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Don’t Drink and Drone

Fancying yourself a world traveler comes with certain expectations. To always be seeking out something new, and find some unexplored thrill.  It is this tenant in mind that causes me some confusion when I have a desire to go back to the familiar. Somewhere I enjoyed in the past, and want to recreate in some way. It feels weak. Leave the past where it is, and seek out something new! However, I feel this trip is as much a ‘vacation’ as it is a travel trip.  So weak or not, I decided to take us back to an old favorite of mine and book a live aboard dive trip in Khao Lak, Thailand.

On my adventure back in 2015, I ended up doing 4 different liveaboards from here with the lovely Sea Dragon Dive shop.  For those that don’t know, a liveaboard consists of living consecutive days on a 3 deck, spacious dive boat, sailing to remote dive locations only reachable by a longer boat trip.  We had booked a 3 day, 3 night trip which would allow me to get 9 dives in.  I know what many of you are thinking, Tina got her dive certification!  Nope, but she is awesome and willing to tag along as a passenger while I scratch my dive itch. Don’t worry she won’t be suffering too much getting to see the remote Surin Islands and snorkeling in world class coral reefs :).

It was a long day to get to Khao Lak.  3 short flights with medium length layovers, but the day passed uneventfully. It was surreal to be back in Thailand where Tina and I had met 2.5 years ago.  All the familiar spots were still there, I guess where would they have gone? It’s strange to see that the world was still revolving as usual without you.  Khao Lak is a lovely little strip next to the beach on the west coast of Thailand.  It manages to hide away from the younger back packer party scene and maintains a quaint, peaceful charm without being too boring.

The first couple days we checked into the dive shop and chilled at the beach over drinks and massages. I had to do a refresher dive as it had been a while since I’d been in the water. This gave Tina some space to go roam about on her own.  It was a peaceful, relaxing period before heading out on the boat.

Tina: While Steve was doing his refresher dives, I knew that I was going to be stuck on a boat for 3 days with potentially nothing to do. I decided to download all my work that could be done off line as I was told there would be little to no internet service. I also downloaded Oprah Winfrey’s book, “The Wisdom of Sundays”. I then decided to walk the strip hoping to find a “thum cart”. This street food cart offers a variety of ways in which one can order their “thum”. The base of “thum” is a protein and/or veggies and/or noodles smashed together in a mortar with fish sauce, lime, chili peppers and the occasional bah dak (fermented fish). My heart was set on thum papaya, but when I saw another lady order thum mi-mama (raman), I had to do the same. It was so good, I should’ve ordered two!

We convened at the dive shop in the evening, and got acquainted with with the group that would share the trip.  It was a smaller group than on previous trips, only 10 of a max 20 guests.  We had been unable to secure a private cabin due to the late booking, but lucky us, we had the entire dorm section to ourselves :).  I was thrilled to see a couple old friends still working the trips, and they remembered me as well.  A nice mini “home coming” feeling.  After a short drive and a rundown of the boat functions, we were in bed and roaring out to sea for the first day.

6:30 am came quickly after some sketchy sleep. The boat had to drive all night on choppy waters to get to our first dive site and it made for a bumpy sleep.  Oh well, just had to get up, grab a coffee and jump in the water. Day 1 would include 4 total dives, which doesn’t leave too much time for anything else.  The diving was fantastic as usual, taking us to great sites in the Similan/Surin island region.  This area has enormous amounts of live coral and different fish, and sea life of all types.

Between dives the group would eat delicious fresh Thai and western food prepared by the chef that lives on the boat, with the other fabulous crew that keeps things running smoothly. Tina was a tad queasy, but managed to enjoy the day, chilling on the boat, and getting to know the other guests. It’s great after traveling on our own, to have some new faces to talk to.  The long first day ends with a night dive, and then a couple beers to decompress before hitting the sack.

Tina: Tad is an understatement. I was asking myself what the hell I got myself into predicting that I’ll will be puking my insides out for the next 3 days. However, after the dramamine kicked in, I started to feel somewhat normal again. I decided to be more preemptive with the dramamine so I took them right when I got up and again right before dinner. It really helped stabilize me through the end of the trip.

Day 2 proceeds much the same, except we had the option to head over to a remote beach on one of the islands we were docked near.  Tina was eager to get off the boat for a bit, so along with 4 others, we headed to shore.  Mu Ko Surin Islands are a national park, and offer a small restaurant and rent out pre-staged tents on the beach for anybody wishing to stay on the island. We decided to break out the drone and finally put it to use for some unique footage.  My first time flying it, I quickly became accustomed to the first person shooter video game controls and managed to get some good video. Or did I? Woops, we forgot to press record :(.   Try again later…

Tina: Okay, so it was my fault I forgot to press record, even after Steve explicitly asked me if I pressed record. Haha. For some reason, flying the drone makes me nervously forgetful. Don’t worry, I won’t be piloting an airplane anytime soon. 

One of the fellow divers, Dom, wasn’t able to equalize on the first day, so he had to return to the boat, hopefully to be able to try again. Total bummer for him but it was nice for me to have someone to talk to. I was thinking I’d be able to “hang out” with the boat crew and immerse myself in conversation with them. Unfortunately, I was only able to pick up every 10 words or so (and that was from hearing them speaking amongst themselves). They’re from the southern part of Thailand where the dialect is different from the city, which made it even more difficult for me to pick up. 

It was Day 2 and Fi, one of the dive masters, asked if I wanted to snorkel as we’ll be in one of the most beautiful snorkeling spots in Thailand (if not the world). I was very hesitant because I can’t swim and didn’t want to die out in the waters of Thailand and not see my family ever again. So no, my mind was made up. Dom, who had been bored out of his mind hated the fact that he’s missing out on such gorgeous waters, decided he was going to snorkel. Okay, arm twisted, I’ll go – as long as I have a life jacket on me! After practicing my breathing above water, I decided to go for it. Holy smokes! This quote came to mind as I was floating aimlessly in the water “a comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there”. I did it, I managed to get out of my comfort zone and it was all worth it. To see the vibrant, multicoloured corals and diverse sea life through my own lense was so entrancing (pictures do it no justice)!

After the last dive of the day, the Sea Dragon crew puts together a nice BBQ, and provides there own concoction, the dragon slayer. Actually quite a tasty mixed drink.  The evening was quite fun, having some drinks with all the other guests and crew, and getting to know each other a bit better. Nothing too wild though, as we had to awake early once again for the final day of diving.

Before dinner we did get ambitious and break out the drone again. We had a tight take off and landing zone, but it seemed fine after our breach practice. We did press record and capture some stunning sunset footage of the boat, and the islands.  However, when it was time to bring her in for a landing, things did not go smoothly. There was a small area to land, and as I began landing procedures, whereby the drone returns to the control location automatically, the drone dipped, and suddenly plummeted down two flights of stairs onto the lower deck of the boat!  Woops 😐 !  Luckily nobody was hurt, even with one of the propellers firmly jammed into the stairs. Likewise, the drone (Dravko is the name), was also no worse for wear, minus a set of cheap plastic propellers. Nothing to see here folks…

 

 

The last day would include two dives, at the legendary Richelieu Rock.  Regularly rated in the top 10 dive sites on earth, it is obvious why once you get in the water. Words don’t do it justice, so let’s just say, if you dive, come here. It’s truly remarkable. Tina managed to get in the water again for a snorkel, with her snorkel buddy Dom.  This was great though as it gave herthe confidence to get in the water and overcome her fear of breathing while submerged. I’ll have her diving before you know it!

Tina: it was a huge milestone for me to snorkel in open waters like this. I’ve snorkeled in Mexico and Hawaii before but did not have a great experience and thought snorkeling was for the birds. Another fear stomped! I plan to take my new love for the sea life to the next level and get my diving certificate in 2018! Oh, and I managed to finished Oprah’s book but only got in 15 minutes of actual work.

We had one last lunch after the last dive, and the boat booked it for shore. It was a 3 hour ride back to dock, and we were all feeling a bit tuckered out. We squeezed in a van for a 1.5 hour drive to the dive shop as some rain rolled in to greet us.  We bade farewell to our new and old friends, and I promised to return again someday for more great adventures.

That evening we had a special guest join us at our hotel. My old roommate Audrey from Vancouver was randomly in Thailand so we managed to meet up. We had some drinks and tried to shake off our sea legs while catching up.   We had another day and half before we were to fly out to Cambodia.  It passed in the familiar relaxing style. Eating delicious Thai food, having some cold beverages, and enjoying the company of friends.

But as we’ve stated before all good things must come to an end…. Audrey and crew were heading in our direction so we shared a comfy van to take us to the airport and deliver them to more beach time. The sun had set once again on wonderful Thailand and all it’s great food and massages!

See you in Siem Reap.

 

 

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Winding Down at Inle Lake

Inle Lake is a 20 Km long fresh water lake in central Myanmar. It has become one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the region due to the vast canals, farming, and infrastructure built on top of the lake.  From aisles of tomato plants, to skilled fisherman rowing their canoes with one leg, Inle is a unique site to behold.

We had arrived on an outer canal at the end of our trek  and boarded a long tail to traverse the entire lake.  We had booked a hotel in the neighboring Nyaung Shwe village at the north end of the lake.  Our ride took about an hour and was a fantastic tour of the lake.  As we headed down the long entry canal, we passed by different sections of vegetables on long vines growing deep into the water.  Many fisherman were perched, sitting on the end of tiny canoes hauling in their nets.  Once on the open lake, there were vast platforms of bamboo buildings, including guesthouses, monasteries, and many more shops and buildings for locals.

As we streamed down the lake the cool breeze felt incredible after our long hot day of trekking. It was lovely to finally arrive.  Fleets of other longtails were on the water offering curious tourists day tours of the many sites. We were quite fatigued however, and once we docked near our hotel, we made our way to some luxurious AC and a proper shower.   We had just one full day to spend in Inle, but for the rest of this day, some decompressing would be needed.

That evening our ambitions were low after the trek, so we found some nice Thai food near our hotel. Nyaung Shwe was a bit more touristy than I expected, and had a selection of the usual backpacker needs. Many bars, hotels and restaurants offering all sorts of western foods.  If you’ve been to SE Asia, you can imagine what I’m talking about.  It was not overdone however, and still had some local charms.

The next morning, we agreed to hang around the town, and not venture out on the water. We had gotten a nice view of most things on the lake the previous day, and mostly just wanted to chill and catch up on some other things. You have these days sometimes, despite being in a hard to reach, wonderful location, you just feel like sitting on your butt and doing nothing.  Given that it is our vacation, we get to do what we want so we sat on our butts at a little coffee shop and let the day pass on.

A few beverages later and many hours of getting things like the blog up to date, and we were ready to move on to a massage.  We went for the 60 minute oil, and it was the best option for our weary bodies.  That evening we did venture out to find one last Burmese meal before leaving.  Tina researched a less busy location a bit off the hustle and bustle.  Unfortunately, there was a local at home next door who must have been dying of lung cancer, as I’ve never heard anybody hack and spit so much horrible hell in my life. Just after we thought he must be done, we’d try to dig in to our food, only to be greeted with another minute of hawking.  Poor fella…

Our time in Myanmar had been lovely, but as it goes with all things in this life, it did come to an end. The morning saw us hop a taxi and enjoy one last drive through the villages on our way to Heho airport. We would fly a short hop to Yangon and then make our way to Khao Lak in Thailand that night.  I had planned some beaching and diving excursions that I knew would be a hit.

Signing off from Inle Lake.

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The Road to Inle: 3 days, 57Km, and 2 Squatters

Of all the delights that SE Asia has to offer, one of the most precious is getting to spend some time with locals in their own setting.  This is often hard to achieve when rolling through the usual stops, where tourism has taken up a stronghold.  The best way to achieve this can be to book a trek through remote villages.  I’ve done this in the neighboring countries of Thailand and Laos, and was looking forward to showing Tina the charms of remote village life here in Myanmar.  A well established route from Kalaw to Inle Lake would be our chosen option, 57km over 3 days and 2 nights, passing through many remote villages along the way.

Before beginning, we had to find our way to Kalaw from Bagan. We booked a private driver and were treated to another SE Asia journey of terror.  Along the way, we did have a nice stop at a local palm sugar processing region. Tina finally got a chance to put on the local make up that we see all the locals wear, called thanaka.  A brown, chalky cream made from tree bark that the Myanmar women all wear on their face to function as both a sunscreen, and a make up.  We also observed the process by which they make palm alcohol, and many types of palm sugar treats.

A few dozen blind corner passes of vehicles later, and some windy mountainside roads, we barely made it out alive and arrived in the quaint little town of Kalaw.  Having a very mountain town feel to it, it reminded me more of Nepal than Myanmar.  We checked in with our trekking group, Green Discovery, and staged our launch the next morning.

View of Kalaw from our hotel

At the early hour of 8:30, we met our wonderful guide Ucho whom we would spent the next 3 days with.  We headed out through town on what would be a 20Km day of hiking.  It was lovely to get our bodies moving after some sloth like living in Bagan by the pool.  It took a bit of time but we adjusted to Ucho’s accent, and he to ours, and we were able to communicate quite easily.  He had been leading treks for 7 years and it was fascinating to hear how much things had changed and grown since the country opened  up more easily to tourism. Just 2 years ago there were only half the guesthouses in Kalaw that were now present.

Tina’s Travel Tips
Only pack the essentials while trekking. You’ll be walking a long distance each day, and every pound counts.

The first 5km we made our way up some elevation and Tina had a mild moment of discomfort, realizing what she had gotten herself into. It did quickly pass however, and soon enough things leveled out.  It was easy to walk through the beautiful scenes that we were treated to.  Large cascading green fields with local villagers farming with water buffalo and old wooden equipment.  It was a throw back to older times.   Soon we hit our first break of the day and watched as farmers took their animals out to work in the fields.

The morning rolled on in much the same fashion, passing by field after field of farmers.  Some dressed in local village clothing, some dressed in soccer jerseys and old Adidas track suits.  A strange contrast, it seems to be the only clothing that makes it out to these villages!  Many villagers also sported some red stained teeth, acquired from a hobby of chewing betel nut.  A bit of an addiction of some different SE Asia countries, it offers a stimulant like effect, while helping to clean the teeth.  Unfortunately, it has been linked to shocking levels of mouth cancer in the region, and less seriously, some giant red smiles.

At lunch we settled into a less remote village which was bustling with a market and home to large Buddhist temple named Shwe Oo Min Paya which was built on top of a deep limestone cave.  After some delicious food made fresh by Ucho,  we journeyed into the cave.  With over 8000 different Buddha statues adorning the path it was a very cool site to see.  It did get a bit stuffy and tight at times, but we kept on and soon were reunited with fresh air.   After lunch I had a poorly timed, first bout of intestinal distress.  I enjoyed the luxury of a public squat toilet to find my bearings and popped some antibiotics to be sure this would not last.

The afternoon swept by with what would become the familiar beautiful sights of the region.  We had our moments of tiredness but kept our heads down, and before we knew it, another 10Km had passed, and we strolled leisurely into the village we would call home for the night, filled with the local tribe of the Da Nu people.

Tina’s Travel Tips
Make sure to bring some toilet paper. Most of the squat toilets in the villages will not have any western comforts.

We had our own room to ourselves in a bamboo thatched home.  The locals partner with the trekking companies to house trekkers, and benefit with a bit of extra tourism cash to spread around.  The companies make an effort to go through all the different villages, so as to not unfairly distribute this much needed cash flow.

Our weary joints settled in and after a nice cold bucket shower in the back yard, we were good as new.  Strangely we even had high speed 4G internet on our phones, so it perhaps took a bit away from the feeling of being remote. That evening, we took a walk around the village, said mingalabar to the folks we saw, and after another delicious, fresh cooked meal, we laid our heads to rest.  I was out cold fast, with some serious ear plugs, but Tina suffered some, as the locals seemed to be having a bit of a parade roaming around town.  She did eventually catch some zzzz’s, thankfully, and morning soon came. (Tina: actually, I slept with one eye open pretty much all night. Creepy sounds, neighbors snoring and Myanmar folk song playing in the distance made me a bit skittish)

Morning in these villages is always quite special.  Step 1 is realizing that you will rise with the sun, as that is what roosters do, and they like to let you know the day has begun.  A house nearby also decided to play some lovely local tunes quite early, so just like that we were moving into the day.  All in all, we got some good sleep given that we went to bed so early, and despite the music that was playing all night.

Ucho had prepared us some breakfast, again a shockingly large amount of food which we did our best to get through.  We packed up our bags, splashed our faces in the bucket shower, and got ready to roll.  Tina first had a special challenge.  The remote squat toilets in this part of the world can be difficult to adjust to, and Tina had thought she might ‘withhold her offerings’ until we reached a western hotel in Inle Lake.  I gently encouraged her to buck up, and face the new frontier with bravery, and she decided to go for it.  Needless to say, she succeeded, and had leveled up to proper SE Asia back packer status :). (Tina: Seriously my worse fear on the trek. So, yaaassss!!! Can I get a high 5!!!? #2 in squat toilet conquered!)

A lovely 5Km later, and we were already on our first break of the day.  We chilled off the path in the next village, and were greeted by a flock of children.  They are one of the most endearing parts of these treks, seeing their happy little faces running around in the most modest of conditions.  Western brats would never tough through the conditions these kids thrive in!  This group however, seemed to have known that us tourists may have some treats for them.  It is often frowned upon to give anything directly to the kids, as it fosters bad behavior for them, and unhealthy dependencies on tourism.  We did have some Myanmar made palm sugar candies, and Ucho said it was ok to feed the little buggars.  One little one leaned out and pointed to his mouth, so we caved and gave them a treat, and off we headed down the trail.

We walked by our familiar sights of farmers, fields of fresh chili peppers, sesame plants, and what was a shockingly diverse set of fruits and vegetables growing in the region. Ucho knew them all, and always pointed them out to us along the way.  Lunchtime rolled around at the 10Km mark, and we had made some great time. We decided to take a 2 hour break, and rest up.  We had our usual drink of tea, and what had become a regular can of coke. Followed by another great home cooked meal.  During our break, Tina broke out the drone (aka Dravko) we had brought along for the first time.  We got it setup and took a modest video looking down from high up on the village.

Drone footage of Pa Oh tribe village

Tina’s Travel Tips
Be a considerate traveler. No PDA, wear appropriate clothing, don’t give money directly to children. Try to observe the culture without influencing it.

On our afternoon break, we had an interesting setting in a small store/house along the way.  There were a handful of local guys hanging out drinking rice whiskey and chilling out.  We tried to introduce ourselves and tell them where we were from and they were quite interested in Tina.  They would speak in a local language to the village, and occasionally say the word “American”, followed by some giggles and full bellied laughs.  The people in this part of the world are usually quite polite but it did seem they were having some sort of laugh commenting on Tina. Boys will be boys?  We headed off, eager to wind out the day.

Wind out the day we did, and with one last push uphill settled into a Pa-oh village nestled in the valley of two mountains.  It was a bit more upscale than the previous, featuring a store with some beverages.  After settling into our lovely homestay, we enjoyed a well earned couple beers. A extremely satisfying treat after another 20Km day in the heat.  Other trekkers rolled through, along with tired farmers coming home with herds of cattle and oxen.  We took in a game of soccer at the local monastery, and some monks playing hackysack in their robes.  It was a charming scene.  Once again we had a bucket shower, albeit this one was in private so we could get a full wash in.  Our host and Ucho did the meal prep in a side hut over a wood fire.  The smell of wood smoke becoming a very familiar trend of the trip.

Our neighbors had some serious work underway, pounding out sacks of corn until the sun went down ( and possibly after ).  They put their kids to work young in the villages, but we can hope that by day they were sending them to school.  That night we struggled some to sleep as the wood fire had somewhat enveloped our room making the air stuffy, along with a freakishly loud snore from poor Ucho in the next room.  We did squeeze in some sleep in the lulls and woke to the usual sounds of roosters and smells of wood smoke.

This would be our last day on the trek, and cover 17 more Km.  We were getting a bit worn down, and some blisters were starting on our feet.  These moments can be fleeting though, so we found some smiles and appreciation for where we had been, and where we had found ourselves on this lovely morning. The walk out included a pass through a 100 year old monastery, and some foggy trails.  We didn’t rest much, only once at a roadside store to have a cookie and and a coke.  We got a bit of finish line syndrome as we came close to the end, but finally had found our way to the edge of Inle Lake.  Our journey was complete and our bags were safely waiting for us.  We rested on the water and had some lunch before departing from our wonderful guide.  Ucho had a been a lovely friend for 3 days, and I would highly recommend him to others.  But just like that, we zipped off in a long tail onto the next adventure…

With our guide, Ucho

 

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Temples of Bagan

Few places churn up your sense of imagination like Bagan, Myanmar.  An open plain set against the  Irrawaddy river, Bagan is home to over 4000 ancient Buddhist temples dating back over 1000 years.  They seem to be everywhere, but the magnificent effort put into the building of each structure cannot be overlooked.  At one point as many as 10000 temples, pagodas and monasteries were peppered across the land.  Time takes its toll however, and many centuries of neglect, and natural disasters have eroded the old site to what is today. Which is still outstanding.

Tina and I put on our brave hats, and boarded a short flight from Yangon to Bagan, eager to get a glimpse into the past.  We safely arrived, and were quickly taken with how many temples were in plain view as we drove to our hotel.  We pimped out a bit for this leg, and nestled into our resort, which sported a stunning pool on an immaculate grounds, overlooking the beautiful river.  We had 3 days to take in the region before moving on, and as day 1 was an afternoon arrival, we enjoyed the luxury of our resort, as we prepared for a sunrise morning to go explore.

Tina’s Travel Tips
Bagan traffic is low-key, so rent a scooter for 10,000 Kyat ($7.5) a day to explore the temples on your own terms.

Sunrise soon came, and we hopped on electric scooters rented from the resort to go see the temples on our own terms. Tina had not spent much time on bikes in Asia, but thankfully this was a very tame region to get her bearings which she did quickly.  First up we came across a beautiful grouping of 4 temples, and became aware of what a remarkable site this was going to be. Stunning in their structure and beauty, we roamed and grabbed photos as we could.

We came across a larger temple which had a local artist manning the gates. He offered to take us on a tour inside, which included thousand year old wall paintings in a corridor which surrounded an enormous Buddha. The building was built so that windows would cast light directly onto the Buddha. It was truly stunning. After the tour and a few barefoot steps in bat poop, our guide showed us some brilliant art work which he created.  Different than the usual oppressive hawking you find in other places in Asia, he was gentle, and gracious as we had a look. We ended up grabbing a couple of wall hangings  and thanked him before moving on.

Tina’s Travel Tips
Bring some small bills to tip the guides at each temple if they offer you some of their time. Or possibly buy some of the items they have on sale.

It’s hard to describe the day we had roaming from temple to temple. Some enormous, some elaborate, and some beautifully simple. We wandered around the stairs and edges of the exteriors, and circled through corridors of some interiors.  There seemed to be no end to the options for exploring.

We had a slight hiccup at one point, as we finished touring a large structure, Tina realized she didn’t have the key to her scooter :-|.  We backtracked a bit, and thankfully, a lovely local girl who had greeted us at a previous temple, yelled to us that she had our key…. Dodged one there, not sure what the options would have been otherwise! (Tina says: I’ve not seen Steve so irked before so I walked the temple a few times to try to find the key. “I” believe there would’ve been a way to dodge it…like go back to the scooter company and figure a solution? But I’m happy the key was found. LOL)

After working up an appetite seeing the sprawl, we headed into the town of Old Bagan to grab some grub by the riverside. Town of Old Bagan may not quite capture the village. It was quite ancient with the locals living in some bare bones accommodation.  Lots of horses and cows were littered in dusty streets, as we biked by into lunch.

Tina’s Travel Tips
For the ladies not wanting to sweat in the raging heat, pack a light shawl and sarong to cover up as  you enter the larger temples to show respect.

Having hit the temples at the wee hours of the morning, we were pretty wiped after lunch, and headed back to our luxury for some celebratory beers. We winded down the day chatting with some other guests and enjoying the fact that we were well on our way into our trip.

The next morning we were up again at the crack of dawn. We had met a lovely couple from Colorado, Jen and Lyle, whom were taking 4 months travel after an early retirement.  They had booked a car to go to see the hot air balloons take off over the plain, at sunrise.  A popular tourist attraction for $350 USD per person, you can cruise across the sky in a balloon, overlooking the temples below.  Our driver got us to the take-off site, just before the sunrise, but much to many people’s disappointment, the day was cancelled due to bad winds. Thankfully, we weren’t one of the balloon riders.  We took the chance to use the driver to see a couple more temples before hitting the resort for a well earned breakfast.

Tina and I wiled away the rest of the day over beers and a delicious set of spring rolls (many orders) that were on offer. Feeling a bit templed out, we rested up for our next destination. We were heading the next day a 6 hour drive east to the trekking town of Kalaw. We had booked a 3 day,  2 night hill tribe trek to Inle Lake which would cover 57 Km of walking and sleeping in remote Myanmar villages.

Next stop Kalaw!

 

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New Territory

Hey Y’all,

Last we spoke Tina and I were headed to the airport in Hong Kong, taking off on a new adventure in our first trip to Myanmar.  Myanmar may bring a variety of images to mind, or possible none depending on your knowledge of the world. For decades it was on the world blacklist for a slew of human rights abuses.  However, in the past decade, the government has moved to civilian rule, and the country has opened up to the world.  Just 3 years ago was a different realm inside the country. Where you once had to bring pristine hundred dollar bills to exchange, there are now ATMs scattered throughout the land. Where heading to Myanmar once meant going fully off the grid, there is now remarkable 4G cell coverage. It’s a country on the tourism rise, and we are here to try and siphon off some authentic experience before it gets too tainted. Hope we are not too late!

Tina’s Travel Tips
Believe it or not, Uber is in Yangon. For 6000 Kyat (4 USD), we got a reliable trip to our downtown hotel from the airport (45 minutes).

Our first stop would be the former capital city of Yangon (also formerly Rangoon from British colonial days).  We caught a direct flight from HK, and a mere 3 hours later landed in the strange new land.  It was a smooth entry, and before we knew it,  we were checked in to our hotel downtown, the beautiful Merchant Art Boutique.  The familiar smells and sounds of a proper 2nd world city were in the air, much to my delight. The first night we had a beer on the roof, to decompress. We were pleased to see that the famous Shwedagon Pagoda was in full view. This is an ancient Buddhist temple, one of the most holy sites in the religion. Our view was stunning, catching the reflection of light off the gold veneer.

The next morning we woke early after another 1.5 hour time change. We still weren’t on Asia time, and now a full 12 hours off home. This would be our only full day in Yangon, so we got ourselves together, and after breakfast, headed out to see the Pagoda. Being a bit jet lagged still, we were bad tourists, and smelled of the west when we didn’t dress appropriately. Both of us know better, but thankfully the entrance offered some sarongs and shirts to help us avoid offending the locals.

Tina’s Travel Tips
If you don’t have appropriate clothing, you can borrow a sarong and shirt at the entrance to the Shwedagon Pagoda to cover up and show your respect.

The Shwedagon Pagoda is thought to have been originally built sometime between the 6th and 10th centuries.  It is a massive site, with many temples and pagodas surrounding the main pagoda which stands out with over 27 tonnes of gold leaf adorning the exterior. There was a wide variety of people taking in the scene. From obvious tourists like ourselves, to old monks in robes meditating at the many Buddha statues.  Always a bit surreal to see these famous destinations in person, we took our time to enjoy being there before heading off.

As we exited we were in for a treat.  A ceremony was just beginning, which included a march of locals playing instruments following a man dressed as an elephant, dancing wildly.  We followed them along down the exit stairs enjoying what seemed to be some authentic culture.  We still don’t know what the ceremony was for however.

After grabbing some lunch, and some cool air conditioned space, we went in search of a Thai Massage.  One of my favorite activities in SE Asia, I can’t recommend them enough. For usually less than $15/hr, you get a fantastic stretch and bend, and come out feeling like a new person.  This time was no exception!

We did get our first taste of proper Asian city chaos on the way back to the hotel. Our cabbie didn’t know the way, although he headed off like he did. Luckily I was equipped with google maps, and let him know.  No problem, he just pulled a U-turn into a barrage of oncoming traffic. They honked and slammed the brakes, but managed to not crash into us, and we were safely pointed in the right direction.  I’m sure I’ll cover driving in Asia in more detail later, and also have ranted in the past blogs, so I’ll spare you for now.

The next day we were set to take a local flight to Bagan.  Flying local in these countries always triggers a bit of nervousness, but we chose the 1 hour flight instead of the 16 hour train :).

See you on the Plains of Bagan!

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Crazy, Hazy, Hong Kong

Greetings travelers,

Hong Kong.  It evokes thoughts of busy streets, sprawling humanity, and a waft of smells of the good and bad variety.  It houses the densest populated region of humans on earth, and lays gently next to the booming industrial giant of China.   Tina and I had found our way to the beautiful urban mess.  It took a quick flight from Calgary to Vancouver at midnight, followed by the long leg of 13.5 hours direct to Hong Kong.  With our wise choice of flight times, we arrived for the sunrise in the Far East.  We even banked some well deserved sleep on the plane. Tina got 7 hours, and I think I got 10!  What can I say, I’m good at sleeping on planes…

Tina’s Travel Tips
Take an Uber from the airport, as most cabbies don’t speak English! An Uber into Central costs about $40 USD

I’ve always used Hong Kong as a nice stop over on my way into Asia. It breaks up the insanely long trip, and is a fun city to visit.  Tina had never been, so we were looking forward to taking a quick couple days of site seeing.  For those fans of my past blogs, you will be familiar with my good friends Hollie and Chris Ivany.  They’ve always been fantastic hosts to my traveling butt.  This time, they had moved however, into the busy, bustling Central district. Given they were in the thick of it already, Tina and I booked an AirBnB, so as to not cramp ourselves and my friends into the small HK apartments (~200 sqft).  Leave it to me to find the one place with smaller more expensive apartments than San Francisco.

We arrived to the city around 6:30 AM, and after such a long trip, couldn’t wait to get to our place and find some excitement.  A small bump in the road would occur.  As we waited for our bags, we heard some mumbling on the PA, and then our names.  Confused, we listened and heard it again.  We made our way to the info desk to discover Cathay had not put our bags on the plane. No worries though, they were already en-route, and would be delivered to us that night.  Very well then, who needs clean underwear after an 18 hour trip :D.

After sorting these details, we enjoyed the convenience of Uber, and made our way to our pad in Central.  A quick check in, and a purchase of some toiletries and we were good as…new?  Either way, our spirits were high so we hit the streets to find some breakfast.  Central district is home to the famous street escalators, and is where most of the expats call home, or at least where they hang out.  The streets are jammed with cozy, small bars and restaurants with lots of charm.

After some coffee and eggs, and realizing we were a bit strung out from the trip, we committed to plan to get some sites in.  First up we wandered down the escalators in Central to the sea of humanity flowing below, and hopped on the MTR for a subway ride across the water to TST station. The MTR is one of the best subways on earth, and conveniently connects the entire city. A great way to get around.  On the other side we aimed to take in the walk of stars on the harbor. Think Hollywood walk of fame, but HK style. Construction had other things in mind however, so after a mindless wander, we hopped on the Star Ferry back across the water.  The ferry is a great way to get on the water and have a view of the city skyline. Once on the other side we found a nice restaurant on the water, and had our first adult beverage of the trip.  It felt fantastic to have the long flights over, and be sitting together once again on the other side of the globe.

That evening, we fought the jet lag pulling us into the ground, and finally met up with Chris and Hollie.  They are old friends of mine that I grew up with back in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.  Officially expats, that have been in HK teaching for 6 years now, and proudly call it home.  It’s a nice feeling to have people that understand your roots and also the love of travel and experiencing other cultures.  We caught up over Mediterranean tapas and a couple beverages, but Tina and I didn’t have much left in the tank.  The ripe ole’ hour of 9 rolled in and day one was almost complete.   Almost meaning, we still hadn’t received our bags.  Saving you frustrating story, we weren’t able to connect with the delivery guy, and went to bed bagless!

Tina’s Travel Tips
For the price of a hotel, you can get an AirBnB, and enjoy the comforts of home. We stayed here: https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/21046919

Jet lag can be a bitch, and it wasn’t letting me off the hook.  I was wide awake at 5AM, and figured it was time to start the day.  The morning hours are my favorite when traveling. Something about sitting voyeuristically , sipping a coffee, eating a breakfast, and watching the world come to life in front of you.  Knowing that they day is all yours, and it’s up to you to find some purpose in a strange new land.  Our purpose was clear, get our bags delivered. Tina called Cathay, and strong armed them into getting our bags dropped before 11AM. She sure knows how to get shit done when she needs to!  A beautiful shower and change of clothes later, and we rolled into the streets once again.

Beautiful Waterfront

Hollie had a PD day with work, and was free at noon to meet up and show us around.  She had wonderfully prepared some options for us, and we followed her lead into old City of Kowloon.   First stop was the largest wet market in Hong Kong.  The market is very authentically Asian.  For the Asians reading you can imagine what was on display. For the non-Asians imagine all the crazy things you never imagined people would eat, for sale all around you.  Smelly fish you’d never seen before, chickens dangling butchered, cages full of frogs, large bins full of, well… who knows what.  It’s an orgy for the senses and a great site to behold.

Tina’s Travel Tips
Grab an Octopus card at the subway (MTR), and load it up with some cash. You can use it for the subway, ferry, and also at some convenience stores!

Next stop was the old walled city park.  Back in colonial times, there was one section of the city walled off that the British did not control. Ruled by the Chinese mafia factions, including the famous triads, it was a lawless land until the wall came down and the region was integrated in the early 90s.  Taking in the history stimulated our appetites, so we scarfed some Thai from a famous local restaurant.  Jet lag, once again had some other plans for us, so we called it an afternoon and ventured home for a rest.

That evening was our last, so once again Chris and Hollie joined us for some delicious Dim Sum at SohoFama.  It had been great to catch up with these two, but as it is in life, the time ticked by, and we parted ways after a night cap drink.  The next day,  Tina and I were diving deeper into the region. We had a flight booked in the early afternoon, direct to Yangon, Myanmar.  The country would be a new destination for both of us, and promised to bring us some adventure.  That’s all from HK for now.

See you in Yangon!

 

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Special Delivery

Hello friends,

The time to pack up and head out is finally upon us, and it can seem a bit overwhelming at times to get things in order.  Luckily this is not our first kick at the can of travel, so despite instincts telling me to be anxious, I know that 5 weeks is really not a long time, and most things can be acquired once on the road.   So I pulled out my trusty 80 liter backpack that has accompanied me on all my travels, and filled it up with the usual supplies.

Pooh Keeping An Eye

This trip required a bit more coordination to get moving, as Tina is in Dallas, I’m in San Francisco, and we were heading to Hong Kong. However, we did have a special stop to make first. Those that know us, know about our special little guy, The Pooh. My sweet little Pomeranian.  I like to take good care of my little best pal, so before heading to HK, we will fly into Calgary to visit my sister Marg, and her girlfriend Kat, who will take care of Pooh while we are gone.  He will be in good hands, and familiar territory with them, so all parties will be pleased.

Excited to go on the plane!

I headed out to SFO around 5pm on Friday, and for those that don’t know, that means… traffic. I endured the stop and go, and before I knew it, Pooh and I were at our gate heading off.  The little guy has learned to fly in the last year, and loves all the attention that he gets from his fellow jet setters.

Tina had arrived a few hours earlier, which allotted the  girls some time to catch up.  I came in to town around midnight, and we hit the hay when I got home.  We were due to fly out to the next night at 11:30PM to catch a red-eye to Hong Kong, passing quickly through Vancouver.

The next morning, we enjoyed some lazy catch up time with Marg and Kat, and basked in the luxuries of an actual house, with a back patio and yard. I’ve forgotten what this is like sometimes, living in a small, psychotically priced apartment in Redwood City.   Marg surprised us with a new lunch location named after the famous Pizza Corner in Halifax, where I had lived for a couple years in university.  It is a downtown location in Hali, with a different pizza shop on each corner.  Drunken bar goers would spill into the streets to find their fix before sloppily rolling home.

Donair Pizza

Blowers and Grafton had some iconic Nova Scotia eats, with an authentic Halifax donair, a solid lobster roll, and a delicious donair Pizza.  Tina had not had any of these, so it was fun to give her a taste of back home.  Sadly, a couple days prior the lead singer of the Tragically Hip, Gord Downie, had succumb to an aggressive brain tumor.  The restaurant was playing The Hip all day as a tribute. For the non-Canadians reading, it’s hard to express the magnitude of the Tragically Hip to our culture. It was the real soundtrack to growing up Canadian, and his loss was resonating across the country. I had felt a bit detached from it all, down in SF, but it felt good to be back on home soil, and pay a small tribute to the man who shaped our lives through his lyrics.

Classic Keiths

The day turned into night, and Kat had arranged a surprise dinner party for Marg. One of her best friends was in town, so they had a nice dinner at the house. Tina and I had a good time, but took some time to pack and rest, as we were coming due for our flight.  After some challenging good byes with the Pooh, who never quite understands why we leave him, we were in an Uber and off to the airport.  Hopefully we could sleep away a good chunk of the 18 hour journey, and wake up in the far east.

See you in Hong Kong!

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New Beginnings

Hello my friends, old and new! Steve here…

I am quite pleased to announce that Tina and I will be heading out on a 5 week adventure, and invite you to follow along on our new blog!  Together we have had many travels, and some shorter trips alongside each other in the past 2 years. However this stands to be the longest journey we’ve taken on the road yet. (… and the longest Tina has ever hit the road).

In my neck of the woods a great deal has changed since I last had a big travel window. The previous trip concluding in 2015.  Since then I’ve started a new life in San Francisco, slogging it out in Silicon Valley ( I joke, we are overpaid children…).  I had left a 12 year life in Vancouver behind in pursuit of new opportunities.  Picking up and transplanting your life is never easy, but I’ve powered through, and feel quite settled in the Bay Area now.  I feel lucky to work at such a fine place as Facebook which grants me great perks such as banking my PTO, and carving out a 5 week trip to SE Asia.

On the personal front, Tina and I have solidified our relationship in the past 2 years since we’ve met, and I feel very blessed to have a beautiful life partner whom both shares my interest in travel, and has the opportunity to partake!

Facebook First Day

From an external perspective, wow, what a shit show the last couple years have been on this earth.  I won’t bother ranting about any of it, but needless to say, it is going to be a great feeling to detach from the misery of the regular news cycle.  I will be seeking the intangible rejuvenation that travel offers, hoping to purge the cynicism that inevitably overtakes us in our regular (or irregular) lives.

Hey folks, Tina here,

In the past two years, I’ve had the chance to exercise my travel desires to the extreme.  Many shorter trips to such great places as,  Aruba, Turks and Caicos, Greece, South America, Mexico, Hawaii, and Croatia to name a few :).   I am excited and a bit anxious about beginning my longest trip yet, but know it will be fantastic with Steve at my side, as we explore some new territory.

Tina in Cali

In my personal life, I’ve been getting my feet wet in the Dallas real estate market, attempting to flip a couple properties.  I have satisfied a life dream of owning a place on the beach in Mexico, and thus am the proud owner of a new studio apartment in the gorgeous Tulum.  My busy brain is always thinking up new opportunities, but will put that on hold for these 5 weeks of exploration.

Tulum Studio

Stay tuned to our blog as we head out on a rough plan of passing through Hong Kong, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia. It will be a busy stint, but we think we are up for the task!

See you on the road!

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Homeward Bound

I awoke as my plane came to a smooth landing in Kuala Lampur. It was about 5am local time, and I had slept most of the flight.  Still undecided about my next move, I passed through Malaysian immigration and sat at a coffee shop, pretty content. It was startling to be back in the regular functioning world again.  My options were to head on with my travels to Thailand, do some more diving and let what had happened set in.  The other being, head back to Vancouver, passing through Hong Kong, where I would stay with my friends Hollie and Chris again. I had given Hollie the heads up that I may be arriving this very day.

I sipped my coffee and went with my gut. It was time to go home. I could not face the thought of a 8-9 hour bus ride, or any other of the many less fantastic occurrences of SE Asian travel. My patience was fried.  So that was it. I found the Air Asia desk, and bought a ticket in two hours time to HK. I messaged Hollie and she was happy to pick me up at the airport. Back on the airplane I went for another 4 hours.

When I arrived, I was again in awe of the normal activity of life. The HK airport is quite busy and large. All of these people were just going about their business, flying all over the world to continue the living of life. The horrors of Nepal, likely just another piece of news that had come and gone.  I didn’t judge them, but it really drove home the feeling that we do an atrocious job of taking care of each as human beings, but I digress.

First up, I sat down at McDicks and had a big mac combo. My first meal back in the new world. Not gunna lie, it was delicious. Hollie rolled in, and we made our way back to her apartment. Back where my journey had begun almost exactly 4 months earlier.  That first couple days, I could only imagine what things would unfold before passing back through. At times I felt I would be on the road forever. But for now, the story was written, all but a couple closing pages.

It was fantastic to see her. She is a friend from my young days in Cape Breton, and because of that had a unique understanding of my experience. I told the crazy tales of the earthquake, and later Chris would join us after work, again relieving my adventure with him.  But I was exhausted. Being the unbelievable hosts that they always are, they offered me their bed to sleep. They insisted, and I had a sleep I could only dream about. Out like a rock.

The next morning they had ordered the Mayweather/Pacquio boxing match, and 2 other friends were coming over to watch. I managed to get up and join them.  We watched the match, and I was reminded what a pathetically messed up world we live in. These guys were pulling something like 100 million to punch each other in the face. Meanwhile $100 would go a long way in Nepal to provide some food and water.  Capitalism at it’s finest.

Despite some challenging emotions, it was really great to see these friends of mine. I needed to worry about me for a bit, and let the world take care of itself. Next up was to get my flight to Vancouver sorted. My Cathay flight was not until a month later, so I tried to reschedule. They would not do it. I pleaded that I just fled that earthquake and needed to get home. Nope. More Capitalism at its finest.  They wouldn’t put me on a fight earlier than a week later.  So I bit the bullet, and bought a one way ticket back.

For our last day together, we all hopped on the ferry for a day trip, and had some beers with some of their friends that were in town. Fellow Cape Bretoners, we all exchanged some travel stories over beers.  I must say I was in a bit of a state of shock still. The traumatic experience had taken its toll and I was slowly returning to my normal form. It was however, a great afternoon with friends.

The next day, I packed my bags up for the last time, bid farewell to my dear friends Hollie and Chirs, who took great care of me, and prepared for the flight home to Vancouver. I stared myself down in the mirror. I had lost over 20 lbs since I began.  A seeming infinite stream of thoughts passed through my mind. I hopped in my last cab ride of this great adventure, and soon was at my familiar gateway of the Hong Kong Airport.  I was passing through Tokyo for a layover, but a few Sapporros and a sleeping pill later, and the 16 hour journey was behind me.  We landed in Vancouver on a nice spring morning.  Back home again.

Stay tuned for a closing remarks entry.

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Tough Goodbyes

I boarded a flight from Biratnagar to Kathmandu, sometime around 9pm. What was in store for us in this city we had feared passing through? One hour later we would find out. The plane circled a darkened city, with spotty lights as we came in to land. It was a heavy feeling looking below at this city that had been so devastated.  We landed smoothly, grabbed our bags, and sought some transport to the hotel. First up however, I had been told to try and find the Canadian representatives at the airport, to see if I could get on the military flight, that was now finally leaving the next morning.  No luck.  Venn asked a cab driver to take us to Thamel, but he refused. He was still scared of that area, and thought there was a big crack in the road. Onto the next guy, who had no issue.

We drove through the town, and it was deserted. Some building were destroyed, some people sleeping on the sides of roads and in open areas. But we did not see the carnage that was on TV. Other than damage to walls and a few downed buildings, everything was in relatively good shape. Soon we arrived in Thamel. A usual madhouse of bikes, cars, motorbikes, and people. It had a eerie calmness to it. All shops were closed, and only a few roamed around. The hotel was next, and it was in perfect shape. A newer building it had stood up to the violent shaking the earth had thrown at it.  The owners welcomed us, reassured us, and took us to a clean beautiful room. Running hot water, air con, and fully functional fast Wifi.  How was any of this real?  Venn took a shower for possibly 30 minutes. The journey had taken its toll on us, and it seemed we had made it to safety.

I called Tina, and my sisters, and talked about the madness of the previous week. I assured them things were fine and I’d be out of Nepal soon. Venn and I set out to find some food. Worst fears were there would be none. Instead, we found a delicious Indian restaurant open across the street. It was where I had eaten each day before the trek to build my strength. We sat to live music, and a beautiful atmosphere while we stuffed our faces with food. I had not had meat in 11 or 12 days, so the chicken curry with naan was indescribable. We had a toast over a beer to our success, and a somber moment to think about all of those that did not make it.  I stared straight up at an almost full moon, and thought back to when I was a child staring at the moon in my back yard in Nova Scotia.  Lifetimes had passed in between, but it was still the same moon.  Venn and I discussed that this would be our last meal together. The next day he would head to his parents’ village to help his family cope with the disaster that had claimed many homes there.  To say I was conflicted does not capture the emotion. I was fleeing this land back to my first world safety. This was his life, his people, his home. For the moment I enjoyed the time we had left.

That night I booked a flight for two days time with Thai airways to Bangkok. I was hedging my bets on getting out, and the airport still had not seen many days of full service. I was not as worried now, as staying in Kathmandu was safe and things were coming back to life.  In the morning, I got a call from the Canadian embassy asking if I wanted to board the military flight. They were heading to New Delhi, India and allowing only a small carry on bag. It was up to us to find transport onward.  I shocked myself when I said no, but I did.  I booked another flight that night to Kuala Lampur. Nothing onward. Just to KL for now. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Continue my trip abroad, or head home to Canada. So many emotions were flowing through me so I did not make a decision.

Around noon, I bid farewell to my dear brother Venn. We had lived through life and death together, and I could hardly imagine the journey that still lie ahead for him. A strong embrace and he was off.  Walking down his path, as I had to walk down mine.

The hotel staff gave me a surgical mask to filter the air. There was fear of disease after so many had died.  It was a lovely day outside. The district was coming back to life some, and the familiar sounds were in the air, a bit more faint than usual, but present. I just walked the strip as I had before and soaked up the atmosphere of such a unique moment. At lunch, a group of hippie backpackers in bare feet and classic Thai elephant pants talked of heading to other Nepal cities to continue their trips as though everything was fine.

The day passed by, and as dark rolled in, I got a drive to the airport to catch my flight. I bid the staff a sincere best wishes.  At the airport, things were running perfectly. Before I knew it, I had been stamped through immigration, and had a boarding pass in hand.  On the other side, I again was reunited with the Aussie crew I’d been with on day one. We smiled and talked again about the journey. They coincidentally were on the same flight as me to KL. Also, the American guys were there. They were heading to Koh Tao in Thailand and invited me to come. I told them I’d decide when we arrive in KL.

I was filled with relief that I can’t describe. The unknowns were now behind me. The path from point A to point B had finally been filled.  3 hours later, as we sped down the runway and lifted off, I looked down at the country below facing such hardships. I felt great relief for being safe, and great sorrow for the good people of Nepal that had helped me when they themselves were in dire need.   I thought of Fernanda and Andres who were still on the ground. I thought of the giant rocks of the wall that had missed me by 5 feet. I thought of the New Zealander I saw carried away, along with all those that died. I thought about my sisters, Tina and The Pooh, who all I could not wait to see.  And of course I thought about my parents. How would they ever have dealt with this crazy story…  I had set out to find an adventure when I came to Nepal, but in the end the adventure came to fine me.

I slept like a brick for every second of that flight.