Laos - Gibbon Experience

Lauren and I bussed from Chiang Mai to the border of Chiang Khong. We crossed via the Mekong River into Huay Xai, where our adventure began.

We heard through our scuba intstructor of the Gibbon Experience (http://www.gibbonx.org/), where you spend a few days hiking and sleeping in a treehouse 300 feet high in the Bokeo Provence National Forest! We went during the rainy season, so they had trips every other day for only a dozen people at a time. There are 3 tree houses that people get split up into and ours was such a treat! Essentially, we had an international slumber party - complete with Welsh, Aussie, and American girls!

As I mentioned, it was the rainy season, so usually there is a truck that drives you for an hour to the village that is a half-hour hike away from the forest. We were not so lucky. It POURED the night before so there would be no truck for us. That means we got to hike for 5 hours, up and down muddy mountains. The best part for me was within the first hour of our hike, I got 7 blisters on my left foot alone - I got a blister between my toes! Is that even possible?! So I ditched my shoes and walked (or fell) barefoot the rest of the way.


When we got to the village right before the rain forest and saw the locals - it made it completely worth it. There were so many little kids coming out of their houses to see the foreigners just to wave hello.

The walk after the village seemed easy, with no hills and roots we could use to help from slipping in the mud. A few of us got devoured by leeches, but it's really not too big of a problem since they can only take as much blood as their small bodies can handle.

Then we finally got to our awaiting tree house. It was everything we'd thought it would be - and more. Complete with kitchen, toilet - no handle needed, mosquito net bed coverings, candles for lighting, and zip line entrance (and exit)!

It was great fun zipping around to explore amazing views, waking up early to see and hear the gibbon monkeys rustling through the treetops, and making some great friends along the way!

8 months, 8 countries

Any ordinary person would travel in a planned loop… but where is the fun in that? I suppose that’s what a backpacker would do, but I had the luxury of being a flashpacker*. I never really had anywhere to be at any particular time except to meet up with friends or to try to get to a wicked beach party.

*see link: http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/what-type-of-backpacker-are-you/ (courtesy of Taylor)

Just to give you an idea of where I actually went, here is the list of countries I visited (in alphabetical order):

Cambodia
Hong Kong
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam


I removed my thread bracelet that I’ve been wearing since my departure in August 2009. My “vacation” is over… but the fun never ends! Ted and I planned my final “hoorah” to be in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. He attended a surf camp there twice before and we thought it would be a great time to take one last get-away before the wedding season and the daily grind consume my (and, in turn, his) life.

Hopefully I can recap my adventures after the fact much better than whilst traveling! Feel free to leave comments and ask questions. :)

Home Sweet Home

It's so nice to be back... to warm sunny weather, familiar faces, my blackberry...

I arrived in DC at 8pm March 30th, with one long layover in wintery Beijing. My first night (and day!) here was spent sleeping 18 hours straight. Michelle picked me up from the airport to meet up with HT & Trang at Popeyes! That's right - I had yummy, greasy, cajun-spiced fried chicken (with mashed potates and french fries) and loads of ketchup. I always crave Popeyes from a long trip away from home. Partly because it's so yummy and bad for you, buy mostly because it reminds me of my childhood days when it was a treat for a family weekend dinner.

Ted had no idea I was coming into town. In fact, I told him a day before that, during Jancie's visit, we decided that she stay 2 extra days - enough time for me to fly home and be back in touch. It was also very convenient that I lost my phone a week ago and skype has been our new mode of contact. Which meant when Janice and I went on a trip to go "crocodile fishing", I would be completely out of touch. I thought the story had gone belly up when I saw the first line of a message in my inbox reading: "Oh you're such a liar." My heart literally skipped a beat when I clicked to open the message and read on: "Everyone KNOWS crocs have wifi. Sheesh!" Phew! THAT a close one!

Initially I was worried that Jama (Ted's friend) was getting an April Fool's birthday party planned by his lovely wife. I worked with it, so when I saw him a couple weeks earlier in Hanoi and told him about Ted's hoax ... hoping to distract him of any surprise of his own. I had made plans with friends beforehand to participate in the festivities, so Trish & Charlie came up with a plan to pick him up for dinner before Jama's party, which made logisitical sense. Trish would be DD for Charlie and Derek to get back to the city, so when Ted was picked up it was a full car. To top it off, Adrian showed up at Ted's early to drill him with questions of my whereabouts and plans for my homecoming. With all the chaos of everyone meeting, nothing was thought of the video camera filming. Little did Ted know... it was all for him! Everyone in the car got a spotlight on camera, with Ted going last... or so he thought. I jumped out from under a blanket in back of the car! SURPRISE!! He didn't speak for a solid five seconds... then proceded to curse me, and finally give me a big, big hug.

To explain the profanities... I don't think I mentioned that I called him at 2pm (1am Saigon time), sounding very distressed, worried that I may have lost my passport... and may not make it home until May. All in all, he's not terribly mad at me... but I continue to look over my shoulder waiting for the moment he pays me back. [insert suspense music here]

Thanks everyone for the support throughout these 8 months! <3

ditto!

I read this quote off the facebook page of my friend, Kenan Al-Husseini.

One day your life will flash before your eyes.

When that does happen,

hope that you have led a life that is worth watching.

I think it is a true reflection of why I'm doing this trip. I hope it will encourage you to take more risks, as the rewards are more plentiful!

Koh Lanta, Thailand

Left: our favorite seat at the bar

Right: typical sunset we would watch everyday

Lauren and I got great advice from her scuba instructor, Tim. He recommended Koh Lanta because it's how the "old Phuket" was, before it got commercialized. When we got on the boat to the island, we were bombarded with a dozen locals trying to get us to stay at their bungalow. It was intense. Lauren had a good feeling about Emerald Bungalows, so we went with them. They try to rope you in by saying you'll have a free ride to their bungalows from the ferry and you can decide then, but make sure you choose a place you'd be remotely interested in because it takes a lot to go somewhere, look around and leave to do it all over again. Thanks to Lauren's good hunch, we fell in LOVE with these bungalows and the people. We made instant friends at Ting Tong (means crazy) bar. They gave us all sorts of tips about the island and (my favorite) they would always share their food with us! We loved it so much, we stayed an extra day. :D

(from left to right: Toffee, Lauren, Pauline, Jackie, Meow)

my skype id: fraisegrl2

My colleague, John Riordan, has been on me for 2 years now about skype. He's said how easy, inexpensive and magical it is. I fought it because "I couldn't be bothered" - and most others feel the same way. Don't knock it until you try it!

It's a great way to keep in touch with others. You can send random text messages for dirt cheap, so it makes it easier to stay in touch. The only problem is I need the phone number - which is only in my cell phone that I'm not using on my travels. Please email (pauline.tran@gmail.com) me your cell if you want a friendly text from Vietnam!

I was really proud when Mama Dellinger could use it! On her very own! It was the CUTEST thing in the entire world when Mama and Papa Dellinger set up skype in their living room, hooked it up to the TV and had a real microphone set up! I hope they can use it more often to communicate with Lauren from across the country. :D

It actually works really well on the iPhone, too!

memories

This evening I was walking through the streets of Hanoi people watching. The locals gather around small tables on plastic stools drinking and eating bowls of soup. As I passed a car, it was blaring old school Vietnamese music - the kind I remember hearing on weekend mornings in Springfield, VA. I would wake up and walk downstairs to see my parents cooking or cleaning to this joyous music. It's been awhile since I've heard it, and it brought a huge smile to my face. :D

It's always nice when you are reminded of the past from a sound, smell, feel, taste, or sight. I've been trying to buy one small souvenir from every place that I've been so far. They aren't necessarily "nice", but they are usually everyday items like a lighter, purse, t-shirt, etc. It's a thin line between junk and a tasteful travel collection. The question I try to ask myself is: Will it just sit there and collect junk? If that's the case, I'd rather spend my money on an experience that I will remember forever.