Month: February 2015

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Temples, Baguettes and Peace

Greetings,

Last stop we were moving forward from our familiar territory in Thailand to some new adventures in Laos. I had realized that most of my trip so far was in areas I have seen in the past, so I was quite excited to adventure into Laos.  My first stop would be the pristine SE Asian destination of Luang Prabang. I had heard outstanding reviews of this city, and it absolutely lived up to it’s hype.

The trip first however began with a flight from Chiang Mai.  In my haste, I made it to my gate at the airport without any cash in hand. I had assumed that there would be an ATM after immigration. Alas, I was wrong. The problem here being that Laos charges a cash visa fee of $42 USD, and I had no idea which orifice I was planning on pulling this out of.  Thankfully on the 1 hour flight, I befriended a wonderful American from Seattle who was traveling with his wife. He loaned me the cash until we could exit the airport, and honestly, I don’t know what the story was if I didn’t have it.  So, live and learn :).

Richard and his wife Mary joined me in a taxi to the Cold River Guesthouse.  I settled in, and sat out to explore the town. Wow, what a place. Nestled into the banks of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, Luang Prabang has a rich history. Previously settled by the French during their reign of rule in Indochina, the local architecture is classic French colonial.  To contrast this, there are beautiful Buddhist temples scattered throughout the town, and in the middle is a large hill with a beautiful temple, and wide view of the area.

The first evening I found myself to a restaurant next to the night market, which was overflowing with tourists.  However, it didn’t feel wrong, as it sometimes does when tourism overwhelms the local culture. I had a sandwich on a delicious french baguette, another sign of the previous conquerors of the land.  The first evening, I watched the people pass, and turned it early, not before mildly losing my way back to the guesthouse for brief adventure.

The next couple days would pass in beautiful peace. Being farther north, it was hot but dry, and the setting was magnificent. I sat overlooking the majestic rivers for hours, in an relaxed state of mind.  I explored the temples and just wandered the beautiful town. I was interested in getting into the local mountains, and signed up for a 2 day trek to the local hill tribes. This was not to be however, as it requires 2+ peeps to head out, and nobody else would sign up for a the next couple days.  To counter this, I researched other options in the area. Further north in the town of Luang Namtha, the real trekking takes place. I managed to get myself registered for a group of 6 leaving in two days time.

So my time in Luang Prabang was limited. On my last day, after being quite lazy, I rented a scooter, and drove the 32Km out to the legendary Kuang Si falls.  As usual, the ride was breathtaking.  Nothing compares to the freedom of flying through the open roads, by cascading rice fields, and high mountain views.  The waterfall also was equally stunning. I wandered around a bit, and took a leap into the frigid turquoise waters.

That evening I packed up my gear, and went to bed a bit early in prep for the 6 am tuk tuk that would pick me up to take me to the bus station. I was facing a dreaded long 8+ hour minivan ride in Laos, and I needed to be on my game for this one.

See you soon in the jungles of Luang Namtha.

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Diving and Transitions

Hello friends,

When last we spoke, I was heading back out to sea on the lovely Andaman liveaboard cruise. I was hoping to have some smooth sailing with the trip after the hiccups of its predecessor. I would not be disappointed. The trip kicked off well, and we began our first day of diving with 4 dives in the Similan Islands.  The group of divers on board was fantastic, very friendly, fun, and in great spirits for the trip. My dive group consisted of myself, dive master Micah, whom was the leader from my previous dives, and 3 others with similar experience to myself.

The diving would prove to be a bit challenging, as we continually ran into some strong currents at our dive sites. Not much can be done about this, as the cycle of moon can dictate alot of the water movements.  Over the first couple days we had 2 dives aborted, as the rip was just too much, and we could not find a clear path around shelter to protect ourselves. It was however, some great practice at holding on for dear life, and keeping fine buoyancy control, to stay near the bottom where you are least affected.

Out of the water we were having some good times. The days rolled by quickly for this one. We had the chance to explore some of the nearby islands, which were glorious white sand beaches. Some including a short hike to look off views that were equally stunning.  Tropical paradise at it’s finest.

The trip and dives flew by with great enjoyment, and before we knew it, we were heading back to land again. I was feeling a bit fatigued after 18 dives in 6 days, and nursing a sore outer ear infection, so a few days on land would be a good rest.

That evening I caught up with my dive buddies, Tobi and Sandra, who were always holding on right beside me as we battled the latest current. They were wrapping up a vacation, and we traded stories.  I would stay in Khao Lak for another couple days however. The next days, I caught up with another dive friend, Jieun from Korea, and my dive master, Micah. She was also wrapping up a short vacation, so we chilled on the beached and enjoyed the comforts of Khao Lak.  All good things come to an end, as Jieun and I said good bye to Micah, and split a taxi to the Phuket airport. She headed home, and I was off to Chiang Mai for couple days before heading to Laos.

In Chiang Mai I got into a reflective mood, as I was once again traveling alone.  This can be refreshing, and also a bit jarring after spending almost a week with some good friends. I remembered the city clearly from my previous trip 2 years ago, and my last evening there found my way to a local bar to sit for a beer. There was a live band playing, and they were fabulous. The Thai singer had an amazing voice, and he didn’t even show the usual struggle with some english words. On his side was an equally talented acoustic guitar player.

I sat and thought about all that has happened in my life in the past couple years.  In all aspects.  2 years earlier I was ending a trip to go back to my full time job in video games, in Vancouver, which I desperately needed a change from. I had zero savings and this was a financial necessity.  Now, I have some cash, have met a life goal of becoming self employed, and worked for a very interesting start up for 2 years, on my own hours.  My ability to travel now attributed to this fact.

And then of course I thought about the loss. My parents were both fine when I last sat here. And in one foul swoop they were ripped away.  As I was sorting out these thoughts in my mind, the band started playing Imagine by John Lennon. I was instantly transported to old conversations with my Mom.  She would play this on the piano at home after coming home from her lesson with Debbie, her great friend across the road.

Me: “You know, that song is really a bit somber but very powerful hey ma?”

Mom: “Haha, yes,  I really love it”

Me: “Someday after your gone, I”m gunna hear that piano playing itself, and be really creeped out!”

We both cackle with laughter as we always did at some of our dark humorous jokes.

She continues playing as the beautiful melody echoes through the house, and it relaxes me.

My mind snaps back to my surroundings in Chiang Mai, and my eyes fill up with tears. I once again am confronted with the overwhelming thought of how truly long a lifetime without your loved ones really is.  I sat in perfect solitude, completely alone in the world, as tears discretely dropped from my cheeks, the strangers around me unaware of the war raging inside my mind.

Up next, Let it Be. Another of my Mother’s favorite songs. She loved the message of the lyric, and so do I so I calmed my emotions, gathered my things, and did the only thing one needs to do. For now I will let it be, and keep on walking.

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Adventure on the Andaman

Hello everyone,

When last we talked I was having a challenging time deciding where my troubled life would take me next.  I was also nursing an injured knee. The combination of these things eventually would equal into, well, more diving! Yay!   I had checked Sea Dragon’s latest liveaboard schedule, and they had a single spot left for me the next day on their smaller, more backpacker boat, the NV Nangnuan. It holds 8 divers, 2 divemasters and a small crew.

After what would be a much longer than it should be transit from Khao Sok, I was checking into the dive center to head out the next morning.  I slept at the Highway Inn, as per usual in Khao Lak, and the morning we were off.

The boat was a humble beast, but the guests were a fantastic group of travelers, and after a patient 5 hour float into the sea, we would soon arrive at our first dive. The trip was a 3d/2n journey, and Koh Bon would be our first dive. A small island between the famous Similans and Surin islands, it is known for being a manta ray cleaning station, so we hoped to see the majestic beast!

The first dive was great, and we all started to settle in.  However, fate would intervene.  The Nangnuan was suffering from some engine troubles, and we were sitting idly awaiting the prognosis.  At least we were not in the open sea.

As the group got to know each other, we soon were excited to suddenly hear the engines start up! A glorious sound. However, we had idled too long, so we had to make our next dive at Koh Bon also.  No problem, we enjoyed another drop into this lovely reef.  As we got onto the boat we prepared for some food, but were soon delivered some sad news. The boat had some serious problems, and it was unsafe to continue. We would do our night dive again at Koh Bon, and the next morning would be rescued by another boat in the fleet ( the boat from my last  trip ) the NV Andaman.  Less than impressed, there was little we could all do. We had a nice night dive, and a solid sleep on the deck, and the next morning soon joined the other boat. The sadness was remedied a great deal, as the 5th consecutive dive on Koh Bon included a visit from 2 mantas. They were magnificent, and seemed to frolic in our bubbles, as the they looped and swam through the gathering group of divers admiring them.  A fantastic experience.

Two of the divers in our group edited a great video of the mantas, to be found here:

However, far from the trip we had planned, I was eager to seek more diving, and as luck would change, a passenger on the other boat who was set to dive the next 4 day leg had some ear problems. I happily relieved his spot on the boat, so that night would head out again for 4 days/4 nights of 13 more dives.

We sailed back to Khao Lak, and had the unpleasant task of discussing our reparations for the failed journey.  We negotiated a settlement, one not satisfying all, but I digress. I was set to head out to do more diving, and at this point, quibbling over less than $100 was not interesting to me.

That evening I regrouped, repacked my bag, and met up with the next group. It was an incredible group of people, big personalities in tow, so with excitement I headed back to the boat to have another fantastic experience aboard the NV Andaman on the Andaman Sea :).

I will leave it at that . Stay tuned to hear about the trip, and my final days in Khao Lak, Thailand.

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The Jungle Life

Hello again,

My adventures have taken me inland from the coastal pleasures of Khao Lak, in search of some peace and quiet, and possibly some wild animals ( not the drunk tourist kind… )  I’ve ventured to Khao Sok national park.  A fabulous display of old growth jungle, on top of the beautiful limestone karst formations that make this region famous, Khao Sok is a wonderful place to relax and watch the time drift by.

My journey began with, by my standards, an adventurous bus ride.  I’m tightening the belt a bit, so opted for the 150 baht ( $6 ) public bus ride instead of my usual private transport. I shall continue to do this, as it was an air-con’d beauty, and for 1/10th the cost I was soon at my destination. A rep from my hotel was there to meet me on the highway, and I found my way to a beautiful little bungalow, 300m from the park entrance.

Eager to get things rolling, and my body moving after feeling quite idle on the boat, I booked a 2 day, 1 night stay on Cheow Lan Lake. Probably the most famous feature of the park, this beauty boasts 120m depth at some points, deep lush jungle surrounding it, and its gem feature, floating bamboo huts!

The next morning I was off, and soon the noise of a longtail boat was burning my ears as we ripped across the smooth lake.  Amazing views all around, we would soon be at our home for the night.  Very basic huts, they float in a cascading row together joined by a central eating area.

We settled in, did some swimming, and then began the first activity. We hiked through the jungle to a 680m long cave, which was a walkthrough consisting of neck deep water and tight walls at some points. Not for the claustrophobic among us.  This would however, prove to be my undoing, as while passing through waste deep water, missed a step with my left foot into an ungodly abyss, the depths of which are still unknown!  I clobbered my arm, and my poor right knee bore the brunt of my weight with a crash that would tear it wide open.  A bit shocked at first I continued onward, hoping it would be ok.  We made out way back to camp eventually, I cleaned up the deep wounds, and let it sit.

That evening we had a great supper, and hit the bamboo early. I would learn soon later that my bloody knee was about to show its true colors. I woke to pee out my bamboo hut window in the middle of the night, and felt some serious pain as the blood rushed to the joint ( my knee that is…). Shit balls. It really hurt. I sucked it up and slept, but the next day I was forced to sit out the hike, and lay around like a lump. At least it was in a stunning landscape!

The next two days would pass uneventfully, as I rested my knee and enjoyed the serenity of the peaceful jungle.  It is still recovering, and I can at least bend it some now.  I’m dithering alot on what to do next, and can’t seem to commit to anything.  The later trip is taking shape, but for now the next month is an open book, and I’m struggling to write the chapter titles.

Stay tuned, who knows where I’ll be next!

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Liveaboards!

Hey peeps,

we are back in action from the Surin Islands, north of Khao Lak, and perhaps closer to the Burmese coast than Thailand.  I have joined a 3 day, 3 night liveaboard diving trip.  The concept with liveaboards is quite simple. It’s like an all inclusive boat trip, where you do nothing but dive. Sounds pretty damn good to me. This trip would include 9 dives in 3 days, at some world class diving sites, including Richelieu Rock, a site regularly rated in the top 10 worldwide. The hosts for the adventure would be the talented Sea Dragon dive crew based in Khao Lak.

It got underway with a 1.5 hour drive to the harbor where we boarded our vessel, got briefed on the boat, found our bunk, and hit the hay for our journey out to sea. The next morning we were woken at the ripe hour of 6 am to begin our first day, including 4 dives, the last being a night dive!

Frankly, it’s all a bit of a blur right now. The dives on the first day were great. We got comfortable with our groups, and saw some great stuff.  I made quick friends with my dive buddies, Alex from Atlanta, Manos from Greece, and our divemaster Marina from San Diego. The night dive was exciting for me, as my only night dive had been during my certification on Gili T, and it was unpleasant. I had gotten spooked by a squeaky regulator which sounded like a woman screaming. Not what you want to hear in the pitch black under the ocean at night.  Also, the visibility, and the site was kind of shit for the first night dive.  This time around, it was clear, there was some good stuff to see, and minimal current. I regained my confidence for the night time, and look forward to doing it again!

In between dives, the talented Thai crew would prepare us meals, and we would rest. This would be the routine for 3 days. Wake, dive, eat, rest, dive, eat, rest, sleep, repeat!!  The sites were stunning, and the company was great.  The last day highlighted the trip with Richelieu Rock. It lived up to it’s reputation, and was absolutely amazing.  Huge pillars of vibrant soft coral, more fish variety than you can imagine, and perfect visibility.  The best moment for me, seeing 13 lion fish frolicking next to some coral.  Words cannot do it justice. Luckily, I did get the GoPro going for this one, and got some videos and photos. I have yet to pull them off so stay tuned.

The 3 days flew by, and it was sad to say good bye to the trip. However, it had perked me up as desired, and I’m now feeling strong going forward.

Manos, Pari ( Manos’ wife ), Alex and I grabbed some drinks and food back in Khao Lak that night and celebrated our time in the ocean.  Alex also had some great insights on my upcoming travels to Nepal as he had spent 3.5 months there this year trekking. But that is for the future!

The Sea Dragon crew were amazing, and I will happily and hopefully return to them at some point for another visit!

Next up, I head to the fantastic jungle paradise of Khao Sok national park where I aim to do some serious hiking through the jungle, and if I’m lucky, sleep on the famous Cheow Lan Lake in a floating bungalow.

Until then!

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Cruisin’ to Khao Lak

Question everybody, what makes you feel cool? What activity or setting do you partake in that really makes you feel that peaceful feeling like everything is perfect in a given moment?  We all seek it.  I have strong memory of the first time I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers video for Scar Tissue, and thinking, fuck those guys look cool in this video. The haunting guitar and bass riffs that made that song a classic, accompanied by the desert setting, cruising with a roof top down, shit kicked out of them, just floating through time.  It really stuck with me.

Well, I’ve metaphorically got the shit kicked out me in the last year, and have realized the feeling I once sought can be found by ripping around SE Asia on a scooter. There is some intangible freedom that comes with being in a tropical paradise, nobody really knows where the hell you are, just flying through the streets, anywhere you want to go an option.

This was the cure for my blues once I made it to Khao Lak. I had come to join a diving trip liveaboard with a local dive shop, Sea Dragon.  I have dove with them two years ago, and they were also recommended by my friend from Indo, Chehab, whom worked with them last year.

I did have 2 days to kill before we would depart, so I grabbed a bike, and ripped around a bit, heading to a beautiful peaceful setting on the beach.  Khao Lak is a bit of a sleepy little town, so I just kicked back and relaxed. The beach is stunning this time of year.  However, it must always be remembered, that this was the hardest hit area in all of Thailand by the tragic 2004 Tsunami.  A strong reminder being the giant police boat sitting many kilometers inland from the ocean, which had been dumped there by the 10-12 meter high wave that struck the long coast line.  It’s hard to imagine the sight of such a beast, when you stand looking out at the ocean, in its current peaceful state.

Two days passed by in relative peacefulness. I was still fighting some nagging negative emotions, but was sure that heading out on the boat with a good group of divers, cranking out 9 dives in 3 days would cure this.

I checked in with the group on my second day here, and by 8:30 pm that night we were off to find our faithful vessel.

Stay tuned for a report from the stunning dive sites of the Surin Islands and Richelieu Rock!

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Terima Kasih Indonesia

Welcome back folks,

Well, the time has flown by, and the first month is basically wrapped up.  I have been thrust into the adventures of solo traveling, and am off to some new lands. The time in Indonesia was great, but you get 30 days on a standard visa, and I’m ready to roll forward.

The last few days in Indo were good examples of how traveling and vacationing are not really the same thing. I had a bit of a downward turn in mental space, starting with the destruction of my phone on Gili T. It was my source of music, maps/gps, and my camera among other things.  I was eager to replace it.  I did have another in Vancouver, so hastily I asked my good friend Mike to fedex it to Ubud, where I would be at that time.  Sadly, in my haste, I sent it to an address that didn’t exist, and, despite fedex’s assurance, it got trapped in customs.  Doh’, two wrongs don’t make a right!  Well, since these things are so cheap, I might as well just go buy a few more, cripes.   A few days later, I would suck it up, and buy a new Samsung A5 to add to my growing collection, and would be reunited with modern technology.

This spiraled my brain a bit into negative land, and was timed with Julie and Co. hitting the road. Luckily I met up with some friends that I had met on Gili T, and sulked a bit, but greatly enjoyed their company for my last couple evenings in Ubud. They also will be heading on a similar travel path as myself, so hopefully more entries featuring them later.

Next up, my first bout of intestinal difficulties. It’s bound to happen. You spend months here in Asia, well, you are gunna spend your share of time on the toilet.  I hunkered down, back in Legian for a couple days, waiting to feel better, and also figuring out what to do next.  I had a scare, as one evening I had a fever and some solid aches.  Dengue fever was hitting Gili T, and a few friends I’d seen there had come down with the horrible disease.  Thankfully, it was not in my fate for now, and I did manage to recover, albeit, my appetite is not so strong.

I managed to take in a last stunning sunset on Bali, but was more than ready to go somewhere new.  That would be Thailand. I decided a 3 day, 3 night diving trip was needed, so I made my way to Khao Lak, passing through Singapore airport along the way.  It felt great to get off to a new destination, and hopefully a Thai massage can boost my spirits.

Peace out.