Bye Philippines... see you again, sooner rather than later!

Im on a plane, from Cagayan to Manila, eating a Tender Juicy hotdog wrapped in a waffle! The flight attendants are playing a trivia game with the passengers over the loudspeaker, and while boarding they were playing hip hop music… this is really the Philippines! Gotta love it.

Six amazing Filipino women just dropped me off at the airport, six women who took such good care of me, laughed with me, showed me their love over the past 3 weeks, and who made my heart smile with the knowledge that I have them in my life. But its not just these six women, who happen to be my closest friends here, it was the whole of CH who I felt the love from. Even for those with whom words have never been our form of communication due to a language barrier, I am so thankful to still feel the deep connection and care between us after so long!!! (words and talking are so over rated sometimes).

Last week I finally had numerous days at the CH campus in Tu-od, just living and hanging out with the staff and kids! It was perfect, chillin in the nipa hut under the mango tree, cooking and eating some of my favorite foods, laughing with the kids, making a run to the market, eating roasted pig at a neighbor’s birthday party, ect. The kids were so much fun and it was great to meet the newest CH kids, at the home now just 2 weeks from the streets. The college students have grown and matured and I had a wonderful time hanging with them in their house in the city too!

I spent some of this week taking a “vacation” (vacation for the others involved- but lets be honest, its just normal life for me!) to Davao, a city about 8 hours from Tuod with the other singles/ childless staff, 10 of us all together. I taught them a little about backpacking, as we found a different place each night, lived on a small budget, and didn’t worry about time! Good conversations, uproarious laughter, fresh fish, fresh fruit, live music, crocodile farm, native jewelry, overnight at the beach, fresh air… it was a goooood time! J

Overall the Philippines treated me well. It was an amazing time to catch up with friends and take a break from backpacking. I appreciate my memories from there, and will surely miss it again. But, one of the reasons I did not save the Philippines for my last stop before coming home was because I didn’t want to go home in the mental state that I now find myself in. PH was not just a vacation destination for me a few years ago, and going back involves more than just laughing and fun in a few ways. The relationships and friendships there are not simple, and the feelings, ideas, and desires to someday have more involvement in the Philippines again are rampant… like I said in my first PH blog, who knows what the future will hold for all my wild ideas, but for now I am not meant to be in the Philippines long term.

If I end up going home at the end of August then it means I am now in the last half of my trip. The end of August seems far away, but at the same time, so close! I am hoping to go back to the states refreshed and with a clear mind. This is now my ultimate goal of the rest of my travels. I literally have sooo many options for what I will do when I go back, and they all sound appealing. I want to go back to my old job in the PICU and live near my family and friends in Virginia beach, but I also want to try travel nursing, I want to live in New York City, I want to do Doctors Without Borders, I want to work in oncology, I want to work in a fancy resort hospital in India, and that’s just scratching the surface regarding only my career… none of which can be done simultaneously. Usually in my life, when it comes time to make a big decision, it is very clear to me. I him and hull over it, and consider everything, and feel torn, but I always have a stronger feeling about one thing. There is one opportunity that I never thought of before, that is speaking to me right now... and I just have to wait and see what will happen in the next few weeks! Until then, working it out and still livin it up baby!!! :0

Isa Encanto Lang! (One white lady...)

I have a total of 3 weeks here in the Philippines, and I only have less than a week left! The time has flown by! I have had my busy days, going to and from Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Palawan, and Tuod, but I have also enjoyed a few days of just hanging here in the campus, not really doing all that much. I have been having the most wonderful nights sleep in my old room!!! I have been traveling for more than 2 months now, and sleeping in some not so nice or comfortable places, so coming here was like going home in a way!

I am surprised at how familiar things are to me here. Time and production move more slowly here than in the western world. So when I came back it should not be a surprise to see construction still in progress on the road from CDO to Iligan, the weekly schedule of CH transactions remains the same, the Lagundingan “international airport” is still just a road, the pharmacists recognized me and asked me if I would like to buy Hepsera again… I remembered all the names of the towns on the 1.5 hour drive from CDO to Tuod, and I still know a lot of the Cebuano words that I have not heard, said, or thought about for 2 years, but they flowed from my mouth like I never left! Chika-chika (casual talking) with the staff and kids, eating my favorite fresh pineapple bread from Basic Knead, sending Johnmar to the neighbors house for a coconut so that I can put fresh gata (coconut milk) in dinner, hugging a kid when they are crying, laughing at the little boys singing and dancing at night, walking on the dirt road to church on Sunday morning, even the power going out (brown out) in the first 15 minutes of church and proceeding anyway, and going behind the house to pick some Mulungai leaves for soup… these things are all so comforting.

But quite honestly, I forgot about a few intricacies of life here… like being a white woman in Mindanao. This mainly just means that I am stared at and talked about when minding my own business and doing fairly normal activities! It means that everyone in the city wants to know my name, why I am here, where I am from, if I am single, why I am single, and then wants to take a picture of me! The people in Manticao and Tuod (where I lived before) did not forget me, and all feel the need to comment about my return visit, change in my look, ect. It continues to be an incredible feeling to be such a minority again, something that I got used to before, is now making me slightly uncomfortable! For example, last Friday, one of the college kids, Ernesto, invited me to walk him to the front of the church during his school nursing capping ceremony. I was honored of course, but being the only white person in the large church, I got a little more attention than I would have liked! Ernesto was a trooper though, and was proud to have his ate (big sis) there to escort him on his special day, and I humbly obliged for a few pictures with people that I do not know!!!

I also forgot how hard it can be to care for the kids here in the children’s home. As I was updated on the happening of the past 2 years, I found myself feeling the way that all the staff feel… sometimes overjoyed and happy because of the success and growth of a kid, but sometimes devastated by news of something sad, or frustrated because you know they can do better! The updates from the past 2 years were a lot to take in, and I found myself still emotionally invested in the lives of all the kids here, which is both a hard feeling, and a blessing at once! The BEST feeling thus far has been that epiphany… Most people in their lives have a family, and then a small group of close friends, and then maybe a large group of fairly distant type of friends. The love that most people feel with this dynamic is great, sure. You know the people you are close to and they know you. But here in a childrens home that love and relationships is multiplied by like 60 or 100. As I was riding in the jeepney, I watched the kids interacting with their houseparents, and it occurred to me that most people in the world do not have a family this big, and do not have this many people who love and care about them! What a blessing it is for me to be part of this huge family, even though I am now far from them! How sweet it is!!! I’ll be sad to leave again, but happy to know that even when I leave, I can still come back for a visit, and it still feels good!! :)

As if I never left...

I am so tired, and I know I am lacking a proper nights sleep for 8 or so days, but still, I am paranoid of decompression sickness from my dives yesterday!! The joint in my left thumb is aching, and im sleepy, and I flew the day after 3 dives!! Although I had about 18 hours between, and the dive computer said im good… I am paranoid! I wonder if they have a recompression chamber in Cagayan just in case…?!?! I’m guessing NO!

It has been a whirwind of a week in the Philippines, and I am starting to feel like I am on the show “Amazing Race” with all these last minute plans, and running here and there!!! Buying tickets at the airport for the next flight out can be a little adrenaline rush! The whirlwind has been amazing though, as I have reunited with old friends and remembered why I love the Philippines so much.

I arrived in the Philippines the evening before my 27th birthday, after being away for almost 2 years! I was very tired, but when I saw the faces of my old Christians’ Haven co-workers I perked right up! Within minutes I felt as though I had never really left them!! We chatted and caught up over a great dinner at the CH college house in the city, and after a sweet little welcome program I spent the night hanging with the college students and reminiscing about years ago. Again, it was as normal and relaxed as if I had never left! The kids woke me up at 4:30am with a birthday serenade (like the old days!). I spent the morning in the city visiting a few old friends, and then headed to Tu-od for a wonderful birthday lunch with all the CH staff!!! They are trying hard to fatten me up again, and I cannot resist the delicious food I have been missing for 2 years! Hanging out and basically doing nothing with the staff and kids proved to be just as fun as it used to be, and then the kids in campus had a cute welcome program for me that made me cry. Then, to end my birthday in perfect Filipino fashion- we hit up some “videoke” in Iligan. Nothing like a small enclosed room, a tv with sing-a-long karaoke with super cheesy backgrounds, bad speakers, and good friends!! Then Ely, Jane, Jerlin, Maam Gumbao, and I slept late in the guest house, like in the old days!!!

Bright and early the next morning I tagged along to a Badjao feeding. This is kinda cool too, because I spent my 23rd or 24th birthday (I can’t remember which) visiting and feeding the Badjao for the first time, long before CH had their outreach there. During my first year in the Philippines I took note of the Badjao people, and had a strong desire to be involved with them somehow. That is when I did the feeding for my birthday with the help of the ladies from CH. About 6 months after that my family came to visit for Christmas and we ventured for the 2nd time into the Badjao neighborhood, which basically started the CH outreach there( feeding, developing relationships, and medical). Although CH continues to foster a relationship with them, the purpose of CH is not the Badjao, and CH cannot help them much further. I have spent much time thinking of how to tackle such a gargantuous problem as the poorest people group in the Philippines. Then, last year during the Global Missions Health Conference I met an organization from India, called Jamked, who has managed to empower a people group similar to the Badjao, and transform their community and lives. I was so inspired by this, but I am not sure if there is a plan in my future to help the Badjao. Currently, CDI (Community Development International, my brother’s NGO) may be interested in something down the line. Who knows what will come of my compassion for the Badjao, but it was nice to visit them once again and start the wheels turning again for how they can be helped, and empowered to help themselves!!

Then early this week I took a spur of the moment trip up to the island of Palawan to see the famous Underground River and hit one of the top scuba sites in the world. Both of which were amazing. I think that the Underground river is on the list to be one of the new "natural wonders of the world", and it lived up to it in my book! The diving in El Nido didn't let me down. I saw so many interesting underwater creatures and beautiful corals, and the highlight was swimming with a school of fish of thousands in number! If i was gentle i could join the school and swim while surrounded by them, and i could also swim into them and they would part for me!! COOOOOL! My max depth was 24 meters this time (78 feet)!!!!!

As of now I am on a bus going back to the main CH campus to hang with old friends and pretend I never left for a few days before another adventure! Sorry no pics, the internet is not that good while traveling on a bumpy bus! Check my FB na lang...

2 weeks in Malaysia (written by a dangerously tired traveler)

I guess that now is as good a time as any to blog, considering I have been stuck in either a bus terminal or airport for 5 hours now, and its finally 6 am! I board my flight to the Philippines in a little over an hour, and yes I’m excited to get there, but this moment I am most excited to take a little napper during the flights! Needless to say I am very tired after a full day in Kuala Lumpur, so excuse any craziness or boring-ness in the following…

After our amazing scuba diving on Ko Tao, Leah and I had to book it out of Thailand because our visas were about to expire! We headed off the island on the most interesting overnight travel yet- a 9.5 hour boat ride, well suited for backpackers on a budget, or (more likely) the transport of cattle!!! The pictures on my facebook tell it all, sweaty strangers spooning in cramped little spaces… I’ll just say that it was hot, dirty, and miserable, and after laughing about it for a good while, I literally medicated myself into a deep sleep!

Our first destination in Malaysia was Langkawi. This island turned out to be much like a Malay Virginia Beach. There were too many nice hotels and tourist activities for our liking, but we managed to find our nitch in a chill backpackers’ guesthouse, and a cool reggae bar on the beach. We spent almost a week in Langkawi, with minimal western backpackers and whole lot of Indian, Malay, and Middle Eastern vacationers. A single motorbike and sense of adventure took us to the north of the island a couple times, which was a different vibe and provided some fun, a breathtaking sunset, and a nice long nap at a waterfall. The proper and organized roads of Malaysia challenged my motor driving skills, and I hit a speed of 105km/hr on the highway without hitting a monkey!! (Seriously, I was actually terrified of being attacked by monkeys on the way home at night, they are just all over the place and do not like to be messed with. We witnessed one dumb white guy instigating them on the side of the road and if I wasn’t so afraid of them turning on me, maybe I would have stayed to tape and you-tube a monkey fight, in which I would have been rooting for the monkeys!!)

After Langkawi, Leah and I traveled inland to the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia’s tea capitol, with an elevation of 6,000ft. It was beautiful! Rolling mountains covered in tea or fruit and vegetable greenhouses, chilly temperatures, relaxed atmosphere, a lot of Malays on their vacations, and of course a whole lot of tea!! (FYI- Tea is basically one of my most favorite things in the world!!!) This is my first time to visit a Tea Plantation, and it was stunning. We went to a factory, and as they were fermenting and drying the tea the aroma was spectacular, I wish I could bottle that scent! Overall, the week was just about as relaxing as it gets, with lots of hanging out with some cool and interesting people. I was tickled that our neighbor was a 70 some year old female solo traveler who would inform me of the international news each morning when I woke up! How cool is she?!?! We also got to know the crew at our favorite Indian restaurant, and even though the food made me sick twice, we still went back day after day because forming relationships with the people there was more filling than the food in a lot of ways!

Leah and I parted a couple days ago, (to be reunited in the beginning of July) and I took off to the capitol of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. I stayed at a friendly hostel recommended by friends, which basically feels like being at home, and then I explored the city on my own for 2 days. It is kinda crazy how many random people I had conversations with over the past 2 days by myself. My favorite moment though was when I was stuck in a Chinese tea shop during an afternoon down pour, and learned the art of Chinese tea! I have now realized why they drink out of such tiny cups, and will be sure to practice this charming ritual once back in the states!!



Alright, my life according to Blogger is officially caught up, and I can no longer handle the scent of fast food in exchange for free internet, so it is off to find my seat on a plane, and wake up to the Philippines!

Why I'm here

About a year ago I realized that I was going back and forth to work each day, and then doing the same ol’ stuff when not at work. It was all good stuff, but admittedly, sometimes I dreaded work (even though I almost always enjoyed it while actually there.) I had a great job, and a great life in many respects. But still, I was getting stuck in the day to day that is called American life. I was making money to support a life that wasn’t quite satisfying to me right now. I was the American consumer who needed more money than someone else just because I could make more money, so I needed it! I didn’t hate my life and I didn’t need to escape… I just wanted something else at this time while I am still single, unattached, and have the drive to actually get out of my comfort zone and go! I wanted to see the world and live for experience and growth, and I was afraid that if I didn’t fulfill that strong, innate desire of mine then I would quickly become very unhappy. So I saved money as I dreamt and planned and longed for my trip for months!

And, now I am here, in Malaysia, 8 weeks into it! It is still surreal!!!! It is definitely an alternative lifestyle though, which thousands of other backpackers, mostly Europeans and Australians, are participating in as well. Many Americans call it my long vacation, an early retirement, escaping real life, a quarter life crisis, or a European type holiday… but in the end… a day is still a day, in which I live, and every moment is just life. Doing life in a little bit of a different way! Yea, I’m on Holiday, and this Holiday is called my life! ;) As John Mayer says best, “I’d love to tell you, stay inside the lines. But some things are better on the other side… there’s no such thing as the real world, just a lie you need to rise above.”

Over the past week or two I have been asking myself, What I have learned so far? & Has it changed me?
The answer to both of those questions is- SO INCREDIBLY MUCH. Which is the reason for this blog. I don’t just want to tell the people in my life about what I am doing… but about why, and how I felt. A trip like this is not purely for fun or the constant pursuit of positive emotions, it is to track and take hold of other elements to well being, life, relationships, and ultimately the meaning of my own life as it relates to the world around me and the rest of the world so far from me.

The fact that I feel the need to travel and see the world is definitely an inherent desire. Who knows why I am blessed (or cursed) with this, but damn it, I am going to live it up while I can!  So, welcome to my blog “Expressive Aphasia in Asia”. Look to the left for the reason for the title, and you will be sure to excuse me when I just cannot describe something fully… you really just have to be here!!! ;)

PS- is the dude in this picture not the epitome of a life well lived!!

Week 7

It has been so long since I have written! This sounds crazy, but I have been too busy! Lol. But really, since I last wrote, we traveled up to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see the Angkor ruins. This city in ruins is sometimes called the 8th wonder of the world, and is the largest site of its kind. We spent just 2 days seeing some of the biggest and best temples, but you could easily do it for many more days. The short of the long is that it was amazing! I LOVE walking in the places where such a different world used to exist so long ago, and still seeing the remains from that time. It made me remember my times in Rome and Pompei, and the Aztec ruins in Mexico. At Angkor, I could just imagine the people flocking to temple, the elephants dragging the stones, the spiritual meaning that that very spot held for them! We saw the actual “Tomb Raider Tree” from the movie, walked through and to the top of the Angkor Wat, tried to interpret the carvings on the walls, and climbed like monkeys to the tops of high ruins and trees. The design and architecture of the Angkor Wat dazzled me, because we tend to think that our knowledge and technology are so sophisticated, and that we have grown smarter as humans over the years… but at Angkor, I felt exactly the opposite! The Khmer architects knew what they were doing, and got it done in ways that we cannot ponder… without fancy equipment!! The temple was designed after the solar system, showing their knowledge, even then of the vastness out there. Nowadays, we are merely getting dumber… a few people are smart, and inventing things to make life easier for the rest of us, who think we are so superior to “cavemen”!! Ironic! However, the most fascinating thing to me was how the forest and the ruins had become one. After all this time, the creation of man still stood, but nature had grown through and around it, basically taking back its space, but embracing the buildings as well. My favorite was this one hallway of sorts, where the roof had collapsed, but in one place there were 3-4 huge bricks still holding as the roof, but because that was where a tree had grown, and was now supporting it. Very symbolic of human interaction with nature!?!?

After Cambodia, we had the worst, hottest, and most cramped over night mini bus ride across the border and then spent one night in Bangkok. There, we picked up a travel friend, Alicia, and us 3 ladies headed to the Thai island of Ko Phangan in time for the world-renowned full moon party. The monthly parties attract between 6,000 and 30,000 people to party on the beach all night long! It is said to be like the 8th biggest party in the world during high season. It’s kinda one of those things “you just gotta do in Thailand”. The area of beach where the party is held has just as many clinics as convenience stores, and they are well used during the crazy nights. There is even a designated sleeping area for people that pass out or can’t make it home, and we saw them carrying one dude out on a stretcher around 8 am. We spent 4 nights on the island, and the parties did not let us down! Neon body paint, buckets full of alcohol and mixers, fire jump rope, bumpin’ music of every different genre, and wild, out of their mind, people everywhere!!! Alicia, Leah, and I made it past sunrise the next day without acting too much a fool’ (at least in comparison to the other people around!) I have literally never ever laughed that much in a given 8 hour period as I did that night! Like cry laughing to the point where you don’t even bother to wipe the tears! It was AMAZING and one of the best nights of my life. We sadly had to part from Alicia that day, but it was soooo much fun having her with us, and can’t wait to see her again someday, somewhere in the world!!! <3 We meet a lot of people along the travel road, and say goodbye to them all, but it is so good to have one of those people who is not just a friend in passing!!

Currently Leah and I just left the island of Ko Tao, where we took a 4 day long open water PADI scuba certification course. Best part of the course (out of water) was learning the mechanics of the body under water, and the physiological effects to plan a dive to avoid decompression sickness. We can now flash our cards internationally, for the rest of our lives to see the world underwater. As a traveler, this kind of exploration just makes sense. There is more undiscovered area under water than on land, and to only travel and see the land, would be cheating nature and my passion for seeing the entirety of the world! So, underwater exploration, here I come. The splendor beneath the surface has already amazed me, plus, it’s just plain awesome to be floating and seemingly weightless down there!!!

Millions of leeches, leeches for me, millions of leeches, leeches for free

A few days ago we arrived in Kampot, a sleepy little riverside town in southern Cambodia with French style architecture by the river, mixed amongst the ruble and abandoned buildings from the war. The town has recovered well, but the evidence of the hard times can not be missed, and parts o fit remain a ghost town. Nowadays Kampot has a really chill vibe to it, just the right proportion of expats to locals, and it is obsessed with papasan chairs, everywhere you look! We found a relaxed guesthouse that costs us only 3 dollars a night for the 2 of us with a beautiful garden, good food, and a large communal area. I love this place! It is totally one of those places that you could get stuck in! After a few days of lazying around and hanging out with other travelers, we set off for a caving outside of town. As soon as we pulled up the little kids of the community jumped on our tuk tuk and named themselves our official guides. They had decent English skills, complete with words like "watch your head" and "stalagmites and stalactites". The cave was pretty awesome, but the children leading us through there and making really funny jokes was the real treat! Today was a Cambodian style spa in honor of 1 month of travel, and then we got a motor and took off 25km to the beach for a sunset crab dinner on the water. Cambodia, you have treated us well so far! We are now chillin in the garden with other people at our guesthouse, about to learn a Khmer card game and steal some sweet music to replace my played out ipod. Company includes Australian, German, Swedish, English, and Norwegian friends. It always blows my mind that we are here with all these people from around the world, and speaking English, my native language, but it is not their first language! How freaking spoiled we are!!!

So, after escaping Bangkok last week, Leah and I headed down to Ko Samet, a gorgeous island in the Gulf of Thailand, with a few expats, but mostly Thais on a holiday. The beach was white and soft as powder, and the water crystal clear and warm. I love love love little restaurants on the beach, and I swear, I am meant to live in Thailand because I love sitting on the floor at a bar, restaurant, or wherever. My home in the states one day, shall I ever return, will be full of floor pillows, short tables, and triangle pillows! After baking on the beach for a little while, Leah and I got a motorbike to explore the island. I am becoming quite the expert motor driver, up and down rough, rocky,muddy, sandy, hilly, dirt roads with a passenger! We found an awesome lookout spot by a rock cliff, and no one was around so we climbed down for a swim, and took advantage of the privacy to tan our whitest parts while swimming. ;) Ko Samet ended with some partying with a cool travel group and a little extreme chillin out at a utopic resort with plenty of hammock time, badminton, table tennis, good music, and pool.

From there we caught about 5 different modes of transportation to get across the border to Koh Kong, Cambodia, a town in the Cardemom mountains. We had an adventure filled 2 days there, 26 hours of which were spent in the jungle. We had 2 native Khmer guides take us trekking through the depths of the unspoiled jungle, tracking monkey calls, searching out wild life, and flicking off leeches every few minutes. I have a nice little leech hickey on my foot, and a blood stain on my sock from one of the bastards who got in! We made our way through a rough path to get to a powerful river with several large waterfalls, where we hung out, had lunch, enjoyed the awe of the waterfall, and watched the monkeys play in the trees! At dusk we made our way to a stream in the jungle to set up camp. The guys put up some kickin hammocks and we cooked BBQ on the fire, drank to a fun night in the wild, and boiled some Cardemom tree, for some good Cardemom tea, in the Cardemom mountains! It was perfect. That area of Cambodia is one of the places that is still unspoiled by tourism and capitalism in general. I have no doubt though that in 10 years from now we will return to see some huge eco tourism in those mountains, they just have so much to offer that there is no way travelers searching for something fresh can stay away for long! One of these days it will be impossible to travel the "road less traveled", and I am blessed to be enjoying exactly that right now!! :)

Off to Siem Reap in the morn!!!

Bangkok Blues

If a train is traveling south at approximately the speed I can run, and stops every few minutes, then how long will it take to arrive at a destination 751 km away? 15 and a half hours is the correct answer!


I am laying now in my sleeper bed on an overnight 15 hour long train from chiang mai to Bangkok, hoping I don’t roll off my top bunk on one of the turns, and batting the bugs away from me. The train was quite surprising at first, mostly because it looks like it should be in a junk yard somewhere, rusting away, or in a train museum. But after the initial shock it has proved to be a pretty sweet ride. I am soaking up the fresh air and beautiful mountain landscapes to a soundtrack of the noises of the wheels bumping across the track, the general creaking train, and the squeaky electric fan on the ceiling. (If I were a songwriter I would have some awesome beats to go by! Leah and I could jam to it even!) Being on this train is like being in one of those infant bouncy seats, just what I have always dreamed of as an adult! Its nice though cause leah, who is very prone to motion sickness, is doing well on it. The curves on the road from chiang mai to pai though were a different story for her. I think its 700 some curves on that ride, which I enjoyed like I was on a 2 hour long rollercoaster, but unfortunately the rest of the car did not!!


We ended up staying in Pai for 6 nights. It felt like 2! It was such a good and relaxing time. I cant really tell you what I did in Pai though, it all runs together. I know that there were 3 days of motorbike riding, exploring, waterfalls, swimming, hiking, a bunch of mornings, running into the afternoons spent in a cute little cafe or restaurant eating, chatting, or reading, and a bunch of nights partying with friends. I was sad to leave there, and my peaceful demeanor stayed behind in Pai, I hate to say… though I think it is more my reluctancy to move on to Bangkok, than anything else. My ultimate task will be to stay zen in the big city! Yea right! Cars, traffic, smog, malls... not what we are looking for!


Yesterday we got in a really great mountain bike ride in chiang mai. It rained the whole time though, making the challenging course very slippery. Lets just say that I have a few battle scars that I am proud of, and I loved every minute of it. So good to be back on a bike! My lower back was actually killing me the last day or 2 in Pai, and I thought it was going to make riding harder, but after the ride my back was cured… I guess it was missing being hunched over on a bike.


A friend here recently told me this quote, “there are friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for life.” I needed that reminder very much. I am trying to get used to the travelers mentality of people coming in and out of my life so quickly. Yes, it happens in normal life too, but I think it is to a much greater degree while traveling. And, even though I have basically moved every few years of my entire life, I have a hard time knowing someone and letting them go. Plus, I am possibly more sensitive to it now because of when I left the Philippines and basically cut off communication with my entire life over there. But back on point, I am learning to appreciate these friends for a reason and friends for a season, for what I am meant to give to them and receive from them. Shout out to the Pai treetop bar gang- miss you all! Thanks for an unforgettable time and your hospitality!!


Now to decide where next… we are leaning towards Cambodia… and will make a quick decision by this evening! Life is good. :)

"To the left, to the left"

i think it is about day 11 of our trip?? Leah and I are never sure what day it is, we are pretty sure that today is Thursday at least. Gotta love it! We just do what we want, always... its completely ridiculous and the the best feeling ever!



The rest of last week in Chiang Mai was great, filled with a Thai cooking class, Elephant conservation camp, Tiger kingdom, an afternoon by a pool, some more crazy water fights, temple visit, and a lot of relaxing and sleeping at the wrong times!!! We missed out on mountain biking because of some last minute decisions, but we are planning to get it in somewhere before heading south. The people that we meet everywhere that we go are amazing. The other day I had a wonderful chat with a holistic health doctor from Canada. She was here for "research" for a month or 2... that means 2 months of massages everyday and working on spiritual enlightenment! Every person that we meet is equally interesting and different in their own way, and for this part of our trip, I am so happy to meet them and exchange stories, or even just understand the other person because they are doing the same thing that you are so you can feel connected easily. The elephant park was a highlight for me, just playing with the elephants and walking around amongst them was cool. The US would never let people just casually hang with elephants!!! We watched them paint, play soccer, and play in the water together. crazy cute! Then we made some organic paper out of elephant dung and had a good time with the staff at the park. It is believed that Buddha was an elephant in one of his 18 lives, so we read all these tales about what he did as the elephant Buddha to teach lessons. For example, a beetle once found shelter in his dung, and when the beetle challenged the elephant Buddha, the Buddha peed on him to kill him. Lets just say i didn't challenge any of the elephants cause seriously, that waterfall of pee could kill! (Now you know, in case you should ever challenge a Buddha elephant... more lessons to come!)





We finished up our week in Chiang Mai on Tuesday and are now further to the northwest in a mountain town called Pai. It is AMAZING here, the scenery is gorgeous and the vibe is very very laid back. The mountains have chilled me out and made my heart smile. They are beautiful, and I almost can not believe where I am right now, it is too perfect. We are staying in a little elevated bamboo hut on the side of a river, hammock on the front porch and all! The town is full of foreigners from all over the world converging in this one place for a good cheap time with some like minded people... crazy and baffling concept, but awesome too. We are entirely too clean and put together though, so in order to fit in we are intending to grunge up... i think ill stay away from things like shaving, shampoo, and tight clothing for the week... "hippie" myself up a little!!!



Remember the previews for Eat Pray Love, when Julie Roberts is riding a cute little bike in Asia, I had that moment in Chiang Mai, as I took to the streets on my one speed bike with a basket on the front. I was trying to get used to driving on the left, before taking to something more powerful! Well, yesterday I have successfully navigated the country from the left side of the road. I was singing Beyonce ("everything you own in a box to the left") the whole time though, as to not let is escape my mind for a split second. I think i only messed up once, but it was when we were driving up a mountain to waterfall, and the local woman were on the side of the road gesturing for us to stop and buy drugs from them, that is of course why all westerners go to this particular waterfall right!? ;) My train of thought was gone and I was all the sudden driving on the right!!! Right turns are the most difficult, but today I have mastered them on the way to another waterfall! Yep, another waterfall, on my motorbike, in sunny hot Thailand, with friends, in the mountains! :)



Today Leah said something hilarious as we passed a napping dog. She was like, "this is the first time in a long time that I have not been jealous of a dogs life, I'm so happy with my own". Its random, but come on, everyone has at one time looked at our pampered dogs and cats on our way out the door to work, and wished to just have that simple, easy, fun life...



I wish everyone I knew could be here experiencing this with me. Miss you and love you!

Where it all began

DAY 1 and 2 Chiang Mai, Thailand April 13. 2011 (Written by Leah and Mallary)



The trip has been so amazing!! And we are only on our second day! We arrived exhausted at 10:30pm Monday night after 25+ hours of travel. With a little bit of English and many hand signs, we mananged to flag down a tuk tuk, a motor bike with seats attached on the back, to our hostel. Our towls and key were waiting for us on the front table with a note welcoming us to Chiang Mai. We unfortunately woke up bright and early at 7am (Mal at 4am) and went down to the hostel retsaurant for breakfast. We enjoyed our hot tea and traditional Thai food ($2 dollars each!) on the "jungle" inspired patio. We started the day off right, as any one should...Thai massages...$5. Relaxing while our Thai massours were walking on our backs, pulling and pushing our bodies, and rubbing all the tension out. Jealous yet:)



So, as we mentioned,We arrived the day before the beginning of the Thai New Year, Songkron. This holiday is best celebrated with a city-wide water fight to inspire rain after the drought season. Words and pictures can not describe how amazing this is! We armed ourselves with buckets and waterguns against the hundreds of Thais and Foreigners alike who seek to drench us from head to toe. In about 0.5 seconds you cannot escape be soaking wet! It is also symbolic to the beginning of our trip, in that it is a time for new beginnings, and here we are starting on this grand adventure, which is sure to change us by the end! Happy Songkron!!!



After a few hours of waterfights, we found our way back to the hostel for a blissful 4 hour nap, because that is what you do on vacation...right? Then, went out for dinner and drinks. Met some awesome girls at a rooftop bar overlooking the main street, without shoes and sitting on mats covering the floor. The night proceed at a sports lounge, outdoor dance bar, and reggae band. We danced with our fellow travelers until 3am. And that is our our perfect first night in Thailand ended.



So, today, our second day, there was a massive rain storm in the morning, which we enjoyed chatting and recapping our first day from the comfort of our beds. We joined the masses in another day of water fights in the streets, camera in tow this time, protected by a cool little water proof bag (they are really prepared here for tis holiday, selling thousands of waterproff stuff, water guns, and buckets all over). Took another nap, and somehow manged to sleep until 11pm. Unable to sleep any longer we went to explore the town at night. We found a night market full of amazing Thai bags, art, food, clothes, etc. We ate traditional Thai noodle soup for dinner ($1 each!) at a street stall...very Anthony Bourdain style.



Luckily, we can bide our time till we are tired again at this 24-hour internet cafe. Tomorrow, it looks like we will visist an elephant conservation outside the city. Who knows what other adventures await us!! on the schedule for the next 2 weeks are mountain biking, camping, hiking, cooking classes at an organic Thai farm, trekking to native hill tribes, hot springs, waterfalls, and a bamboo raft.



Cheers. This is everything we were hoping it would be. Miss everyone back home!!