This post has to be quick because i have 4 min! internet in vang vieng, laos is really expensive!
This place is BEAUTIFUL! I know now why people say they came for 1 or 2 days and stayed for 3-4 weeks! There is a great mix of very friendly laos people, animals everywhere...all surrounded by giant limestone mountains and meadows. awesome. it almost doesnt even feel like a different country because every food place serves burgers and fries and plays the simpsons, friends or family guy and there are movies every night. there is actually an island here of only bars that is like a crazy rave island with trippy lights and music and whiskey, redbull and soda buckets for 10,000 kip and they pour you free shots of lao whiskey as you walk by. the big thing here is tubing.....renting a tube, floating down the river while at the same time crawling the bars riverside! i meet the guys from nelson, BC yesterday I met on the sleeper train from bangkok to chiang mai at one of the bars the other night....they have been here for 11 days, tubing everyday...
i am staying in a little thatched bungalow across a super sketchy footbridge over the nam river that is home to kittens, a heard of wild-esk cows, roosters and goats. i have a little patio with a hammock that i chill out in every night around dusk and watch the sunsets....they are incredible.
Rented a moutain bike yesterday and cruised the countryside with a guy from Cali named Zach...the roads were full of chickens, cows, goats; women were washing thier clothes in ponds by the river while naked kids can around; it smelled like a mix of meadows, livestock, fires cooking food outside.... The roads are all unpaved and crazy rocky and there are all these little crazy footbridges made of holey boards and twisted nails. Zach and I biked to the most sacred cave in laos that has a bronze buddah reclining in it, we stopped to swim in a turquoise blue lagoon and napped under a bungalow in the shade. Great day!
i am a little nervous because the bank machines here are all broken and the bank seems to be out of money until monday. i have enough to be comfortable until i leave but its an uneasy feeling to know the town you are staying at is out of money!
Going tubing today, rock climbing tomorrow, then i head to vientianne then to bangkok and down south.... have a tonne of pictures to post..will figure it out in thailand :)
miss you guys xoxox
anna
Feb 27, 2009
Feb 23, 2009
Lang Prabang, Laos
I am in Laos! The internet is VERY slow and kinda expensive here so I will be as quick as I can and will have to wait to post pictures.
Crossed the border and hopped on a slow boat that travels along the Mekong river. The boat has seats for 60, but we had 90, so there were people everywhere. By the end of the first day people were lying on the floors, in the aisles...everywhere! The boat ride was definitely an experience...awesome! Imagine....a boat overpacked with a bunch of laid back travellers from all over the world for 8 hours with nothing to do but chill. We drank too much beerlao and rice whiskey (some with cobras and scorpions in it...see the picture below...by day 2 the whiskey tasted like meat...ew.), chatted, played cards and just hung out. The best part was we kept stopping at places along the river where 1 or 2 families were living to pick up cargo and mail! The aisles ended up being loaded with bags of rice and we even took on a motorcycle and 2 refrigerators! The bags of rice ended up as seats and people even hopped up on the refrigerators and slept :)
The boat stopped for the night at this little tiny village where the electricity went out at 10pm for the rest of the night/morning. I have a story about unpacking the bags and finding accommodation in the dark...for later!
The second boat day they said was 10 hours long but was really 7 hours and I switched my bench seat for a place on the floor at the front which was wicked...lying around on pillows in the sun with a breeze listening to a girl from Minnesota play the uke.
Got into Luang Prabang around 6pm and found a cheap guest house down a little alleyway. Had some food with a nice Aussie (that actually just sat down next to me at the internet cafe!), did a little shopping with him then headed to the bar to meet people from the boat for beerlaos! The bars here give free shots when you walk in of rice whiskey and have all these crazy drink deals (3 for 1, etc.). Its really surprising considering the laws are SO conservative here! There is a midnight curfew, so all the bars close at 11:30 to get the workers and people home in time. Most guesthouses actually lock thier doors at 11 to encourage people to get home! You can only go dancing at 2 bars here because apparently its illegal! Foriegners also arent allowed to rent motorbikes because too many have been in accidents!
So got to the bar at 10:30 and left at 11 to get to my guesthouse before I was locked out. Three really nice irish guys from the boat walked me home. Thing is...the stalls i used for my reference point were taken down and it was pitch black and I couldnt find my guest house! We wandered down random alleys that all looked the same and in the end I just ended up sleeping on the floor in thier guesthouse because they were about to get locked out of THIER guesthouse. LOL I definitely owe them some banana pancakes!
About to head to kuang si waterfall to go for a swim, then see some bears at a nature reserve on the way back. Meeting up again with the boat people--we are a rowdy crew of about 15--at the bar for dinner and drinks after. Am going to wake up early tomorrow to give to the monks during thier morning procession, watch the sunrise from the wat on the hill here and then hop on a bus to Vang Vienne. I hear that they pass out puke bags before the trip because it is such an awful ride...the locals apparenlty have the weakest stomachs....and the buses are notorius for breaking down....we'll see how it goes!
Laos and Thailand are similar but so different at the same time. Laos is sooo laid back...super chill. Less tourists, more local feel. The power goes out a lot. They drive on the opposite side of the street. Its WAY hotter. Small. Conservative. I like it :) Still figuring out the cash tho...no change, all bills. 1 CDN = about 6500 kip. ...LOL hard to convert! Dinner here is about 10,000 kip. A tshirt 20,000 kip. A fruit shake 5,000 kip.
UPDATE> On the bus to the waterfalls met a girl named Kat that was volunteering teaching english at a drop in center in Luang Prabang. She said they were always looking for people, so I stayed an extra day and volunteered with her :) It was awesome...if I wasnt already running overschedule I would definitely be staying longer! After teaching, Kat and I explored the streets, sampled tasty street food (ummm street noodle soup!) and watched the sunset from the top of punsi temple... A nice way to end my time in Luang Prabang!
Crossed the border and hopped on a slow boat that travels along the Mekong river. The boat has seats for 60, but we had 90, so there were people everywhere. By the end of the first day people were lying on the floors, in the aisles...everywhere! The boat ride was definitely an experience...awesome! Imagine....a boat overpacked with a bunch of laid back travellers from all over the world for 8 hours with nothing to do but chill. We drank too much beerlao and rice whiskey (some with cobras and scorpions in it...see the picture below...by day 2 the whiskey tasted like meat...ew.), chatted, played cards and just hung out. The best part was we kept stopping at places along the river where 1 or 2 families were living to pick up cargo and mail! The aisles ended up being loaded with bags of rice and we even took on a motorcycle and 2 refrigerators! The bags of rice ended up as seats and people even hopped up on the refrigerators and slept :)
The boat stopped for the night at this little tiny village where the electricity went out at 10pm for the rest of the night/morning. I have a story about unpacking the bags and finding accommodation in the dark...for later!
The second boat day they said was 10 hours long but was really 7 hours and I switched my bench seat for a place on the floor at the front which was wicked...lying around on pillows in the sun with a breeze listening to a girl from Minnesota play the uke.
Got into Luang Prabang around 6pm and found a cheap guest house down a little alleyway. Had some food with a nice Aussie (that actually just sat down next to me at the internet cafe!), did a little shopping with him then headed to the bar to meet people from the boat for beerlaos! The bars here give free shots when you walk in of rice whiskey and have all these crazy drink deals (3 for 1, etc.). Its really surprising considering the laws are SO conservative here! There is a midnight curfew, so all the bars close at 11:30 to get the workers and people home in time. Most guesthouses actually lock thier doors at 11 to encourage people to get home! You can only go dancing at 2 bars here because apparently its illegal! Foriegners also arent allowed to rent motorbikes because too many have been in accidents!
So got to the bar at 10:30 and left at 11 to get to my guesthouse before I was locked out. Three really nice irish guys from the boat walked me home. Thing is...the stalls i used for my reference point were taken down and it was pitch black and I couldnt find my guest house! We wandered down random alleys that all looked the same and in the end I just ended up sleeping on the floor in thier guesthouse because they were about to get locked out of THIER guesthouse. LOL I definitely owe them some banana pancakes!
About to head to kuang si waterfall to go for a swim, then see some bears at a nature reserve on the way back. Meeting up again with the boat people--we are a rowdy crew of about 15--at the bar for dinner and drinks after. Am going to wake up early tomorrow to give to the monks during thier morning procession, watch the sunrise from the wat on the hill here and then hop on a bus to Vang Vienne. I hear that they pass out puke bags before the trip because it is such an awful ride...the locals apparenlty have the weakest stomachs....and the buses are notorius for breaking down....we'll see how it goes!
Laos and Thailand are similar but so different at the same time. Laos is sooo laid back...super chill. Less tourists, more local feel. The power goes out a lot. They drive on the opposite side of the street. Its WAY hotter. Small. Conservative. I like it :) Still figuring out the cash tho...no change, all bills. 1 CDN = about 6500 kip. ...LOL hard to convert! Dinner here is about 10,000 kip. A tshirt 20,000 kip. A fruit shake 5,000 kip.
UPDATE> On the bus to the waterfalls met a girl named Kat that was volunteering teaching english at a drop in center in Luang Prabang. She said they were always looking for people, so I stayed an extra day and volunteered with her :) It was awesome...if I wasnt already running overschedule I would definitely be staying longer! After teaching, Kat and I explored the streets, sampled tasty street food (ummm street noodle soup!) and watched the sunset from the top of punsi temple... A nice way to end my time in Luang Prabang!
Feb 21, 2009
Chang Kong, Thailand...on my way to the Mekong and Laos!
I am on the mend! In Thailand the pharmacists are the people you go to for your minor ailments, so at my lowest--when I was really considering that it was possible to die from a stomach bug--I literally dragged myself into a pharmacy and she hooked me up with antibiotics and these magic packets of powders. Im still not 100% feeling fabulous and im off of dairy, fruit, fruit juice, booze and spicy foods for a little longer (which is killing me...this is the land of super tasty delicious spicy food, cheap beer, to-die-for-melt-in-your-mouth-fruit and fresh juices...sigh toast, rice and vegetables, gravy and noodle soup and plain water again yum yum...), but I am mobile again and looking forward to food which is AWESOME.
Took my thai cooking course Baan Thai! Turns out it was great I ran out on it on Wed because we went to the garden site (instead of the inner city site) on Friday, which was beautiful...absolutely perfect! Three great couples: one from Ireland, one from Holland and one from the states but leaving in Mongolia working for the peace corps. We went to the market, dug up thai ginger and picked lemongrass and eggplant from the garden, made 6 dishes, drank cold beer, had great conversation and ate the best food Ive had so far in Thailand....a great day :) One of the dishes I learned how to make was khao soi, so I can share the magic when i can get back!
Cutting lemon grass from the garden and sampling my tasty eats!
I left Chiang Mai this morning for Chang Rai and am in a small border town now called Chang Kong (sp?). I head across the border tomorrow morning to Laos, then hop on a slow boat down the Mekong for a couple days. Eventually I will end up in Luang Prabang...
I have some great stories about the trip here to the border but they will wait for another time...either here or ask me about it later. One thing Ive found out is that I really truely love people...meeting people...talking with people....everyone is so different, with so many stories and I learn from each one. Its only been a few weeks and I already have been touched by a few people I will miss a lot. (Im definitely planning a trip to Arkansas when I get back...oh and a small lake in Jasper :)
So I am heading for the Mekong...will update in a few days!
--Anna
Took my thai cooking course Baan Thai! Turns out it was great I ran out on it on Wed because we went to the garden site (instead of the inner city site) on Friday, which was beautiful...absolutely perfect! Three great couples: one from Ireland, one from Holland and one from the states but leaving in Mongolia working for the peace corps. We went to the market, dug up thai ginger and picked lemongrass and eggplant from the garden, made 6 dishes, drank cold beer, had great conversation and ate the best food Ive had so far in Thailand....a great day :) One of the dishes I learned how to make was khao soi, so I can share the magic when i can get back!Cutting lemon grass from the garden and sampling my tasty eats!
I left Chiang Mai this morning for Chang Rai and am in a small border town now called Chang Kong (sp?). I head across the border tomorrow morning to Laos, then hop on a slow boat down the Mekong for a couple days. Eventually I will end up in Luang Prabang...
I have some great stories about the trip here to the border but they will wait for another time...either here or ask me about it later. One thing Ive found out is that I really truely love people...meeting people...talking with people....everyone is so different, with so many stories and I learn from each one. Its only been a few weeks and I already have been touched by a few people I will miss a lot. (Im definitely planning a trip to Arkansas when I get back...oh and a small lake in Jasper :)
So I am heading for the Mekong...will update in a few days!
--Anna
Feb 18, 2009
I love food, but lately food hasnt loved me....
So I have been down and out the last few days with a stomach bug I havent been able to kick. Ive never had a stomach thing while travelling so I guess its about time...
Josh and I had our first motorcycle lesson from Daniel on Wed night! It was super fun....i learned with 3 ppl on at first, which made riding alone way easier. Got to 2nd gear, practiced turning and stopping....I REALLY have to wrap my mind around this whole backwards side of the street thing...I keep turning into the wrong lane! I figure I need at least 2 more tries i think before Im ready to go out on my own....
Ive narrowed the culprits down to: fresh fruit from a fruit stand (yummy strawberries and papaya), funny tasting OJ from the CP center and/or random booze poured into my mouth by thai prosititutes on the dancefloor.....
(there may have also been something off in a homemade, pot-luck type dinner at a friend's place that added an extra dimension to my sickness LOL)
I am on a pharmacy of pills, sleeping most of the day and have pushed back heading to Laos until Saturday. I tried to go to my cooking class yesterday, but ended up leaving after about an hour...I have re-scheduled for Friday :)
Josh and I had our first motorcycle lesson from Daniel on Wed night! It was super fun....i learned with 3 ppl on at first, which made riding alone way easier. Got to 2nd gear, practiced turning and stopping....I REALLY have to wrap my mind around this whole backwards side of the street thing...I keep turning into the wrong lane! I figure I need at least 2 more tries i think before Im ready to go out on my own....Here are some more kayak pics...
Basecamp, Siam river adventures
Jason, owner of the place, duct taping hip pads into my boat for the day
Lookin stylish on the river....
When we were driving to the base camp, a truck from one of the elephant camps nearby came to 
quickly around a turn and hit our van! We stopped there on the way back to town so the owner could work out the damages. it was 2 guys from the UK, a guy from france and I wandering around all of these elelphants. The guys were feeding them and petting them....big animals make me a bit nervous so I was keeping my distance. One of the guys ran up and said hey! let me get a picture of you and the elephant. So I got as close as I felt comfortable and got a pic. Then one of the UK guys came over and was like, Pet the elephant! Its all good! He said if you came from the front with your palm open it would touch it. So I came from the front, opened my hand and reached out my arm...the elephant looked at me, lifted up its trunk.... and took a huge swing at me! Seriously, this thing could have knocked me into the river! Once the trunk went up i RAN. The guys tried to convince me to come pet the elephants they were hanging out with, but that was enough for me! You know....I have a lot of respect for this animal that, even after day after day of being chained up, rode, and beaten, has the spirit to take a swat at me when Im bothering it rather than just putting up with it like the others.
quickly around a turn and hit our van! We stopped there on the way back to town so the owner could work out the damages. it was 2 guys from the UK, a guy from france and I wandering around all of these elelphants. The guys were feeding them and petting them....big animals make me a bit nervous so I was keeping my distance. One of the guys ran up and said hey! let me get a picture of you and the elephant. So I got as close as I felt comfortable and got a pic. Then one of the UK guys came over and was like, Pet the elephant! Its all good! He said if you came from the front with your palm open it would touch it. So I came from the front, opened my hand and reached out my arm...the elephant looked at me, lifted up its trunk.... and took a huge swing at me! Seriously, this thing could have knocked me into the river! Once the trunk went up i RAN. The guys tried to convince me to come pet the elephants they were hanging out with, but that was enough for me! You know....I have a lot of respect for this animal that, even after day after day of being chained up, rode, and beaten, has the spirit to take a swat at me when Im bothering it rather than just putting up with it like the others.
(this second picture is an action shot of me running away...)
Feb 15, 2009
Hey all!
Just a quick note that kayaking was super fun (although it was creeking and I felt totally out of my element) and I came out unscathed...apparenlty I am a boofing queen! I am super tired...will post more pics later...
So what i was saying before about the bars closing at midnight? not all of them. we were at THC till midnight, but after we definitely were dancing at a club called Spicy until 5:30 am! apparenlty this club is owned by the head of the police so it can do whatever it wants. LOL it was all farang dudes and thai prostitutes...SUPER fun! thai prostitutes can DANCE! :) ill write about it later (...hmmm....or not.... ;)
Had a 3 hour round-trip ride with 3 of us on a motorcycle saturday to get to the CP centre...an adventure! my legs are so sore today....its worse than riding a horse for 3 hours. Ben the german physio is awesome! He knows so much about working with kids with CP in third world countries...I learned A LOT. We are heading back there Thursday to assess a new boy. The bad news is that we spent so long at the centre with the kids that I missed my motorcycle lesson :( Im hoping to re-schedule for Tuesday if the guy isnt pissed about me standing him up...on valentines day.....Awwww.....
Just a quick note that kayaking was super fun (although it was creeking and I felt totally out of my element) and I came out unscathed...apparenlty I am a boofing queen! I am super tired...will post more pics later...So what i was saying before about the bars closing at midnight? not all of them. we were at THC till midnight, but after we definitely were dancing at a club called Spicy until 5:30 am! apparenlty this club is owned by the head of the police so it can do whatever it wants. LOL it was all farang dudes and thai prostitutes...SUPER fun! thai prostitutes can DANCE! :) ill write about it later (...hmmm....or not.... ;)
Had a 3 hour round-trip ride with 3 of us on a motorcycle saturday to get to the CP centre...an adventure! my legs are so sore today....its worse than riding a horse for 3 hours. Ben the german physio is awesome! He knows so much about working with kids with CP in third world countries...I learned A LOT. We are heading back there Thursday to assess a new boy. The bad news is that we spent so long at the centre with the kids that I missed my motorcycle lesson :( Im hoping to re-schedule for Tuesday if the guy isnt pissed about me standing him up...on valentines day.....Awwww.....
Feb 13, 2009
Feb 12, 2009
Tomorrow is my last day of massage school for me! To be honest, Im ready for a break...10 
days of constant, all day thai massage is WAY too much! My body is so sore from thumbs, heels, elbows and knees being pressed into every possible muscle (for those who dont know, thai massage is more like a beating than a relaxing rub). For our exam we have to demonstrate a two hour massage of the entire body. We have a chart of min and max times for each part of the body (ex. a head massages should take a minimum of 1 minute,a max of 2 minutes) and we will be timed on each section! There was also a written test today...
Wendy enjoying a hamstring stretch and a seated back stretch (above in text)
We are celebrating with a swim at one of the student's pools, dinner then drinks at THC. I am
secretly going to celebrate by treating myself to a piece of chocolate cake! I eat pretty much only thai food (breakfast is interesting...pickled cabbage, rice, sweet boiled eggs, mushrooms and rice...) and have given up coffee/tea since it usually costs more than my whole meal...so this cake is a big deal! :)
Found an AWESOME yoga studio that is really cheap and wicked! Nice! Been there twice and it feels sooo good! Plus one of the guys that goes there is a student at the massage school and is going to teach me how to ride a motorcycle! Im super excited because it will give me so much more freedom to travel around and see places outside of the city! (I just need to wrap my head around driving on the wrong side of the street) My first trip will be to Doi Suthep mountain...
Saturday Im at Banan Piranan with Ben and sunday Im kayaking the Mae Taeng River. Thinking about doing a thai cooking course...
days of constant, all day thai massage is WAY too much! My body is so sore from thumbs, heels, elbows and knees being pressed into every possible muscle (for those who dont know, thai massage is more like a beating than a relaxing rub). For our exam we have to demonstrate a two hour massage of the entire body. We have a chart of min and max times for each part of the body (ex. a head massages should take a minimum of 1 minute,a max of 2 minutes) and we will be timed on each section! There was also a written test today...
Wendy enjoying a hamstring stretch and a seated back stretch (above in text)
We are celebrating with a swim at one of the student's pools, dinner then drinks at THC. I am
secretly going to celebrate by treating myself to a piece of chocolate cake! I eat pretty much only thai food (breakfast is interesting...pickled cabbage, rice, sweet boiled eggs, mushrooms and rice...) and have given up coffee/tea since it usually costs more than my whole meal...so this cake is a big deal! :)
Found an AWESOME yoga studio that is really cheap and wicked! Nice! Been there twice and it feels sooo good! Plus one of the guys that goes there is a student at the massage school and is going to teach me how to ride a motorcycle! Im super excited because it will give me so much more freedom to travel around and see places outside of the city! (I just need to wrap my head around driving on the wrong side of the street) My first trip will be to Doi Suthep mountain...
Saturday Im at Banan Piranan with Ben and sunday Im kayaking the Mae Taeng River. Thinking about doing a thai cooking course...
Feb 9, 2009
The flower festival this weekend was great...no wonder people come from all over to see it. There was entertainment every night: all types of singing (from thai pop to traditional), all types of dancing (breakdancing to hill tribes), fireworks, drums, firebreathing. There was a parade on Saturday with marching bands and floats decorated with thousands of beautifully smelling flowers and women and men dressed in costume. When the floats came down the street all of these people would run in front of it to get a picture. Some people were actually climbing into the cars and onto the floats to get pics with them! The cars and floats would have to stop so they didnt run over the people....eventually a policeman would come by with his whistle and make everyone move out of the way. The float would only go about 10 m then more people would mob the road! At this pace, what would probably be a 1.5 hr parade was over 4 hours long!
It was also the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebration in Chang Mai on Sunday so there was another parade with a giant dragon and dancers and people in costume. The procession would go down the street until they saw shops who had money hanging from the roof...then they would make a human pyramid and get the money and the dragon would dance in front of the shop and they would sing. It was awesome to watch.
Today is Makha Bucha day...a holiday for Buddhists that takes place on the day of the full moon of the third lunar month. The ceremony at the wat tonight was beautiful: nearly one hundred people following a monk in a chant, then following in a procession behind the monks, with flowers, candles and incense in hand, circling around the pagoda chanting.
It looks like I will be staying a little longer than I expected in Chang Mai because this weekend I started volunteering at the Disabled Center. Don, the founder/owner is from Canada and has been living in Thailand for over 20 years. One part of the centre makes wheelchairs out of PVC
piping and bicycle tires and gives them for free to those in need living in Northern Thailand. I am working at Bann Piranan--the Disabled Centre's resident home for children with cerebral palsy. I went to the centre on Sunday and met the kids and the thai OT that works there. Don says that in Thai culture, people with disabilities are seen as having bad luck or being associated with ghosts and thai people dont want to have anything to do with them. He says that they havent been able to find a housekeeper for the centre because people are afraid to be near the children. I will be doing hands on work with the kids and running education sessions for the staff at the centre. It is a bit overwhelming and I dont know really where to start since these kids have grown up recieving no treatment and have permanent deformities because of it. I was talking with a man in an upper class at the massage school who is a physio in germany and has worked with Project Hope in Armenia treating kids (many with CP) and educating. He says he will come see the kids with me and work with me on the lesson plan for the staff, which is so great! Don wants me to stay 6 months and was disappointed that I will only be with them for two weeks. There was supposed to be a physio coming from Britian but she never came...as a result, one of the children may not get a surgery to correct the bone deformities in his feet so that he may be able to walk because there will be no after care/therapy. It doesnt feel very good, but I have to leave....
the centre's website: http://www.baan-piranan.org/
(and also http://www.freedomwheelchairs.com/ ...it really is incredible what they do...they even publish books educating on how to make mobility aids out of what is available materials, like bamboo)
Oh, I am in a new guesthouse--really nice! Its called Malak and has a better bed, is cheaper and has free internet in the lobby! (where I am now) There is also a hot shared shower in the lobby that I might take advantage of tomorrow morning :) Chilled out at one of the other students hotels this afternoon by thier pool.... tough life eh? A group of us found a wicked rooftop bar on Friday called THC (its in Lonely Planet) that I think I will be spending a lot of time at. Did you know that the bars here close at midnight? LOL luckily the 7-11's are 24 hours and sell cheap beer :)
It was also the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebration in Chang Mai on Sunday so there was another parade with a giant dragon and dancers and people in costume. The procession would go down the street until they saw shops who had money hanging from the roof...then they would make a human pyramid and get the money and the dragon would dance in front of the shop and they would sing. It was awesome to watch.
Today is Makha Bucha day...a holiday for Buddhists that takes place on the day of the full moon of the third lunar month. The ceremony at the wat tonight was beautiful: nearly one hundred people following a monk in a chant, then following in a procession behind the monks, with flowers, candles and incense in hand, circling around the pagoda chanting.
It looks like I will be staying a little longer than I expected in Chang Mai because this weekend I started volunteering at the Disabled Center. Don, the founder/owner is from Canada and has been living in Thailand for over 20 years. One part of the centre makes wheelchairs out of PVC
piping and bicycle tires and gives them for free to those in need living in Northern Thailand. I am working at Bann Piranan--the Disabled Centre's resident home for children with cerebral palsy. I went to the centre on Sunday and met the kids and the thai OT that works there. Don says that in Thai culture, people with disabilities are seen as having bad luck or being associated with ghosts and thai people dont want to have anything to do with them. He says that they havent been able to find a housekeeper for the centre because people are afraid to be near the children. I will be doing hands on work with the kids and running education sessions for the staff at the centre. It is a bit overwhelming and I dont know really where to start since these kids have grown up recieving no treatment and have permanent deformities because of it. I was talking with a man in an upper class at the massage school who is a physio in germany and has worked with Project Hope in Armenia treating kids (many with CP) and educating. He says he will come see the kids with me and work with me on the lesson plan for the staff, which is so great! Don wants me to stay 6 months and was disappointed that I will only be with them for two weeks. There was supposed to be a physio coming from Britian but she never came...as a result, one of the children may not get a surgery to correct the bone deformities in his feet so that he may be able to walk because there will be no after care/therapy. It doesnt feel very good, but I have to leave....the centre's website: http://www.baan-piranan.org/
(and also http://www.freedomwheelchairs.com/ ...it really is incredible what they do...they even publish books educating on how to make mobility aids out of what is available materials, like bamboo)
Oh, I am in a new guesthouse--really nice! Its called Malak and has a better bed, is cheaper and has free internet in the lobby! (where I am now) There is also a hot shared shower in the lobby that I might take advantage of tomorrow morning :) Chilled out at one of the other students hotels this afternoon by thier pool.... tough life eh? A group of us found a wicked rooftop bar on Friday called THC (its in Lonely Planet) that I think I will be spending a lot of time at. Did you know that the bars here close at midnight? LOL luckily the 7-11's are 24 hours and sell cheap beer :)
Feb 6, 2009
I love food...
I cant believe I havent mentioned the food once! SO good! In north Thailand they have a dish called Khao soi that I have pretty much been eating for every meal....I will post a picture. Some north american twists: There are very interesting flavours of Lays potato chips...(see pic...hope you can read it). McDonalds has apple pies for dessert but also corn pies! If I can afford McDs by the end of the week Ill try one and let you know...
Feb 5, 2009
Finished the first level of my course and am excited to have the weekend to do whatever I 
want! Im going to stay in the city because it is the big annual flower festival this weekend and there is a parade with floats and everything tomorrow. Was kicking around the idea of going climbing, but it is crazy expensive to rent the gear and transport for the day...I will wait for when I get to Laos. Thinking about kayaking the Mae Taeng River for a day...talked today with a guy named Jason that runs one of the rafting companies around here about it. Jason is from Cali and super nice...he offered to let me use his 5 year old son's Protec helmet for the day! (I have a really small head and was worried his other one's wouldnt fit). I will be in a perception boat, which is new for me and pretty cool..."creeking" in Thailand...LOL dont tell my mom...
want! Im going to stay in the city because it is the big annual flower festival this weekend and there is a parade with floats and everything tomorrow. Was kicking around the idea of going climbing, but it is crazy expensive to rent the gear and transport for the day...I will wait for when I get to Laos. Thinking about kayaking the Mae Taeng River for a day...talked today with a guy named Jason that runs one of the rafting companies around here about it. Jason is from Cali and super nice...he offered to let me use his 5 year old son's Protec helmet for the day! (I have a really small head and was worried his other one's wouldnt fit). I will be in a perception boat, which is new for me and pretty cool..."creeking" in Thailand...LOL dont tell my mom...
Feb 4, 2009
Chang Mai is starting to really grow on me. Ive met quite a few people that have moved here from different countries and I can totally understand why. Once you get out of the tourist ghetto area its really beautiful and the people are really nice. Inside the moat there is a mix of thai people and tourists, but once you head outside of the gates (and FAR FAR FAR from the night bizzare...its like the little brother of khao san road but with a middle age crowd and more prostitutes) it is the real Chang mai. I can picture myself spending quite a bit of time here, but I should keep moving...my next stop is Laos.Some pics from around Chang mai:
The dogs here are awesome...
I'm really enjoying the thai massage course! There are 7 people in the course (including me), from all over--Brazil, US, Ireland. And the best part is they are all experienced massage therapists! So its a tough life...getting massaged by massage therapists all day ;)
Giving Sean a back stretch (look at that face! He LOVES it!):
I've been staying at some pretty sketchy places so far looking for the cheapest digs that I can live in for two weeks. The last place turns out had no running water, didnt come with bedsheets/towel and the toilet was nasty black on the inside...not sure it actually flushed (I didnt bother to try and use the shower). It was super cheap and had free internet though! :)
Now im paying about 30 BHT more (about $1 CDN) for a room that overlooks a garden and has a free pool table and plays jack johnson all the time (its called Rama...Ive been told its in Lonely Planet if you want to follow along ;). Im pretty happy with it, but there is a place a walk away that is cheaper that I have my eye on....
So my day pretty much goes like this:
-wake up 6:30 a.m...cold shower (ummm refreshing?)
-7am: walk to fav breakfast place and eat with nice old Belgian man.
( If I am alone and heading for food I ask if I can join other people sitting alone too. No one really likes to eat alone I think, and Ive met some really nice people! It turns out this place is this man's fav breakfast place too and we eat at around the same time every day. He has his own shop selling fish on the coast in Belgium in the summer)
-8am: get picked up by the truck for school. Thai massage all day..lectures and hands on
-4pm: school finishes....truck back into the old city
-after 4pm: do random things...lately it has been going for food with people from school, going to the night bizzare or just chatting with people in chill places over drinks. I ran into the guys from BC the other night at a bar and today ran into the couple from England and had a drink...it seems big but it is really a small city :) I havent even spent a night hanging out at my new place...looking forward to playing some pool.
Hanging out at Somwang guest house the first night:So my day pretty much goes like this:
-wake up 6:30 a.m...cold shower (ummm refreshing?)
-7am: walk to fav breakfast place and eat with nice old Belgian man.
( If I am alone and heading for food I ask if I can join other people sitting alone too. No one really likes to eat alone I think, and Ive met some really nice people! It turns out this place is this man's fav breakfast place too and we eat at around the same time every day. He has his own shop selling fish on the coast in Belgium in the summer)
-8am: get picked up by the truck for school. Thai massage all day..lectures and hands on
-4pm: school finishes....truck back into the old city
-after 4pm: do random things...lately it has been going for food with people from school, going to the night bizzare or just chatting with people in chill places over drinks. I ran into the guys from BC the other night at a bar and today ran into the couple from England and had a drink...it seems big but it is really a small city :) I havent even spent a night hanging out at my new place...looking forward to playing some pool.
The Sunday walking market:
Pets for sale on the street!
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