Welcome to the Landlocked State of NEPAL!

First of all, I had a crazy ride to the airport in Bangkok.  15 passenger van (+ the driver), 14 people, 2 seats and the aisle taken up with luggage, one chaotic driver.  Also, I’m pretty sure the seats weren’t bolted to the floor, because every time the bus lurched, the seats moved.  I was glad to arrive in one piece. :)

Bangkok airport is HUGE! There were SO many check-in counters, and of course, Air India was at the OTHER end to where I was.  :P  I tried to change my Laos kip to USD, but apparently you can’t change Laos currency outside of Laos.  So now I’m stuck with ~$60USD worth of kip.  Great.

While deboarding in Delhi, all of the transfer passengers were herded together in a group and I got to chatting with a lovely gal from Australia, who was also headed to Kathmandu!  We went through the transfer security together (I’d forgotten that women are processed separate from the men in India) and we proceeded to our gate.  Upon arriving in Nepal, we banded together to sort out the visa process ($100USD for a 90 day visa) and exchange money so we could pay the taxi fare.  We decided to share a taxi into town, me to the NGO I’m working with and her to meet a friend of hers.  Finding a taxi driver was painless, and we even got a good rate!  The best part is that one of the drivers remembered the friend of the Australian girl, having picked her up from the airport that morning! Crazy!  The ride into town was BUMPY! I thought the roads in Laos were bad.  At least the ones in the capital of Vientiane were in fairly good shape.  Here in Kathmandu, I have yet to see a road that’s paved for more than 100m here.  Mostly it’s rubble/dirt/broken concrete, and potholes everywhere.  And like India, there are cows and chickens and people on bikes and kids running across the road.  :P Also like India, most of the women are wearing saris (this is a predominantly Hindu (and Buddhist) country).  I can even use the few words of Hindi that I know and people understand what I’m saying!  Words like, ‘stop,’ ‘please,’ ‘thank-you,’ ‘a little,’ and ‘door.’  The last one isn’t too useful, but I remember it from riding the Delhi Metro (‘Doors are closing’).   

There are HILLS (almost mountains) surrounding the city!  I haven’t had a good view of them yet, but I’ve seen glimpses. :)

I think even if I don’t go trekking, Kat. will put me back in shape, it’s a very hilly city.  

After being shown around the volunteer house and having a cup of tea, one of the other volunteers, Jack, offered to show me around the neighbourhood and point out the 5 childrens’ homes that the Umbrella Foundation runs.  We ended the tour with dal bhat (the national food of Nepal) at the home where Jack is placed.  Dal bhat is rice and lentils, and will be my main food intake for the next three months. :P

From what I can tell, the role of the volunteer is to have dal bhat with the kids in the morning, walk them to/from school, have dal bhat in the evening and supervise their homework/study time before bed.  On Sundays, and any day that they’re not in school, we come up with various activities to entertain them.   

I think I’m going to like it here. :)

P.s.  There isn’t any internet in the volunteer house, so don’t be concerned if my blog entries become less frequent.  

Bangkok at 3am

Why it took 12 hours to reach my guesthouse in Bangkok

14:50 – Scheduled departure of train from Ubon Ratchathani

15:50 – Actual time of departure

23:45 – Train arrives in Bangkok

1:45 – Catch a bus,that, according to my guide book, will bring me somewhere in the vicinity of Kao San Road. Being the stubborn, 'I can do it myself' person that I am, I was determined to use the buses to get to Kao San Road (7 baht bus vs. 60 baht tuk-tuk or 100 baht taxi). I never did see the bus that I wanted to take, so I alighted on my 2nd choice bus, only to be told by a very nice lady on the bus that we were not going where I needed to go. She told me to get off at the next stop, cross the street and take a bus going in the other direction.

2:05 - Wait around for the # 82 bus. I have NO idea where in Bangkok I am, but there's plenty of traffic going by and while I waited, a ladyboy (or perhaps he/she was looking for a happy ending, I couldn't tell) approached me, said 'hi' and wished me well on my journey. :) The first #82 bus goes right by, the second bus isn't the right one, but I manage to flag down the 3rd one.

2:45 – Hop on the RIGHT bus going in the RIGHT direction

3:00 – Arrive at Kao San Road

3:10 – Arrive at the guest house I'd stayed in the last time I was in Bangkok. They were full

3:20 – There's a cheap hostel around the corner that I remember from last time. They have room

3:21 – Use their loo. I can't even think about checking in until I relieve my bladder, which has been complaining since before I even got off the train, three hours previously. :P

3:40 – Finally lay my head down to sleep!!!!

I'm sure I could've walked to Kao San Road in the time it took me to take the bus, but it was an experience. And Bangkok at 3am is in interesting sight. The flower market was getting set up and there were still bars/clubs open on Kao San, and plenty of drunken tourist stumbling down the road. Crazy. 

Motobike Diaries – In the Land of Waterfalls: a Tour around the Bolaven Plateau

Day One: Pakse to Ban Khoua Set

Distance: 90km

Waterfall Count: 3

Price of accommodation in Tad Lo Village: 10,000 kip

Today I drove a motobike for the first time. I've ridden them before, but never drove one. It was an experience. And it's a proper manual motobike, not some simple automatic scooter. :) I was the slowest thing on the highway ridding out of town. Once I cleared the city though, I was much more comfortable, less possibility for casualties. :) I stopped a few times to consult my map and directions. One of my start up afterwards was just a little jerky, oops. I'm glad there was nothing in my way to hit.

The first waterfall of the day was in Utayan Bajiang Champasak, an 'eco-resort.' There were tree house bungalows you can stay in, a restaurant over looking the falls and a 'museum village,' where local families live and tourists are free to walk around and observe 'local daily life.' It was all a bit surreal. The falls, Phaxouam Cliff however, were fabulous, as was the bamboo suspension bridge crossing the river. :)  

Phaxaouam Cliff Falls

 I continued on up Route 20, climbing into the Bolaven Plateau, cruising through small villages, acres of corn fields and spectacular views of the 'mountains.' I had to stop twice to take shelter from the rain. The first time I huddled under an unused roadside stall. Getting my bike back up the embankment and onto the road was a chore, bikes are heavy!! I discovered that if you put it into gear, it's a lot easier. I hadn't driven more than a kilometre or two when it started to rain again. This time I joined a couple of kids under a shelter at the gas station. :)

I found accommodation in the village without too much trouble. 10,000 kip a night for a mattress on the floor in a room with 6 other mattresses. It's not the Ritz, but it's also $1.25. And the food in the restaurant below is delicious, and just as cheap.

Accommodation for the night

The second two waterfalls for the day were Tat Hang and Tat Lo. Picturesque and fantastic. :) And I saw some elephants.    

Tat Lo

Tat Hang

Day Two: Tad Lo Village to Sekong

Distance: 143km

Waterfall Count: 2

Price of accommodation in Sekong: 30,000 kip

My prowess with the motobike grows. Today I drove with a passenger on the back!! Going straight doesn't, change, it's the turns that are harder; with 150+ pounds the balance isn't the same. :P I did alright, until I turned onto a mud track. We crashed. I'm sure it will be the talk of the village for days to come. Neither of us was harmed and we came away from it laughing. It could have been worse. :)

The first waterfall of the day was on the same river as Tat Hang and Tat Lo. Tat Suong was phenomenal. A cascade falling 100+ meters into a turquoise pool. I had a grand time rock hopping across the boulders and marvelling at all the holes in the rocks. After enjoying the view from the bottom of the falls, we got back on the bike and rode to the top of the falls. The view.......I felt like I was on top of the world, the Bolaven Plateau at our feet. The cliff just ends and there's no barrier, no railing, nothing to prevent you from jumping over. No man made obstructions to soil the view. :)

Tat Suong

 I could've sat there for ages, but I had a long ride ahead of me. The 80 odd km between Tad Low and Sekong were one picturesque view after another. Small rural villages, cows, goats, dogs, pigs and kids on the road, rolling hills, vibrant green fields, fluffy white clouds. It went a long way to keep me occupied while I drove, but eventually but butt started to feel the seat and finally I arrived in Sekong. It's a pretty small town without too much to boast of. I found a place to stay and some lunch before heading out to the next falls on my list.

Tat Faek wasn't nearly as impressive as Tad Suong, but it was still pretty, and completely deserted. I did see three other bikes, but no people. The falls were at the end of a dirt road, some 2km from the main highway, so they're not the biggest tourist draw. I didn't make it back to town before the rains came. It poured, I got soaking wet, and I successfully drove in the rain!!  

Tat Faek

 Mud, passenger and rain. Not bad for my second day on a bike. :)

Day Three: Sekong to Paxsong

Distance Travelled: 103km

Waterfall Count: 4

Price of accommodation in Paxsong: 50,000 kip

Oh what a day. I never thought I'd say this in Laos, but holy fucking god I was COLD. I was shivering so much that it shook my bike. I had to either bite my tongue or clench my jaws to keep my teeth from chattering (and to think, earlier I was worried about getting sun burnt). I was wet, tired, hungry and still kilometers from Paxsong. This is how I got there:

I started out early from Sekong, hoping to beat the rain on my way to Paxsong (HA!). I saw one small falls on my way out of town, Tat Se Noi. Locally it's known as 'waterfall of the heads' owing to a WWII episode in which Japanese soldiers decapitated a number of Laos soldiers and tossed their heads into the falls. Ech! I didn't see any floating heads, but I did see the COOLEST ant colony ever!!!! There was this long stream of ants marching down a tree, across a low concrete ledge and up another tree 3 feet away. They were fascinating to watch!!   

Tat Se Noi

ANTS!!

 30km down the road I came to a junction. When you've only ridden a motobike for two days, and you come to an intersection where the sign says 'Paxsong - 71km,' pointing in the direction of a road that in the dry season could arguably be called 'dirt' but now, during the wet season, is 71km of mud, you should definitely take the 'mud' road. (Who doesn't love a good adventure?) Thus my 7.5hr journey though mud, mud, mud and more mud began. I still can't believe I actually made it through in one piece. I'd hardly gone more than 5 minutes down the 'mud' road (slipping a few times, but yet to actually fall), when I came to my first mud pit. The mud was at least a foot deep, and the only way onward was through the sludge. I quickly learned that it's easier to push the bike if you put it in gear and let it do some of the work. :P I'm sure I was quite the sight for the locals in the stuck lorry.

My first meeting with MUD!

 The rest of the day progressed in a similar manner. There would be stretches of smooth, almost pleasant dirt road (watch out for the pot-holes), and then there would be a lake of mud. The watery mud puddles were like minefields, I never knew how deep the were. I went though one, thinking it was just a shallow puddle....it was deep enough to get my ankles wet and made something on the bike sizzle and steam. Oops. I push and pulled the bike through calf deep mud, hauled it back up when it fell over and generally got the best workout in ages! My mantra for the day became 'I am as cool as a cucumber, when the bike starts to swerve, don't tense up, just go with it.'

The whole reason I'd taken this road was a) I didn't want to back track on my way to Paxsong and b) Lonely Planet said there were two falls worth seeing. The directions in the book were hardly helpful. :P At the point where there was meant to be 'a 25m-long trail leading back off to the left and out of the jungle appears this spectacular drop,' there was nothing but hillside. However, 100m further down the road, on the RIGHT-hand side, there was an amazing falls!!! Maybe they just got their rights and lefts mixed up. Further on, through more mud, I came to a falls that wasn't in the book. Score! :)  

Nam Tok Katamtok

Sekatamtok Falls

 And just past these falls was the HUGEST lake of mud yet. On the other end there was a stuck lorry, and 8-9 guys trying to un-stick it, with rocks and logs and man-pushing power. I made it about halfway through before I got stuck myself. The bike was so deep in mud that it stood up on its own. :P I turned it off and took a rest. It was only 11am. After watching the guys for a bit I gave my bike another try. I managed to get it out of the hole it was in, and into another one, directly in the way of the lorry. Three of the guys nicely came over and pulled it out for me. At this point, I was covered in mud from foot to waist, barefoot, because there's no point in wearing shoes in the mud, and exhausted. And I still had umpteen kilometres to go. Thankfully, that was the worst of the mud and the rest 'mud lakes' were small puddles in comparison.

Up, up, up I climbed, onto the Bolaven Plateau. It was gorgeous! And totally worth every inch of mud I trekked though. The only thing for miles and miles was green, green, greeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!!!! And a few small huts. :) It's a different life the people up here live. So different from anything you or I would know.

I thought I'd had enough falls for the day, but then I saw a sign, 'Tat Arang – 2,000m.' (Why didn't they just say 2km???) Anyway, the track was slippery and I learned that if you're in the rut, it's easier to just stay in the rut, rather than try and move into the middle of the track. There was a house at the end of the 2km, apparently you can do a home-stay there if you want. I left my bike and hiked the 300m to the falls. It was a lovely, if slippery walk, and compared to the two massive falls I saw earlier in the day, this one was just a pip-squeak. But still pretty, as any waterfall is wont to be. :)  

Tat Arang

I was meant to pay 5,000 kip (~70 cents) to the guy at the house, for parking, but when I got back to my bike he wasn't anywhere to be seen, and it was starting to rain. I didn't want to stick around, so I left. Karma, as we know, is a bitch. On the way back to the main road, I slipped and fell, the bike landing on top of my leg. However, I'd hadn't been going more than 5km/hr. so the worst that happened was I fell into a muddy puddle. And as the rain had become a torrential downpour, I wasn't too concerned.

On and on and on I went. 71km has never been to far. Because of the high elevation, and the fact that I was soaking, my body temperature started to drop. (I know, who's stupid enough NOT to bring a raincoat). Thankfully, I'd returned to civilization, and I was able to take cover in a small sundry shop. The whole family was watching some Laos sit-com, but the arrival of a drenched, single, white girl was enough to turn their heads. While I waited for the rain to abate (or at least lessen) I munched on some biscuits they had for sale, the only food I'd eaten since breakfast, so many hours before. Eventually, the downpour became a trickle and I ventured out. I was still wet though, and soon started to shiver. I pulled over, dug some dry clothes out and hid behind a bush to change. I was only slightly warmer, but at least I wasn't wet, for long. Of course, not 10 minutes later, it starts to rain again. Three more times I sought shelter in small shops, trying my best to keep dry. And still, Paxsong was kilometers away. At least the road had improved and I could move a bit faster. The mud was gone, but swerving around potholes was almost more than my shivering self could handle. I never thought I'd be this cold in Laos. I had to constantly tell myself to concentrate on the road, watch out for the pot holes and try not to think about how cold you are. :P

I finally, FINALLY rolled into town around 4pm and checked into the first guesthouse I found. Although it was 50,000 kip (~$6.25), they had HOT water and I was about ready to pass out from exhaustion. I stripped and took the best hot shower EVER. When I came out, I realized I'd left all my dry clothes in the compartment of the bike, so I slipped between the sheets butt-naked and promptly fell asleep. Three hours later I woke, starving. I ventured out to find some dinner and had the best hot soup and cup of hot-chocolate, which went a long way and warming me up. Then it was back to the room, where I slept like the dead for the rest of the night.

What a day!

Day Three: Paxsong to Pakse

Distance travelled: 55km

Waterfall Count: 2

Price of accommodation in Pakse: 30,000 kip

Compared to the day before, day three was a walk in the park. Paxsong is known for it's coffee, so I found a place with a 'coffee' sign out front and went it. I think I had what you'd call 'espresso,' small cup, no milk, really strong. It was interesting to note that the effects of espresso felt similar to being drunk. I'm sure it didn't help that I was drinking it on an empty stomach. :P I knew I wouldn’t be able to drive like this, so I quickly filled my stomach with food, hoping it would help absorb the caffeine. :) I saw only two falls on day three, and neither took much of an adventure to get to, though both were impressive cataracts. Tat Yuang is 40m tall and Tat Fan tumbles more than 120m down. 

Tat Yuang

Tat Fan

With the falls behind me, I headed down, down, down, off the plateau and back to Pakse, hot showers, internet and the promise of a meal that doesn’t consist of noodle soup. :)

Total distance travelled: 390km
Total waterfalls seen: 11

Thus ends my adventures around the Bolaven Plateau, but not my time with the motobike.  Tomorrow I'm headed to Champasak and the ancient Khmer temple there.   

Only five more days till I fly to Nepal!!! 

A few notes on Laos

People:

The Laos people haven't been as friendly as other SE Asian countries. In Thailand, at first glance the locals would often just look at you. But if you smiled, it was returned with anything from just a small grin to a full blown smile and wave. In Laos, they just look at you.

Dancing in the Rain:

The rainy season is upon us. It rains at least once a day, if not more. But it's only for an hour or two, usually less, and then it clears up and the sun comes out again. The nights are cooler, there's less tourists and dancing in the rain is one of my favourite pastimes. The other day I was walking with a friend through the rice fields when it started to rain. We dashed for some cover and found shelter under the eve of a house. As we watched the rain pour down in buckets, two local girls ran by, shouting with glee and running through puddles. It didn't take much convincing for me to join them. :) I spun them around in circles, played clapping games, jumped in puddles and they taught me how to count to 3. One of the best afternoons ever!

Travel:

If the ticket seller/travel agent/brochure/etc quotes the travel time from A to B as 3-4 hours, it will probably take 8-9. Nothing runs on time here and the buses stop every 10 minutes, either to let people on/off or because a repair needs to be made. We counted 28 stops on our way from Vientiane to Kong Lo Caves, total travel time – 6-7hrs, distance travelled ~300km. The best was yet to come. The next day we left Kong Lo Village at 12:30pm on a sawngthaew. After 4 hours of bouncing around in the back of a pick-up with 15 other people, we arrived at the bus station in Tha Khaek and quickly found a bus headed to the 4,000 Islands. We arrived at our guesthouse at 10am the next morning, after a 15 hour bus ride and hour boat ride. It was exhausting....Total time: 22 hours. Total distance: ~615km.

4,000 Islands:

I've been relaxing in the 4,000 Islands for a few days now. During the rainy season (now) this section of the Mekong River fills out to a breadth of 14km. During the dry season, the water level falls, revealing hundreds or thousands of sandbars, islands and islets. Everything is laid back, life is dictated by the currents of the Mekong and a typical afternoon involves a nap in a hammock on the porch, a walk through the rice fields or a pleasant walk along the dirt paths.  There are no cars here and biking is a test of dodging dogs, cats, chickens, cows, buffalo, pigs and kids AND GINORMOUS MUD PUDDLES!!!!!  It's a wonderful place to take a break from the trials of travelling. :)

Cars:

I've been in countries that drive on the left for so long that when I arrived in Laos, where they drive on the right, it took me awhile to get used to the change. I stared at a parked car for a good 5 minutes, trying to figure out if it's set-up was the same as home or not. :P  You know you've been travelling for awhile when.... 

Note: the water that came out of the tap and shower at our guesthouse in the 4,000 Islands was definitely Mekong River water......

Advice for the Single Female Traveller

When you are staying at a hill station in a remote area of northern Thailand, you should, without a doubt, go off on your own on a trek in the jungle without telling anyone what you are doing, except a fellow traveller from Germany, when you ask her if she knows how to get to the waterfall. You will find the waterfall quite easily, it's huge, and when the trail splits, go down, because everyone knows that waterfalls are best photographed from below. After the obligatory photo, you decide not to go back to the path, instead you make your way through the bush along the river, assuming, that since you're walking along a river, there will eventually be a bridge, and where there's a bridge, there will be a path. You're assumption will prove correct, and across the rickety bamboo bridges you go. Once on the other side, you should head uphill for two reasons; a) it's more of a work out and b) maybe there will be a view, if you climb high enough. After hiking for twenty minutes or so, your trail will meet an orange dirt road, badly in need of truckloads of fill. In some places the ruts are 1.5-2 feet deep. The road climbs for a few hundred feet and then crests the hill, where you are rewarded at last with a view of the valley. The hills opposite are covered in tea plantations, rice terraces and jungle, there's not a town as far as you can see, only a smattering of small villages and solitary houses and you will feel blessed to be there, in that moment, in northern Thailand.

Along the way, you will get covered in bug bites and mud, from taking photos of small mushrooms and other foreign flora, you'll pick up strange looking fruit and decide to try it, because it sort of smells like a grape, even though it doesn't look anything like one, you won't know exactly where you are, because you don't have a map and there are no signs anywhere, but you won't be truly lost, because you have a good sense of direction and when ever the trail forks, you leave a sign, some small branches propped up on a tree, a log across the path, to indicate that this was the path you came from. And you will experience immense joy when you find a clump of plants that contract their leaves when you touch them!

Rural Thailand

Huai Kaeo Waterfall

 

View from the top

On the way down you will come up with a witty way of writing about the mornings adventures so that you can tell you friends and family what you've been up to. And while they sit in their kitchens/offices/bedrooms, living vicariously though your travels, they will know that you are safe and sound, still have all your fingers and toes and you are thinking of them and wishing they were here to share in these experiences.   

In the Land of Buddhas, Stupas and Monks

The ~20hr. train ride to Bangkok was pretty uneventful and the border crossing was one of the easiest I've been through. All of the guide books say that crossing the border between Malaysia and Thailand should be avoided at all cost, but it was a breeze. I even met a very helpful Australian on the train who gave me an amazing map of Bangkok and recommended a place to stay that wasn't Khao San Road. KS Road is one long strip of hotels, hostels, bars, restaurants, shops, food stalls and numerous touts, all catering to the tourist. There isn't anything resembling culture. :P I was glad to not be staying there.

After settling in, I set off to explore the “city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarma.” That's what the official title of Bangkok translates as. Huh. I quickly joined forces with a lovely French lady, and although her English was not fluent, it was better than my French and we explored a temple and wandered around for awhile, marvelling at the amount of shops selling Buddha images of all sizes.

On my first full day in Bangkok, I did a tour of temples: Wat Pho (huge reclining Buddha), Wat Arun (lovely view of the city) and Wat Traimit (the largest solid gold Buddha), got lost in the winding alleys of Chinatown, managed to buy a bag of snap peas from a veggie vendor without speaking a word of English, bought and ate 2 pork dim-sum, even though they were a little pink on the inside and ended the day with a much deserved pedicure! It was a lot to take in. Bangkok is a rambling metropolis of

Chinese shops, Wats, markets selling flowers, veggies, amulets, and souvenirs, street vendors, tuk-tuks, buses, motos, and on every corner; someone selling lotto tickets.

On day two I braved the bus system (WOOT WOOT) and found my way to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Covering more than 35 acres and holding more than 15,000 stalls, it was a city unto itself. Need a new pet or a knock-off Ikea mug? Fine china, arts and crafts supplies or a nice hammock? Antiques? Home decor? Books, clothing (of all styles) or ceramics. All can be found within Chatuchak. It was mind boggling! And of course, there's an entire area dedicated to feed those who have been wandering around aimlessly for hours and are in need of some nourishment. :)

After three days in the city it was time to say good bye and I headed to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. The city was founded in 1351 and by 1658 had a population of ~1 million inhabitants, roughly twice the size of London at the same time. While the modern city itself isn't much to look at, the countless ruins scattered across the countryside were easily accessible with a bike and a map. After scrambling over the crumbling temples, assembly halls and pavilions, courtesy of the Burmese army invasion in 1767, I decided to take advantage of the bike and cycle around the countryside. A cow tried to eat my pants and used my leg as a head scratcher, I was chased by barking dogs and greeted by cheerful kids and I DIDN'T get run over by a lorry. :) Breakfast the next morning was ordered by pointing to the items I wanted with my rice. I first discovered these 'buffet-style' eateries in Malaysia. Some are proper shops and some are just stalls set up on the side of the road. Either way, there's a large container of rice and then an assortment of dishes that you either help yourself too, or you tell the attendant and she spoons it onto your rice. It's great because you don't have to worry about reading a menu and it's generally the cheapest way to eat. And you get to eat somewhere without any other tourists!  I generally try to chose dishes that look like they don't have any meat in them. :P 

I had the temples to myself that morning, the tour buses from Bangkok don't arrive till early afternoon. I saw more ruins, more Buddha statues and ELEPHANTS! There's a place where you can ride elephants, down the road and back, which I didn't do. But I did enjoy sitting in the main area where the elephants are corralled and watched them get hosed down, and fed and had a staring contest with a baby elephant. I could have sat there for hours, but I had a bus to catch. Next stop: Sukhothai

Another ancient capital, Sukhothai is full of even more ruins and Buddha statues. It's like going on a tour of ancient ruins in Italy, or Greece, once you've seen a few, they all start to run together. :P However, they were still pretty impressive. :)

I'm currently in Chiang Mai, and compared to the small towns of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, it's a metropolis, full of travel agents selling adventure tours, elephant rides, rafting, waterfalls, trekking, zip-lines, motorbike rentals and visits to local hill tribes. For someone who's used to doing most things on their own, it's a bit overwhelming and disheartening, isn't there something I can do that DOESN'T requite a motorbike or a pre-arranged tour? Ergh. My frustration isn't helped by the fact that my Thai visa expires in 6 days and I can't decide if it would be cheaper to do a visa run to the Burmese border or just pay the over-staying your visa fine.

On the plus side, I've bought my ticket to NEPAL and I've figured out how to set up an online fundraising page, so I can raise money for the organization I'm going to work with! More details to come SOON!