I do say so myself.

Flew into Bangkok and proceeded to stand in the longest queue for a taxi. Very foreign to me but got to people watch which is always entertaining. Imagine a foreign country and being able to do that! Then off to my little room to pass out.

#talesofatravelinggypsy

1st hurdle

sweetcheeks03 — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 17:31:00 GMT

So first hurdle averted! Because of the inclement weather everywhere, all flights were delayed. So of course I heard the dreaded speaker pipe up with my full name (horror of horrors), and tell me to "please step up to the counter". As I dragged my pack (which is half the size of my petite frame) to the counter, I listen to them as they tell me that the flight is delayed and the next flight wont land in SF till 10:45. I looked at her and said "I'm sorry, but I have to be on an International flight at 12am". She looks at me like listen little girl you're not only one trying to get to connecting flights. So I put on my sweetest little cherubic face and ask if there is anything earlier. She tells me there is one flight boarding and that i would have to book it. So I haul my ginormous pack across my body and make a valiant effort to start to trot/run to the gate. Then out of the mist arose one of those guys who rode around offering rides. I gave him a Chechire cat grin and said "I gotta get to gate C1!" I hopped on and away we went! We arrived just in time to get a new boarding pass and waddle my and my bag down the gate. Hefted my bag with a Thor like strength in a compartment and plopped my butt in a middle seat and took a big sigh of relief. First one down, two more flights!! Next stop, Taiwan!!

#talesofatravelinggypsy #redsoledtraveler

Beginning

sweetcheeks03 — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 16:02:00 GMT

Alright, here is the first run on trying to start a journal/blog.....

I have four days until I embark on an amazing but nerve-racking adventure. I'm not exactly sure what I am looking for, but I hope to gain invaluable knowledge and a love and respect for myself.

My first section of my journey will start in Cambodia with a group of people, where we will visit orphanages and also explore. I will be with them through Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand hoping that this will get me used to the new environment and ready to venture out by myself and experience the world. What doesn't kill you make you stronger right?

Right now its the joys of making sure I have everything in place and I'm not forgetting anything. I do have an interesting peace that I didn't think I would possess.

Ok! Back again when I have another inspiration that I decide needs to be documented.

#talesofaredsoledgypsy

First blog before departure

sweetcheeks03 — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 13:00:00 GMT

The final days are coming!!