Same same but different

My sister and I travel well together. Hell, many people even think we're twins.  She’s  more the daredevil between the two of us. We balance each other out and get the other to do things we wouldn’t normally do. Things of course that the other ends up totally loving and is ultimately glad we did. 

 The main thing Mari wanted to do in Laos was ride elephants. While that seems all great and fun I don’t know if I mentioned about health care?? The older sister in me was having terrible visions of some horrifically violent, elephants-gone-wild-in-the-circus type of incident. Inevitably, I would be the one to survive, then would come the shame of returning to tell my parents… Anyways I somehow managed to push that idea out of my head long enough to buy a ticket and jump on a rickety (come on, they are never not rickety) truck out to ride some elephants. 

Our short ride outside of the town brought us to rural villages. Here the homes where fascinating. They were not just straw huts. The walls were complicated woven rugs. Aesthetically they were more pleasing and complicated than one would expect from this type of a structure. Some of the homes seemed  to be built on good and sturdy foundations. The weather is such in Laos year round that there is not a great need for complete insulation. I would have thoroughly enjoyed being invited to sit with the groups of women we saw preparing food for the nights meal I can only imagine sitting around gossiping about the neighbors or tourists atop elephants.  

Elephants are amazing animals. Any American school kid has seen an elephant, but to stand right in front of one and stroke its trunk is another thing. These animals are so large yet so calm. Being in this animals presence is like being next to a dinosaur. Or, maybe like holding a newborn baby, the world is full of potential. These majestic animals are so lovely that the thought of someone harming them seems so pure evil or at least insanely desperate. 

 Sauntering down the road, bareback elephant riding is a pretty cool place to be. I kinda felt like the Sultan from Aladdin making my grand entrance minus all the jewels and what have you. As predicted the creature would want a dip in the river.  Swimming with elephants, of course, why not? Please don’t question the safety or sanitation. 

Wow, just starting to realize why my sister was not 100% giddy when I told her my fun activity.  Laotion cooking class. Come on, totally fun and totally as cool as riding elephants, for real. She was a good sport though and I think she did end up having a pretty good time “cooking” as well. Our guide took us first out to a market. The market is almost a mandatory stop in any country. Having a guide was surprisingly useful. Without him there where many market wonders we would never have learned about. Here’s a few to give you an idea. Flies, sometimes you want them and sometimes you don’t. While fish sauce can ferment up to a year, a good one won’t have flies hovering around. Little critters which are sundried, on the other hand, more flies, more flavor. There were also bags of white powdery stuff that looked like some type of processed grain. This we discovered was lime, as in ground limestone. People use is as we would use chewing tobacco and with a similar high. More commonly it is used among women because women smoking in public are highly frowned upon if not completely unheard of. It will eventually make your teeth black and  fall out.  Lastly there where round frisbee like discs of black stuff, if I had to guess I would say it was some type of molasses, maybe on the idea of piloncillo. I couldn’t have been more off, it was something compiled from ants nests and was used as glue. Good thing I didn’t grab it to give it a taste.  

sticky rice baskets.

dried critters.

From the market we were whisked to an open air cooking resort. Our guide was not short on jokes or flirtations and under his lead we whipped up some pretty impressive stuff. Part of the time I felt like we were in a Mexican cooking class. We used a molcajete,  a common instrument in Latino kitchens, for spice grinding and sauce making. As well as finding ourselves using banana leaves to wrap food for steaming, another technique widely used in Southern Mexico.  These moments are what I like to call, no, no, no, not seeing the Mexican in everyone! I call them “world bonding moments.” No matter how far you go you find more things that make us the same than things that make us different. 

Laotian Molcajete

Walking in a Laotian Wonderland

Saying farewell to our gracious host and friend Dan, Mari and I hopped a cab to the airport where we would be heading to our next stop Luang Prabang, Laos. Our head-space at the time was unanimously odd . Mari was anxious about a “break” with her man. Me and mine…well we left on a bad note you could say after fighting the day before his departure.  So while we were excited about the new land and exploration, there was this kind of uncertainty and discomfort in the back of our heads about our world back home. We tried to keep it in the back of our heads however as we leaned in and poured over the guide books. We had a few activities roughly noted as possibilities but what did we really know about this town or even this country? I’m gonna say, not-a-thing. Is it terrible to admit the paragraph I read on some crap website at home had sold me and made me feel like I must see this land for myself? Descending for landing I knew deep within I had made the right decision. Mari and I both gasped at the vision below. There was bright green foliage everywhere, so super bright, and wet and glistening. Among the vibrant foliage were roofs of red tiles. The contrasting colors and textures made the decent different from all others to date. It wasn’t all nature and it wasn’t all architecture, but both were present competing for your glances attention. The combo at once had my imagination racing. 

When I travel I do tend to be a bit of a romantic. Oh, how ideal life is here! Oh, how lovely the people! How tasty the food! But on occasion I do snap back to see the reality. The beautiful architecture I was fawning over on our descent was not in the traditional Laotian style. It was French mixed with Laotian. This French influence doesn’t come in because the Lao people love French decoration, sadly this was a colonial city. On the other hand this little town is so happy (uh-oh the romantic is taking over again…) the people are soo warm.  It’s a subtle warmth, no touching or eye contact but you can still see the smiles as people chat among themselves. The vibe is really genuine. Most people here are Buddhist and practice living their life in the middle way. Meaning extremes in emotion or otherwise are not well looked on. Plus, Mari and I concluded (the results of hard fast scientific research of course) the boys here are by far the cutest! Oh..yea, reality, my apologies. My sister and I learned that health services in Laos are practically non existant, meaning if something where to happen to us we would need to be flown to Thailand. That being a luxury likely only a foreigner could afford.  As someone pointed out to us, “Look around you. Do you see many elderly? When people get sick they die.” Also a reminder, that bartering on a small item might be buying some bad karma.  

Before we could blink, our tuk tuk had dropped us off in front of our hostel. We could only be excited for our adventures to come. The place looked way more comfortable than either of us had envisioned. In the end when we where leaving for our next country, we only had a few hundred bed bugs bites. Or some freakishly giant cousin of the bed bug that we saw crawling on our beds. Nothing like some scars on the back of your legs, to make for a cheap and memorable souvenir (sorry no photo-it was too gruesome for the younger readers).

Finding culture.

Fun fact about me: I don’t like sunrises, waking up early and am not a “morning person.” However being a “human” in a “society,” sometimes I am forced by said “society” to get out of my warm and cozy bed at non preferential hours. On even rarer  an occasion, I make the conscious and very bold decision that something fun or interesting, maybe even someone, particularly special is worth me ending my nightly, mini hibernation early. This morning was one such event.  Mari and I woke at the crack of dawn, I was stumbling about because it takes about an hour for my eyes to become fully functional.  We proceeded to make the hour and a half drive out of Bangkok to one of the famed floating markets, Taling Chan. When we arrived, it was closed! Only open weekends? I woke up for this? Alright plan B, let’s try to make the best of it. There was a women idly sitting by the waters’ edge and she told us she could take us out on the water if we wished.  That’s how we started our private canal tour. 

Ahh, slowly gliding past the humble homes, I watched people rinsing laundry, literally from their doors step. A small child ran to the end of his homes deck and peed exuberantly into the water. A group of boys hung off a low bridge post to fish and poke fun at each other. Being a city girl myself I can’t knock city life. Sometimes though seeing the same giant malls, with the same chain stores, in every city makes me feel like someday there won’t be a point to traveling because everywhere will be the same. While that’s obviously not completely true, it does lend to the feeling that you need to get out and further away from those hubs to feel some culture and the real “flavor” of a people.  What bliss to silently cruise with my sister down the waterways just soaking up what our senses would allow. Calm and quiet, with the occasional plop of a fish poking its head through the water’s surface.  Out of curiosity we asked our driver what kind of fish they were. He shook his head in a way that implied he had NO idea what we were saying , so we smiled politely and turned back to enjoy the scenery.  At the next building we past, the boat pulled over. Our driver quickly jumped out motioning for us to stay put.  I thought he might be running a quick persona errand. Within a few seconds he emerged from the house with a loaf of bread. Once he had established that he had our attention he threw the loaf into the water. Instantaneously fish surrounded the bread and our boat with a vicious fury. Where did they all come from? We had seen a few here and there but this was intense. They were huge and all fighting to get a bite. We thanked our driver for the show and continued on. Not until we were back at home watching a show on the canals of Bangkok and environs did we learn those damn fish were carnivorous and very intimidating predators. 

Death by fish!

Oh yea, we saw snakes too...

Halfway there, livin on a prayer.

After a peaceful morning ride, we decided to go do something a little more lively. The peak of the sun had worn of and we made our way out to the strip affectionately known as Khao San Road. This area of Bangkok is a backpacker hang out. Several hostels exist near this strip so it’s impossible not to run into American or European travelers here.  Clearly, no day would be complete without adventures in food, and we were ready to dig in. There were so many little carts we didn’t know where to start or what to try. We ended up sampling from several. Everything was tasty, whether it was a pancake with fresh fruit to a rice ball stuffed with who-knows-what yummy. We had unintentionally forever tainted ourselves. The best pad thai I have eaten to date came from one of these stands at the cost of one USD. It now seems such a waste to pay ten bucks here at home for something you know won’t even compare.  

 Another amazing creation of the city is the Beer Tower. BEER TOWER. These are table top miracles that hold 6-12 beers each. The core has a tube for ice so that the beer stays nice and cold. My sister and I consumed this brilliance at an outdoor table prime for people watching. Right across from us was a bar called something like “We don’t check your ID,” subtle. Dread-locked hippies in linen pants and old ladies in traditional dress for our benefit collided down the street. The more beer we consumed the louder our cracks got about the passersby, and the longer our giggles cackled on. We found ourselves wondering as often happens why we seemed to be enjoying ourselves more than anyone else appeared to be. A girl with a sour look on her face sipped her bear behind us. Ayyyy we toasted each other and laughed on. One beer tower down, another indigenous ancient tradition checked off the list.

Its actually is all spotlights and ...

To get the morning started off right we felt some cultural activities were in order. So we headed out to explore some temples. We hit a few minor ones before making out way to the Grand Palace. Holy mother! This place is indeed grand! Have ya ever seen the inside of a Russian orthodox church? The grand palace has the same level of gilded, gold, sparkly, fabulousness but it’s all on the outside of the buildings not just within. On the inner side of the wall that surrounds the complex are intricate and beautiful paintings depicting different religious myths. If you are bold enough, you should also slip off your shoes (no one was gonna steal my sweaty sandals) to see the jade Buddha. He’s not very large but you can also admire the splendor of the interior. Be forewarned that to even buy a ticket to get in to the palace you have to have your knees and shoulders covered, this is the common respectful dress code for entering any temple throughout the region. Luckily, I was wearing a long shirt and was able to pull my skirt down to meet the length requirement, so what if I had to sag a little? I’d also like to take this opportunity to issue another warning. There are lots of men, some even trying to pose as officials or police who will tell you the palace is closed for the day. DO NOT listen to them. This is a common scam in which they take the chance to steer you towards other attractions likely to turn out to be a friend’s store. Last thing to look out for is monks. Women cannot touch or even sit next to a monk, so show some respect and stay at a distance.  My sister was very taken with the monks and at any sighting she would whisper to me enthusiastically “look- monkeys!!” Not sure they would have appreciated the nickname but hey she meant it endearingly not insultingly, so get over it. 

Monkeys.

 Hooray! Having a female traveling companion meant the shopping was on! Chatuchak, is a huge outdoor maze of stalls with everything from alligator head purses (very masculine indeed), to pets, to food, to cheap trinkets and clothes. In short it has a little of absolutely everything. It’s fun to browse but can honestly be a bit overwhelming. I preferred the indoor mall next door, JJ mall. Prices here are slightly higher than you would find along the streets but the quality is also higher. Plus, compared to back in Cali, most things still seem like a steal. The selection of wares was right up my alley and I bought several goodies. I like this mall because unlike several others which just have international chain stores, JJ has mostly all Thai made products.The days prize was some insanely fabulous, over the top heels which I would of course need to hit the town later that night. 

Paraphernalia.

All I ever wanted.

While we were going about our merry way exploring the streets of Bangkok we had no idea that another well known individual was doing the same. Not until we were back at home, did we discover that none other than Anthony Bourdain was there at the same time that we were. If we would have had this precious knowledge at the time who knows what we might of done in an effort to stalk him out?! Alas, by nightfall we made our way to the chic-y rooftop bar Sirocco. Sipping on a fruity cocktail we gazed out at the lit up view of city below us. Once again, we had no idea that the very bar we were lounging in would be used to shoot scenes from the movie “The Hangover 2.” Well, at least we kinda scored with that one but no introductions to the stars.

Bangkok Buddy Swap and Thai culture

 Sadly halfway through the week in Bangkok, Jon had to go home, back to work and back to ‘real life.’ I had a gut feeling it would be a turbulent flight and that feeling mirrored my sentiments about his departure. As Jon’s plane was leaving my new travel buddies plane was just touching down.  Welcome to Southeast Asia Chister!! Mari was of course exhausted upon arrival, but what kind of sister would I be if I let her stay in and sleep it off? No, we didn’t go buck wild that first night (lucky for her I was feeling particularly generous) but we did get her some Thai food and beer and ended up meeting some Thai friends. Funny how two girls attract more company in a hr. than a couple does in 3 weeks. Language barriers can be hard but alcohol is the international language and soon we were miming our way through conversation. Around 1 am I let Mari off the hook as I could see her start to fade and I knew she would need to be ready to explore the following day. So, home we went with dreams of the city before us.

Hair show winner

Spicy yumminess

Hello purdy lady.

Thailand gets my vote for most attractive females. There is a certain look that I am referring to and it’s distinctive to the area. Light golden brown skin, wide cheekbones and large ears make for a charming combo. Something in the demeanor also lends to this attractiveness. There is an underlying male centeredness to the culture that is hard to pin down exactly. In many cultures around the world women are submissive to men. No different in much of Asia, but in Thailand it’s done in a different way. There is this serving you with a smile and genuine sense that their greatest desire is to make you happy.  I’m not trying to generalize that a Thai women’s greatest joy is to serve but the vibe you get, is unique here.

Long live the king

Another thing you can’t avoid noticing is the King. He is more than a figure head with less power than a president. King Bhumibol Adulyadej has reigned for over 50 years and the people, well , they adore him. He is all encompassing around Bangkok. Large framed photos hang off buildings and altars in his honor line boulevards. At first I thought this guy must be super big headed, but Dan and Duong assured me otherwise.  Supposedly, he is quite the humanitarian. He visits far off towns and villages, walking among the people intently listening to any and all burdens they care to share with him. He then takes their pressing issues to parliament where he pleaded their causes, trying to persuade a change on their behalf. The Thai people see him as a hero, quite close to a living saint. This knowledge but mostly his friendly looking smile made me think he was a good guy. I guess I’m a fan of the King too you could say. 

Why is this here? Um hello Mangosteens are delish!

Brother across the seas

 As my sister and I roamed the streets exploring we happened to cross ways with a man holding a plastic bag filled with soda and a straw popping out. This very ordinary man to most might not have caused a second glance. Others may have felt it very odd to see someone drinking soda out of a bag. Our response was of immediate recognition and nostalgia. As kids this style of soda sippin' was reserved for our trips to visit Granny in Mexico. The glass bottles are recycled and are of value to the vendors, so when you by a soda they pour the contents into a bag and as if you had ordered 'take out' that's what you walk away with. This fantastically simple and non consequential viewing was happy. Feeling something so familiar when so far away from home is a moment in which you can relish the fact that people are just people. These small similarities are our bond. We are all humans and if we try to see it, we are often times more the same than we are different.

Blingin' in Bangkok

 As we got in our dark pink cab (psh, you ride in yellow cabs?) out of the Bangkok airport and drove towards our friend Dan’s house a wave of happiness washed over me. You could smell and even feel it in the air; we had landed in a tropical country.  The scenery immediately reminded me of Mexico, and you know how that melts my heart. Some people say ‘I try to see the good in people.’ I say ‘I try to see the Latino in people.’

The 'Diva' ride. The only ride.

        Anyhoo, as we drove through the streets, kids and even a few adults were playing with buckets and water guns. Anyone who crossed their path was going to get it. What might you rightfully ask was going on? Songkran of course, or Thai New Year. Not a single person could tell me the exact significance of this New Year water fight. So I had to speculate it was some sort of washing the slate clean for a fresh start to the coming year type thing, or maybe it’s just for some down home fun! We arrived on the last day of the festival so the partying and water fighting had worn down and only the dedicated remained.  As soon as we unloaded our luggage, I insisted we take a look around and get in on the action. After walking no more than a few blocks we approached what looked like a rowdy crowd.  In the blink of an eye I was grabbed by the arm (to prevent fleeing of course) and several milky buckets of water were poured over my head. How dare they, we were unarmed! The milkyness of the water initially made me raise a brow but no cause for alarm it was just talcum powder. You may have to worry however if you are in a part of the city or country where they really go wild because you will be ingesting water like it or not.  I guess it’s a fair trade, party in a far away land and pay by way of muddy belly for a few days.  Just before stepping in to our evening’s meal I wrung out my hair and dress in an attempt to look decent after several drenchings, not sure I succeeded...

They get close, not happy ending close but close enough.

Our gracious host Dan and his gf Duong.

Its healthy, go ahead-indulge.

Yummy eats near Ekkamai BTS

Many people’s experience of Thailand is one of an anything goes party paradise.  Men rally in the fact that Thai women always smile at them and many are available for whatever type of company you might chose. Stories definitely had me imagining a Tijuana type playground of debauchery. While all those stories are true (read em- sleaze fest!) and if you seek you will find, I saw relatively little of this aspect. Our guide Dan an American implant in Thailand has lived there around 6 years. His girlfriend is from an upper class Thai family and as such he showed us that side of Bangkok living, only the high brow! The first stop was fifteen dollar foot massages followed by thirty dollar couples massages. The week spent in Bangkok was filled with more spa services than I get in a whole year at home and probably all for the cost of only one or two!  The places he took us were on the higher end, I never imagined I would be eating caviar and foie gras at an upscale hotel on my visit, but there I was.  Daniel was of the opinion that with the heat and dirty streets one could maneuver the sky train to never touch the street or leave the air conditioning. That’s definitely one way of experiencing it, but I was antsy to get down and smell the people.

Alright kid, you're not half bad.

Why hello! I didn’t mean to scare you off; Shanghai does in fact have a few gems for all different palates. The aquarium is awesome. They have an impressive fresh water collection that had me questioning why I thought lakes were safer to swim in than oceans. Plus, what aquarium would be complete without an escalator that drops through a viewing tunnel, an albino turtle and a crazy saw fish friend? 

That eye is freaky!

Since Shanghai is divided in two by the Huangpu River, you will have to find transportation to cross to the opposite side. There are a few options but why take a 30 cent ferry when you could experience the BUND SIGHTSEEING TUNNEL, oooo ahhhhh. It’s like the twilight zone, and you can see it here for free (don’t say I never did anything nice for ya)!

 The sightseeing highlight was 50 Moganshan, art district. It’s out among random warehouses and not easy to get to; so if art isn’t your thing it may not be worth it. I thought it was a total find. This small area is crammed full of galleries and artist studios. The walls are intentionally littered with graffiti aka street art which you don’t see anywhere else in China. It was lovely to spend the afternoon strolling in and out of different spaces with work ranging from ultra traditional to ultra modern. Finally my walking obsession has rubbed off on Jon and so we decided to walk our way back for a bit, than catch a cab. We were so pleasantly surprised. Among the random streets and alleys we found finally found the real flavor! Fresh fruits and vegetables for sale were laid out on blankets on the sidewalk. People were scurrying home for dinner on bikes and steaming who knows what was wafting out of restaurant doors filled with hungry patrons. I guess if you’re willing to explore you can escape the giant malls and skyscrapers. 

A thus far unmentioned (but believe me, more mentions to follow) delight is hotpot. If you have never had this, what rock do you live under? It’s the Asian version of fondue and it is delish! HaiDiLao, is a tasty chain that uniquely boasts of unparalleled service which my California sentiments did so very much appreciate. There’s no way you can go and not end up surrounded by a feast. Any sort of meat, veggie or noodle imaginable is available for your boiling pleasure in their flavorful broth. We tried duck blood at a friend’s recommendation, and have been craving it since! 

All the way to the top.

If you love delicious hand crafted cocktails, with muddling fresh ingredients and exotic liqueurs China will disappoint. It’s not like you can’t get a drink but what you think you are ordering is probably not what you are going to get.  Regardless after a nighttime stroll along the ‘Bund,’ Jon and I went to imbibe at Cloud 9 sky lounge on the 97^th story of the Jinmao tower. There is a two drink minimum per person and drinks are about twenty bucks each…expensive by almost anyone’s standard. Yet for a romantic night out with your lover, it’s worth it.  

Whaaaa? Where did all these snacks come from??

Bund

Pudong