Witness to Canada's Final Gold

Yeah Canada! We watched the end of the 3rd period and overtime of the men's gold medal Olympics hockey game from an open air bar at 5 am. Technically the bat was closed and the workers were sound asleep next to us, but we saw the TV and found ESPN and voilà! Fate was on our side. We had just arrived to Vientiane following a 10-hour bus trip, had all of our gear with us and hunkered down to see the most exciting part of the game. What an incredible medal run the home nation had. Yeah!!!

The sleepy town that is Luang Prabang

We're enjoying our last day in Luang Prabang. After spending some sun-soaked days among the tourists and locals who give this town its relaxing vibe, we'll be taking an overnight bus to Lao's capital, Vientiane. Unfortunately, we'll be in transport when the gold medal men's hockey match is televised and we doubt they will show it on the bus. We're so proud of how the Canadians performed as the host country of this Olympics (oh, and the Germans were among the top, as usual). Luckily, our eyes were glued to the television when the women's hockey final was on. We found a cafe that opened at 6:30 a.m., so we could catch it live (with the time difference, it's a little challenging to see all of the events).

Two days ago, we saw the Kouang Si Waterfalls, which is about an hour's drive from Luang Prabang. It is multi-level, measuring about 60 m high and has several crystal-blue pools at the bottom where people can swim. We found a secluded swimming hole about halfway down the waterfall. We actually had to hike along one of the falls to get there, but since the water is low now, it wasn't too difficult. Where we swam, we could actually lean over the falls and see down below. You'll see Netty in one of the photos relaxing at the fall's edge. The water was a touch cold, but a refreshing break from the heat of the day. What a spectacular sight!

We also travelled to the top of Phou Si ("Sacred Hill"), which offers beautiful panoramic views of Luang Prabang. There's a temple there and many golden Buddha staues of varying sizes. We thought the photo of Axel with the buddha was very appropriate (he really likes the reclining buddhas for some reason).

The last photo in the group is one of the early morning procession of monks on their way to gather food from the local people. The food donated provides for their only meal of the day. This is a daily occurrence in all of the areas with Buddhist monks. It's a pretty amazing ritual to see dozens of men, young and old, in orange robes marching silently or chanting.

We are about to go and enjoy a freshly made coconut milk fruit shake at a local stand. Oh, it's a tough life...

50 days and counting...

So, we're exactly halfway through our 100 days in Southeast Asia. Tonight, we celebrated with a little Lao whiskey and some beer. Oh, was that ever nice!

We're in Luang Prabang, relaxing in the heat and enjoying all that this little town has to offer. It's quite touristic, but has a very quaint and classy feel. We very much like it. There's a really extensive night market here and many, many, many temples to see in such a small land area. Our six-hour long boat ride from Nong Khiaw to here on the Nam Ou River yesterday was not without its share of exciting moments. Due to low water levels, we had to get off and take a tuk-tuk for 15 minutes and re-board further down the river. We then encountered very shallow water that couldn't carry our weight, so most of us got out in the middle of the river and helped maneuver the boat to deeper waters. Oh, what fun!

The speed of the Internet systems isn't wonderful, so we've had trouble uploading photos to the blog. We'll keep trying so we can share some of the best with you.

No Rush In Nong Khiaw

Transportation in Laos is not just a means to get from A to B - it is an experience and an adventure. We took a small bus from Nam Tha to Oudomxay. The bus was so full that they had to put a lawn chair in the aisle to fit in a British tourist who measured close to two meters. The relatively short distance took more than four hours due to road conditions that make Canadian logging roads look like super highways.

We're now in Nong Khiaw enjoying the mystic limestone mountains that surround us and this small and quaint village. We have a little bungalow overlooking the Nam Ou River. We're enjoying a little rest and relaxation before heading by boat to Luang Prabang tomorrow. We explored the Tham Pha Tok Caves yesterday that were used as hideouts during the Indochina War. Despite high tourist season we only saw one other couple visiting the caves. They were quite narrow and winding and put Netty's claustrophobia to the test. Our evenings have been spent sipping mojitos made with Lao whiskey and top-notch Laobeer (apparently brewed according to a former GDR recipe).

More to come on our Laos adventures...

Trekking in Laos

With the Thailand part of our travels behind us, we've arrived in the beautiful and less touristic country of Laos. The border crossing was rather uneventful. We took a five-minute boat to cross the Mekong River, paid for our visas and Voila! Getting used to paying in Kip instead of Thai Baht has been a bit of an adjustment (8000 kip is equivalent to $1 USD). Otherwise, things are wonderful.

We just returned from a three-day trekking tour in the Nam Tha National Protected Area, which is in the northwestern part of Laos. We went on a trail that took us to two separate villages where we spent the night with local tribes. The first night, we were at a small Akha village comprised of about 20 dwellings and one small school for the children. We were welcomed by the chief of the village and his wife (we'll try and post photos soon).

Sleeping in one of the huts was a great experience. We were given blankets and thin mattresses and bug nets to sleep under. Whoever said that roosters only starting calling when the sun comes up never stayed in a village in Laos. If not the roosters, than the pigs and ducks would utter their calls at any time of day. We were treated to some local food and drink (Lao lao rice whiskey is strong stuff - 45% alcohol).

Spending time with a few of the children in the morning was one of the most memorable parts of this experience. Since we couldn't converse with each other, we used pictures in a small book to teach them some English words. It's amazing how quickly children learn.

Hiking through the jungle was pretty spectacular. We traversed many different landscapes and lots of mountainous terrain. On our second day, we swam in a beautiful waterfall. That night, we landed in a village where people from the Tai Dam tribe live. This village was more populated with about 250 inhabitants. Again, we were greeted by the village chief and his family. We also slept in his house. It was fascinating to see their basic way of life and how much it differs from our own standards. The women play a primary role in the community, contrary to many other cultures.

Our hike ended this afternoon and now we're back in the town of Luang Nam Tha. For the first time since we started travelling, the weather is pretty poor (rainy and a little chilly). We just enjoyed a hot shower and we're looking forward to sleeping in a warm bed tonight. In the next day or so, we'll head southeast towards Luang Prabang and stop at a few villages along the way.

Again, we'll try and post photos soon. Internet connections aren't very fast in some of the areas we've visited, which poses a challenge for posting images.

Diggin' Dirt

WWOOF, WWOOF, WWOOF! That's what we've done over the past week as volunteers for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. We boarded a market truck in Chiang Mai to get to the small village where we stayed. The truck was packed full of fruits, vegetables, grains, pet food, household goods, etc. that our jolly driver dropped off along the way. A lovely shop owner who also took the trip with us gave us a star fruit and some water when she got off for helping her unload goods. Even though the trip was less comfortable, it was much more enjoyable and enriching than a tourist bus.

The property we stayed on has no running water or electricity and barely any formal housing structures. We slept in a tent and although the lodgings were a bit more rustic than we expected, we learned about building adobe brick houses, gardening, and also gained insight into "permaculture" and other sustainable agricultural practices. It was a growing experience for both of us. Although we felt a little out of our element, we met some wonderful people, ate some authentic food cooked on an open fire every day and enjoyed playing in the mud (literally). It's fascinating how much you can do with a bunch of dirt, rice husks, water and very basic tools.

We're back in Chiang Mai for a few days. As peaceful a place as this is, we have been entertained by the many fire crackers that local families have set off in celebration of Chinese New Year (the Year of the Tiger). And as far away as we are from Canada, we couldn't resist scouting out a bar to watch the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. We watched it in its entirety (all three hours)! Despite the sadness surrounding the death of the luge athlete from Georgia, the ceremony was outstanding in its simplicity and portrayal of what makes us proud to be from this nation. I admit that the event brought a few homesick tears to Netty's eyes and many goosebumps as the torch that travelled 45,000 kms was brought into the stadium in Vancouver. What a memorable moment. We are sad that we will miss many of the events, but will try and keep ourselves updated on how Germany and Canada fare.

Tomorrow, we will take a bus to Chiang Rai, then onto Laos on Monday. Happy Year of the Tiger to everyone and for those with a tingling for romance, Happy Valentine's Day!

Thai chefs extraordinaire

Picking out fresh produce and authentic Thai ingredients at the local market, cooking in an open air kitchen and eating a four-course meal in a traditional Thai teak house - what a way to start the day. Axel and I took a cooking course at a local school near our guest house (http://www.chiangmaismartcook.com/). We learned to make curry paste, pad thai, sweet and sour prawn soup, coconut soup with tofu, spring rolls, mangoes with sticky rice - my mouth is watering just thinking about it. YUMMY!

Tonight, we checked out the annual Chiang Mai Flower Festival. We're looking forward to the festival parade tomorrow morning where we hear the floats will be eye candy for those with green thumbs.

We'll be heading two hours north of Chiang Mai tomorrow to volunteer on an organic farm for a week or two. We can't wait to roll up our sleeves and learn more about sustainable agriculture. Be back in touch in a few weeks.

Chillin' in Chiang Mai

My energy for typing this blog is waning at the moment since I'm so relaxed after the massage Axel and I had this morning. We love Thai massage! Our masseuses weren't your average lay people. We went to the women's prison and were massaged by inmates. It's part of their reintegration program and a way for them to learn a trade they can use when they're finished their prison terms. What a great experience. We were given traditional Thai cotton clothes to put on and the ladies contorted us into various positions during our hour-long session. What a lovely way to start the day...

Chiang Mai is a wonderful place. We were instantly taken with its "laissez faire" culture, the winding, narrow streets of the inner square that comprise part of the town and our guest house, which, although it is basic, has a rooftop patio and is on a quiet street. The cooler temperatures in the evening here are much more tolerable than what we have been experiencing. It's a very welcome change.

Yesterday, we visited a few temples (Chiang Mai has a considerable number of them for its size). At one of them - Wat Phra Singh - we had the opportunity to sit and chat in English with several monks who live here. Learning about their daily lives, what they are studying, their plans for the future and proper etiquette for us as tourists when encountering monks was fascinating. These monks come every afternoon to the temple courtyard in the hopes of practicing English with tourists. We were just as eager as them to engage in conversation.

Looking forward to our next days here...

Bummed out in Bangkok

We lost a bit of our vacation mojo this past week, but we're happy to report that it's back. Let us take you back to the fateful day that dampened our moods (but only temporarily). It involves a bus, a bag and two very frustrated, tired people.

We took a ferry from Koh Tao and then an overnight tourist bus to Bangkok. Unfortunately, we were scammed by a pretty common theft, or so we learned later. While we slept, someone rifled through our bags that were with us and took all of the money that we had in our possession. Luckily, none of our other personal belongings were taken (like our passports and visas), and we were not harmed. But, our blissful travel happiness deteriorated a little.

Our time in Bangkok was a little tainted by this experience, but we still enjoyed the city. Thronged with people and many diverse cultural areas, we were able to get a flavour of this urban centre. The first day was spent crossing the city to file a police report about the bus incident. After spending the majority of the day on public transportation to find our way around the city, we explored a bit on foot. We ventured to the Weekend Market, which claims to be the largest open-air flea market in the world, which we can imagine is true. They sell everything you can imagine and even more. We walked through Chinatown, which is abundantly stocked with colourful red and yellow decorations in preparation for the Chinese New Year. Older men selling buddha amulets, women administering some type of facial threading to customers of all ages, and many, many other vendors selling odds and ends greeted us. We were also witness to some beautiful temples, including Wat Pho, which is home to an incredibly large Reclining Buddha statue. Its sheer size was impossible to capture with our meager digital camera. I guess we'll have to piece together the panorama later.

We will see Bangkok again when we return to catch our flight back to Germany in April. Until then, we were also happy to say "see you soon" to the noise, pollution and traffic and head to Chiang Mai.

Now that a few days have gone by, we're back on the bandwagon and raring to continue this amazing trip. We did, in fact, get back on a bus, but this time we took a government-issued one from the local bus station instead of one specifically for tourists. Drenched in sweat from walking an incredibly busy expressway, obliviously to the distance we really had to travel, we found the massive bus station. Meeting two lovely women from Spain on the bus who have studied massage in Chiang Mai and raved about this region was all we needed to re-energize our excitement for exploration. We're here in this charming oasis with cooler evening breezes that make sleeping something to look forward to. We love it already.