Still in Chiang Mai

We did end up going rafting, trekking and feeding elephants. We were all pretty against riding the elephants since we don't like seeing these highly intelligent and social creatures reduced to carriages. We did feed some, though. As they were coming back from carrying tourists around on their backs, we fed them bananas and sugar cane which they ate whole. I was breaking off bananas one by one from a bundle to feed an elephant, but as it was being pulled away from me to give more rides to tourists, the elephant thought, "enough of this, I'm taking these to go" and wrapped it's trunk around my hand and grabbed the rest of the bundle as it left. It was pretty funny; they were so cute.

Another animal story... We were trekking through a bamboo forest and just as Marah was about to ask the guide if there were cobras there, there was the coiled up answer to her question; it fanned out it's hood, lunged at our guide and hissed. No one was hurt and the cobra quickly slithered away revealing who was really the most frightened. Marah was psyched. Our guide definitely had his adrenaline pumping but later explained that it was a sign of good luck (I doubt he would say that if it bit him). I was right behind Marah, so I heard the hiss and saw the black body slither away through the brush, but only heard from her what actually happened. Crazy, huh? It was pretty cool.

Marah and Steve fly back to the US in a few days; Kris and I are trying to figure out cheap ways to get back to Beijing, so our trip is essentially winding down.

My thoughts on Thailand... this is a great place to vacation: delicious food, great shopping, excellent massages, smiling locals, and comfortable accommodations all at really cheap prices. It makes for a perfect getaway. However, if you're looking for a sense of the culture and people (like we were), then you're in for a disappointment or a difficult search. It seems that if any guide book has written about a place in Thailand, it's exploded with tourism. We haven't really gotten a sense of the Thai people or culture, so if I were to come back again, I would try to stay with locals somehow. Coming from China, especially, where Kris and I went days without seeing other white people, it was a stark contrast. It's not that we don't like it here, it's just very different than what we were hoping for. China was a challenge and an adventure, and I wouldn't recommend it for people who are looking to relax and be pampered. Thailand, however, is perfect for that and makes for a great escape that's exotic enough to feel different but geared enough toward tourists that everything is easily accessible.

Chiang Mai

We're in the north of Thailand. Less hot and humid, which is a nice change. We hope to do some rafting here, trekking in the mountains, and maybe even pet some elephants. Hee hee... big elephant-doggies.

Supposedly the food up here is even better than other regions. I might gain weight from being here. Although, I think another reason I'm never full is that the portions aren't very big, so maybe I'll just stay a little hungry all the time.

Kris and I weren't ready to leave the beaches of the south, so we may go back when Marah and Steve leave. It's better this way since Kris has an ear infection and can't swim for the next week for so.

I'll write soon as more exciting things happen.

Railay (Happy Thanksgiving)

We've been in the same place Railay since the last time I wrote. The beach here kind of disappears at low tide, but there's a pool at our hotel if we really need to be submerged.

Rock climbing was great; I loved it! Getting to the top feels like I've conquered something. It's a great feeling. There were five routes, and I did four of them. Doing four climbs in a few hours is really tiring. My fingers and toes were pretty sore and my arms were exhausted for the rest of the day.

Yesterday we went on a late-day snorkeling trip and saw some of the most colorful coral and fish I've ever seen. Kris and I saw clown fish (the kind Nemo is). They were small and so cute... and doing just what you'd expect a clown fish to be doing, rubbing their bodies on the anemone by swimming in and out of it. Hee hee. They were great.

After sunset we saw giant bats flying in the sky. They had large wings that flapped slowly. They flew out of formation, and it seemed like there was an endless stream of them; some high up, some lower, but all going at the same speed... creepy. They reminded Steve of the flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz.

After dinner which was a delicious seafood curry, we went for a swim without fins and masks. They turned off all the lights on the boat, and we saw bio-luminescence. They are micro-organisms that when they are disturbed, glow like fireflies. They were like underwater sparks that followed the trail of our hands and feet as we tread water. It was magical. It seemed much more like our seafood was spiked with some trippy "Thai surprise" than some occurrence of nature. It was a great end to a fantastic trip. While it wasn't the traditional way to spend Thanksgiving, we all found we had a lot to be thankful for.

Steve and Marah aren't feeling too great, so we just vegged out on the beach all day. Not bad either.

Kris and I miss being able to talk to locals and get a sense of their lifestyle and culture; things are too touristy here, but we are definitely enjoying ourselves. It's a different kind of trip now.

As usual, I wish I could show you some pictures. Kris bought a camera, so we'll have things to show you when we see you.

Thailand

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. It's hard to find the time to get online since four people now need to agree to it, and two of them are trying to get away from it all for two weeks in Thailand. I don't know what to say without feeling like I'm bragging. If you want to know that I'm alive and well and not much more, then stop reading. If you want to know what it's like here...

Thailand's amazing. The shopping in Bangkok is cheap and fun with perfect outfits for Hawaii; the scenery in the south (we're near Phuket now) is like some of the best places in China but lined by beaches that may even be better than Hawaii's (depending what you're looking for); topped by the best food in the world. I find myself constantly hungry, and I don't know whether it's because every menu has 10 dishes I'm dying to try or because the food is easily digested... either way, I love it.

It's so much fun to hang out with Marah and the location is surreal.

We were swimming in the pool bordered with trees and bungalows when four monkeys appeared and climbed the trees nearby. It felt like I was in Disneyland and that was part of some show to make people feel like they were in a place like... well, Thailand. It's weird that I'm actually here. I love it.

We're all having a lot of fun. Tomorrow is rock climbing and maybe kayaking, the next day is snorkling and some other fun activity. Money is going much faster than in China, but we're only in Thailand once, right?

I desperately miss my camera.

Some Closing Thoughts

Our time in China is ended--It's official that Kris is staying for the second half (being that his flight out of China was originally scheduled for November 8th)--and I'm a little sad to leave China.

In general, the people were modest as individuals but proud as a nation. There's a clear openness with each other and with us. Even if they were surprised or unsure of us at first, the hesitancy often melted away with a smile. We have not felt unsafe here (even though we were robbed), and while we know that people have been taking advantage of our Westerness by over-charging us, we didn't get the sense that it was out of disrespect or malice. People were as eager to answer our questions as they were to ask them; and we all got good laughs from our strained attempts to communicate.

Getting around was always an adventure: dodging persistent taxi drivers, finding the right bus, climbing into our too-short beds, searching for a cheap hotel, making sure we got off at the right stop, and being thankful that we were never as sick as some of the other (Chinese) passengers. The food became a little monotonous only because Kris and I had difficulty asking for anything besides rice and noodles, but we ate well.

The unique combination of ancient and modern fascinated us. There are televisions everywhere and Chinese pop blaring in the streets while people still carry things around in baskets and on bamboo poles balanced on their shoulders because, as I said earlier, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The practical, straight-forward ways of doing things work, and I'll miss them.

The signs of China's new Capitalist identity were everywhere; so too were their efforts to establish themselves as a benevolent international power with their record-breaking aid to Africa as well as their incessant preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games to be held in Beijing. We found ourselves in China while its searches for its new identity and grapples with the terms of global Capitalism and Chinese Communism. It was clear that we were seeing China at a significant transformational time in its history.

In a few ways this marks a beginning more than an end: we hope to keep in touch with some of the people we met along the way; Kris is planning on coming back in a few months to study Kung Fu with a monk; and I'm now contemplating studying Mandarin out of a linguistic fascination as well as to make me more desirable in an increasingly competitive job market.

I have no doubt that I will love the second half of my trip, but after living in China for the past month, there's a part of me that will miss it.

... moving on...

I don't know what to say. Even Nik Brodie's luck wears out eventually. I got back my camera from the man who stole it in the restaurant, I got it back from the beak of a cormorant, but it appears that when someone goes through my bag while I'm sleeping on a bus that's the where my luck wears out, and I lose my camera. It sucks most that I lost a month's worth of irreplaceable pictures. Oh yeah, they stole Kris's out of his bag too. We're thankful that no credit cards or passports were taken. He still has his film camera, though, and he already sent a bunch of rolls from the first weeks home already... at least it's something. We went to the police station today and filed a report, but we don't think there's much they can do.

We fly to Thailand tomorrow. We're excited and are going to make sure that the theft doesn't spoil the rest of our trip. I'll keep updating my blog, but don't expect any photos. Heh heh... oh... [meek smile].

Cormorant Fishing

We're in Dali today and going to Lijiang tomorrow... more minority cultures! Today we drank some tea, learned how the people use elaborate tie dying to decorate cloth, watched a traditional dance performance, and went comorant fishing--the highlight of the day. This is where a man in a boat (Kris and I hesitate to call him a "fisherman") is followed by about 10 comormants (a type of water fowl) who seem to like him because he feeds them... occasionally. The man has previously tied their necks so that if a fish is big enough, it won't go down. When the neck is visibly full (see picture), the man pulls the bird into the boat and squeezes the fish--sometimes still alive--out of the bird's neck into a bucket. Done! He has "caught" a fish. Kris and I were on the boat the birds fished around and were dragged onto when they succeeded. It didn't look pleasant for them, but they kept coming back. Plus, they got to eat the smaller ones that did go down. It was all pretty exciting. I got video of a bird being pulled on board and coughing up three fish at one time. I tried to get some underwater video with my spiffy submersible digital camera and a comorant bit it! Luckily, I won a quick bout of tug-of-war rather than the "fisherman" having to squeeze my camera out.

Kris and I are leaving China on Thursday (11/16) for Thailand!

What's Lookin' Good Cookin'?

This is what Kris and I made during our cooking lesson in Yangshuo. There's ginger broccoli, sweet and sour chicken, vegetable dumplings, and (two plates of) vegetable fried rice. It was all so yummy. There were so many leftovers that we, unfortunately, never got around to eating them. I hope I remember how to make these by the time I get home. Maybe I'll pick up some Thai recipies before then.

Hong Kong

We love Hong Kong! In some ways it's more modern than New York; the subways and buses are so new and clean; the lights and activity is similar to what I imagine Tokyo to be like; but the trees, climate, green mountains, and waterfront reminds me of Honolulu. It's such a great mix. The prices are more like the US than Kris and I care for (and are used to after China), but we're not planning on staying long. The Hong Kong Dollar is similar to the Yuan in exchange rate, but the fact the ATM gives it out in denominations five times higher than in China, gives us an idea of how we'll spend it. Our wallets are looking forward to getting back to mainland China even though we'd love to hang out here longer. I hear there are beaches. I didn't realize how much I missed the ocean until I smelled it again. Maybe we'll go scope them out tomorrow.

Our next stop is Kunming.

Yangshuo

We've been in Yangshuo for three days now. It's touristy but fun and beautiful. Kris and I went to a cave yesterday that had a mud hole. It was a lot of fun. The density of the muddy water meant that we could basically just lie on the water... more buoyancy than the Dead Sea. There was a clear pool to wash off in afterwards, but my hair still needed two washes later to get all the mud out. We took a bamboo raft ride and biked a little through the countryside. Kris and I are starting to get a little annoyed by the word "hello". People here use it as if to mean "consume". "Hello water? Hello Beer? Hello?" And they're everywhere. Even on the raft ride, which looks so serene... they set up floating food stands in the middle of the river and even photo booths to take our pictures, print them out, laminate them and sell them to us. We were bad Americans and bought nothing. We just wanted to enjoy the boat ride.

These are the green mountains that I've seen on China posters that I was looking forward to seeing. They really do just pop out of no where and go straight up. The city of Yangshuo itself has mountains sticking up in the middle of it. It's crazy... and beautiful.

Kris and I are going to take cooking lessons this afternoon! Maybe I can add a few more dishes to my repertoire of spaghetti and the very occasional summer roll.

We're taking a 10-hour, smoke-free (YIPEE!) sleeper bus to Hong Kong tonight. We won't stay too long there because it's pretty expensive, but we're looking forward to seeing it.

More Pictures

Here are some more fun ones. Kris has since shaved his beard. No more scruffy traveler-man. He looks all young and clean again.

In the second picture, the girl on the left kept saying "hello!" She was glad to pose for the photo and encouraged her friend behind her to do the same.

Kris and I are heading to Yangshuo tonight. Talk to you soon!

Basketball Anyone?

Kris played basketball with one of our drivers today. There were so many kids at the court that it was a little more than one on one. You can see Kris was the tallest one there (granted, they are mostly kids)... and the best one at basketball. It's been our experience that when we say we're American, questions about the NBA inevitably follow; and of course, Yao Ming. I wanted to practice "my shot" especially since I thought I could have been better than half the boys out there, but we had passports, wallets, and two digital cameras that needed monitoring. So I took pictures, and attracted a swarm of kids fascinated by our cameras. Here I am with the girls.