Home sweet home (not hotel)

I arrived home after a very long time on two planes. Not realizing which airport I had landed I told the driver to take the BQE, he was puzzled and asked me if I lived in Brooklyn. No, but how will you go across the WIlliamsburg bridge to get me to lower Manhattan. Then he told me I was in New Jersey. OK, I guess I was tired. 
I still am.

Well I have the snow and Christmas music to remind me of the time of year. The rushed pace of New York, how can everyone keep this up? And why do they do it at all? It doesn't make things happen faster? Does it?
This morning I'm walking to yoga practice in a down jacket , hat, scarf, gloves listening to Diane Krall's rendition of  'Fly Me to the Moon', freezing. "I'm home now, this is my life," I think, and I'm not complaining.
I could still feel the shape of the airplane seat during my practice, and the lack of stretching for a month. This too shall pass. Why else do they call it 'practice'? Sleep pattern shift aka jet lag can make you wise simply by slowing you down.

The bubble of a long and distant journey has begun to float away. The awareness of home with new clear vision lasts for a while, maybe a week. Perhaps it gives new resolution or inspires an action or two, who knows? The trip has been wonderful, difficult, inspiring, productive and at moments poignant. Again, these long journeys make me realize how connected and small the world is and how far you have to go to get to the other side of the world. Maybe it's time for me to discover Queens. How else am I (realistically) going to get even close to that amazing food without a corporation sized carbon footprint? I'm lucky to have an area to explore that's only a subway ride away. I'm glad I'm home.

Facets of Bangkok

The beautiful pond at the Jim Thompson House       

Lunch at the cafe at the Jim Thompson House         

Behind the scenes of Thai industry and consumerism

Tuk Tuk ride through Bangkok streets (a toxic ride)

Back in Bangkok: Foot Joy

Back here in harry scary Bangkok for the last hurrah of the tour. After dragging ourselves through shopping malls, wholesale dress markets and frenetic food courts (though very worthwhile) we sat our dragging behinds to 'Foot Joy' (see photo).
For 250 bhat, approximately $7.65 (you normally tip an additional 50 bht) you can have a bit of bliss and 'chillax' in busy Bangkok. This is a point of view shot (surprise) while Juon (I think that's her name) went to work on my feet, then legs then shoulders, neck arm. Ahhh....Foot Joy.

It's all been great and now I sit blogging away, looking quickly away from the pile of things to my right that somehow are going to get neatly packed in my now suitcases (note plural). I have a few more photos, my last foreign photo essay for this trip. Then I really do have to start packing. Happy Holidaze everyone. See you back in cold dark New York. I do kind of miss it. and definitely all of you too. xxo Deborah

Deb & Deb's most excellent adventure

We did an elephant trek, rolled around on top of a big pacaderm. My fearless equestrian skills abandoned me when asked if I want to sit in front on the ellie's neck. But kiwi Deb, who hated riding, was fearless. I had the responsibility of taking photos anyway. We saw some caves (not very interesting), the boat ride over to them was much more scenic. We had a good time. The massage after was the best part.

Around town, all in an LP

This is the sunset view of the Mekong river from our terrace of our in-town guesthouse. Not too shabby, eh?

This is JoMa bakery started by a Canadian couple. It gives westerners great coffee, western baked goods, excellent wifi and their employees health benefits and a respectable job. We love this place. This is where the blog gets done.

Dusk on the other river, the Na Plan on the other side of town. AKA paradise.

Kids are kids anywhere in the world.
Yesterday was Hmong New Year, which goes on for the next 15 days. It seems all the kids have the two wheeled skateboards and were trying them out today. This photo was taken 2 days before they were just playing badminton and mugging for the camera.

Early morning activity in LP

Though I have spoken of Luang Prabang as a place to be and do nothing being a dyed-in-the-wool NYer I have to find some activity that requires some effort (aside from eating), it's part of the pact we make as NYers. So, in this case there is the monk's early morning procession where they 'beg for alms'. As I understand it: it is part of their training as monks to walk through the streets at dawn with their begging bowls, which are quite large, by the way (see photo). I thought they were the size of a Japanese soup bowl, but more like the size of a small tabla drum. Maybe in India they are smaller?

Anyway, some rather enterprising woman make sticky rice and 'offerings' to sell to people like me (early rising tourists) to give to these monks. 15,000 kip (though some try to get more) for a plastic tray filled with: small bananas, sticky rice sweets, clementines and a straw container of sticky rice. They spread out a mat on the ground, along the sidelines of the walking monk and pantomime how to give offerings. The cheeky part is when you run out they seem to be right next to you (magically?) and want to sell you another tray. It's another form of 'rock concert' that lasts a lot less longer than sunrise. But I like the photos I got and it was an interesting experience worth getting up for. The monks seem rather shy and it is said that you shouldn't photograph them unless you ask or are sitting lower. I did the latter, they seemed not interested but use to the fuss being made. They all looked well fed.

It's all about the rice

These are rice crackers before they are fried in a giant wok of peanut oil and pork fat.
They are very yummy once they are cooked and sold at every food stand in town.

These are the crackers as they dry in the sun before frying.

These are a Laotian specialty of sticky rice wrapped in lettuce, either raw leaves
or lettuce braised in chicken stock. Papaya salad in the background.

This is rice being steamed in bamboo baskets.

LP is for Jewel

Luang Prabang in northern Laos is considered 'the jewel of the Mekong', we heartily agree.
After driving in on a dusty road with road side stalls we turn on to a bumpy unpaved road drive about 100 meters and park, right past a school and a building that doesn't look like much of a hotel. When we were trying to book online it seemed everything was full. 'No room at the inn' at Christmas time was getting personal instead of biblical. So we booked Chanthavinh Resort, rated #11 on tripadvisor.com. It was a bit more posh or pricey than we planned, but they had a room and we would search around for the last two nights. We didn't know what we were getting into, we barely knew where we were going. People who had been here just kept saying it was wonderful and we'd love it. Encouraging, but not explaining a whole lot (or so we thought).

So we halt at this non-descrip place, start thinking 'internet scam' and the driver says, 'you take boat now'. 'Hostage', we think, 'at least we have each other'. Down these many many stairs to the pier, the poor driver carrying my extremely heavy bag and Deb's merely heavy bag. This luggage description is a good metaphor for how I feel like an 'amazon' in a land of 5 foot 3 inch standard height. As our mutual friend Paris Deb said 'they see me coming' is an understatement, not just in size.

Off we go to Shangri La, which is considered what Nepal is, but the term definitely describes here.
When we arrive at the other side after a boat ride that is at the perfect part of the late day, peaceful, quiet, birds chirping, lush green fields full of salad vegetables. We walk up as many steps as we walked down, the poor boatman carrying the luggage, think "The Piano", we arrive at the resort. The grounds are gorgeous, the view is beautiful and the food is terrific. The staff is kind, thoughtful and considerate, meeting our needs with quiet enthusiasm. There are some design glitches in the room, bad lighting and the shower head  attachment about knee height (not my knees, kiwi Deb's, she is 5'3"),

We have really enjoyed waking up there in the morning and going home by boat at the end of the day. There was a large group our first day, but the rest of our stay we fantasized it was 'our estate', for we were it's only guests. We were told there was a group arriving the afternoon after we left. They aren't busy enough, but apparently no one is, the economy is taking it's toll on vacations. What went on with booking before, who knows? Now we have moved into town for our last 2 nights. More posts on what we did (or didn't do) to come. The weather (for all you folks back home) chilly misty mornings mid 60s then sun breaking through after 11 and going to about 80, then cooling down at night. Paradise it is. Home feels very far away, but will come rushing back soon enough. Only 4 days left before I return. Gosh!

Pak Chiang Mai: the best guesthouse ever!

A meal well done

We had a lovely macro-vegan lunch outside on the grounds of a university/wat.

It was delicious!

Land of the terra cotta gods

Chillin' in Chiang Mai

This has been a tonic for the soul here in Thailand. After an amazing adventure in the Angkor Wat complex and time in a place still raw from the ravages of war and man's inhumanity it was time to go to a more healing place and meet up with my pal and travel mate Deb.

So after a bit of confusion with planes we met up at the Chiang Mai airport and was transported to the Pak Chiang Mai guest house, a traveler's paradise and an oasis into the calm, wat filled city of Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand nestled amongst the hills.

Where we stayed was so beautiful, a small waterfall and fountain with beautiful fish swimming in the pond. The terrace and outdoor space is lovely, food delicious, the room was beautiful, great bathroom and shower, we had a terrace, it was heaven! Plus, the people who worked there and ran the place took us in as if we were extended family. It is considered #1 guesthouse in the area on trip advisor and they are not kidding. Plus, the woman who gave massages is a master. I don't know when I've had such a good massage! I feel that Thai massage is 'the way' the stretching as well as the deep tissue work is amazing. It's not as deep as Rolfing, but that gets into a whole other thing. Anyway, I feel as though after all the non-asana yoga I have been doing and not doing much in the way of Hatha yoga it has been wonderfully healing.

The town itself is lovely and being in Thailand has been a great cure to all the adventure of Vietnam and Cambodia. So let me tell you a bit more and share some photos. Where we stayed was across from a terra cotta ceramics atelier. There was a garden full of statues of Ganesh, Buddha, Garuda and a host of others. It was amazing! Made me happy in all my ganeshagirl-ness. Found a couple of other ceramic places as well. (bringing coal to Newcastle I suppose) Just walking around and looking at wats (temples), I did feel like I was more on a vacation than a social/anthropological tour. Definitely needed to feel that way, as well as the food was terrific, no surprise. Thai food is delicious, but I have to say that I've grown a bit partial to the more subtle, less 'event-like flavors' of Vietnam and now Laos.

I'll send some photos and comments of Chiang Mai and then will talk to you from Luang Prabang or LP.  Just think chitty chitty bang bang.

Wat's Up: A mini photo essay

Cambodia Today- December 2009

Life in Cambodia is difficult. It's heaviness is palatable. After driving into town, the feeling is so strong I want to burst into tears. It's not that there is any thing terrible to see. There are luxury hotels sprouting up everywhere, lots of traffic, parents holding their children's hands as they cross the street often carrying a school backpack. There are small businesses.There are no killing fields where I was anymore, it was more likely to be an ice cream stand or food stall. So, wat up? I dunno. It was just incredibly heavy. The kids who sold the scarves, bracelets, straw decorations that were RELENTLESS, saying 'you buy from me, you promise, you come back and buy from me not from them'. Meanwhile you haven't promised anybody anything. Well, in India they just beg, here at least they are attempting to sell you something. And boy do they see me coming; bleeding heart liberal, downtown New Yorker that I am. I buy a little, say no a lot. The adults at food stalls try to wave me in with the least bit of eye contact to get me to buy from their stand, which is like the stand next to them, which is identical to the stand next to it, etc.

People not trying to sell you anything, and they do exist are warm, quick to smile and seem to have a tired kindness you don't see much where I come from. I found the people quite friendly, gentle (if they weren't trying to sell you something and sometimes if they were) very attractive and  if you looked a little longer than 3 seconds the dark shadow of incredible sadness. These people have been through hell, and it was recently too. They still are. You see lots of people maimed from landmines, missing, arms, legs, blind. (there are still many many hidden land mines all over the country, 2-3 million still estimated). There are even orchestras playing at wats or in the 'Pub Street' area which kind of is like Vegas. A friend who had visited before used that comparison that mystified me until I got there. After spending all day climbing around wats or traveling into the countryside to see them, it's a brightly lit 21st century day on 'Pub Street' with pizza, bistros, 'authentic' Khmer food, Khmer massage and places to buy fair trade souvenirs, as well as bootleg copies of 'Tomb Raider' and 'The Killing Fields'. I guess a fair comparison would be Berlin 1950, Rwanda in the 90s, Iraq 5 years from now (or less I hope).

The young lady, Sophia (pronounce Soh pe a) was so lovely, delicate, soft spoken and humorous. She sat me down on the couch, had a lemon soda brought to me and said, 'Relax, you have come a long way, you will be comfortable here and you don't have to worry, just enjoy'. Pretty interesting check in to a hotel, huh? And she and the staff did all they could to make me feel welcome. I had a good time. I saw amazing sites, met interesting people, got some great photos. When I left, again I really had to blink back the tears when my tuk tuk driver smiled a huge warm grin, said thank you and good bye. I just wanted to burst into tears, I still do.

Wats I have known: Cambodia

Ta Prohm

Banteay Srey

Ta Prohm

Bayon