Hi! So thanks to a good friend's dad, I found this really cool site that is a blog, photo sharer, and where have you been map all in one. So I am going to use this to share where I've been. It's also more user friendly than wordpress.com, and I don't feel like learning about a new site and how to use it. This one is sort of like a MacBook - it's made for people who don't want to have to figure out the "behind the scenes" of how things work. Yay for user-friendly interfaces!
More to come later!
While I understand that this diary/blog thing is for my trip, I can't help but write something now.
This week, several things happened. My roommate and friend, Holli, was in a bike accident that very well could have taken her life. She is still in the hospital, but is improving rapidly, and for this I am so incredibly grateful. On the eve of two of my best friends' wedding (to each other!), my uncle finally succumbed to cancer, after a long, almost 2 1/2 year fight. The result? A weekend where I was required to move back and forth between celebration and tragedy.
Needless to say, my lessons from this week have revolved around the people in my life. In a few words, I cherish you. I cherish the daily fun we have as well as the times that you rush to my side to help me. I cherish the way my roommate Jennifer picked out clothes for me for this entire weekend so that I could avoid having to think about something that seemed so petty (but was mildly important). I cherish the way that my friend Crystal cried in my lap as we talked about the difficulties we were both facing this week, and the similar feelings we were having. I cherish the way my family bonds together, almost instinctively, when tragedy strikes. I cherish the way that witnessing a long-established relationship taking a new step can invigorate and inspire me to think about the meaning of the relationships in my own life. I cherish you. All of you, who have been there for me, whether it is for one minute or one year. For those of you who have never known me, but smiled at me on a rough day, and for those of you who have picked me up off the floor on a rough day. I cherish you all.
While this week has been full of heartbreak, it has also reminded me why I put the effort I do into human relationships (and dog relationships, let's face it, Napoleon is a keeper). No matter what happens, I will always have someone there to hold me, to tell me to get up, to demand that I keep going. I recognize the importance of each and every one of you, and as i get ready to embark on this crazy journey, I recognize the significance of what I am leaving behind. Please know that I take with me all of these bonds and links and relationships that are more valuable than anything else in my life, hoping to maintain and nurture them with the lessons that I will learn on the road. For now, I want to be fully immersed in these relationships while I ready myself for this intense emotional and physical journey. Thank you for taking the time to invest in me and in my life. Remember, I cherish you. Even if I can't eloquently say it, at the right time. I really do cherish you.
I have about a month to go before I leave. The more people that I tell what I am doing, the more I realize how intense it is. I think that tonight I realized how 'alone' I am in the world right now. How everything I do relies on me, depends on me, and no one but me. Not to say that my actions don't affect others, but I can feel that I am truly in an isolated state. It's an interesting conflict, since most of my friends are at the very least paired off with someone.
I don't have that, even in the slightest, and when I am thinking about it in my own frame of mind, I'm fine with it. When others ask me about it, I feel the need to defend myself, to justify my solitude. I think it's bull, I don't think I should have to do that. I wonder why it matters so much that I am single, that I am, in the words of a pop song, "riding solo". I wonder why people want me to be with someone so much. I truly am happy right now living life for me, and me alone. I have no desire to share it with anyone, to rely on anyone, to answer to anyone. I'm aware that this might change, in my life, and I'm okay with it. But for now, my job in life is to experience it, for me, from my perspective. There is no other way, for me, right now, and I wish that others would recognize that and stop hassling me about being 'alone'.
It was brought to my attention by my lovable older sister that I haven't yet written any type of entry that clues people in to what my "plan" for travelling is. I've said where I'll go in a skeletal, vague way. But, as Sarah pointed out, I should write something that tells some specifics. So, here is my current "plan" (subject to change at any time, for any reason):
On September 3rd, I will board a one way flight to Singapore. I'll spend a few days there before flying to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Kota Kinabalu is on the island of Borneo (think: orangutans). There, I plan to climb Mt. Kinabalu, jungle trek, and check out some of the wild wild creatures and plants that exist on Borneo.
Then, I will fly to Jakarta, Indonesia, where I can enter the country using a VOA (Visa on Arrival) easily. I'll be in Indonesia for approximately one month. I plan to spend time on Sumatra and Java (main two islands), finishing in lovely Bali. Definitely going to work on farms in Indonesia. Most of these are in Bali, so that should help me keep out of the backpacker track there.
Near the beginning of October, I will likely fly to Manila, the Philippines, via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I will probably stop to spend a few days in KL, just to check it out. In the Philippines, I am hoping to connect with woman who is married to a soccer ref my dad works with who lives (or her family lives?) up north in the Mountain Province. I also want to make it to Cebu, which was recommended to me by a friend (Turner) who spent a summer in the Philippines. I'd also have connections there for local people to stay with because of Turner, so it seems like a doubly ideal place to check out.
From the Philippines, I will travel to north Vietnam (Hanoi) and hope to use the month of November to travel south to Ho Chi Minh City. I'm hoping to really use Servas for homestays here, since I haven't paid to be a member of the volunteer farming system here. My visa expires December 1st, and I have a flight out of Bangkok on December 6th, so I will spend those days in Thailand, likely only in Bangkok, briefly exploring a country that I hope to come back to.
On Dec. 6th I fly to Auckland, New Zealand, where I will spend a few nights (I hope) with some distant family that I've never met. I'll travel south down the North Island to Wellington, where I'll visit with a friend from high school who moved there recently, and then spend the majority of my time down exploring the South Island. I'll be here through Jan. 4th, so I expect my Christmas to be spent with amazing South Island scenery (think: LOTR).
On Jan 4th, I will make my way to Western Samoa. This is where my concrete plans end (in terms of plane tickets, etc.). I hope to spend 1 1/2 months in Western Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga (about 2 weeks in each place). I have a friend (Turner) who is moving to American Samoa, so I will get to visit him, which is awesome. I got the fellowship before he got the job, and planned to go to American Samoa before I knew about the job, so it's a pretty cool coincidence that I'll get to visit him there. I also plan to volunteer on farms in Tonga, and am really hoping for some quality homestays in these island countries. These three places are the ones I am anticipating the most on my trip.
After Tonga, I plan to fly (via Fiji) to Central America. Any way you slice it, it looks like I will have to fly through the States (either LA or Hawaii), so that will be a strange chunk of "home" as I drastically switch regions of the world. Getting from Tongapatu (Tonga) to San Salvador (El Salvador) will take approx. 7 or 8 days because of a forced layover in Fiji and the States. No, really, they ARE forced layovers. I will probably extend my stay in Fiji to at least 5 days to have time to get away from the tourist centers and out to some more remote islands.
Once I get to Central America, I essentially hope to spend about 3-3 1/2 months being immersed in Spanish in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Southern Mexico. I just found out a good friend is moving to a part of Oaxaca (the state) in Mexico, so I will get to finish up my trip visiting her in her new home (awesome). I am determined to develop my Spanish language skills during this time, so I will mostly be using homestays, not hostels, to move around these countries.
All this being said, who knows how the trip will go. I have this idea of what it will look like, but I know things will change and pop up and go foul. I am really excited to see how the trip molds and shapes away from and into my plans. I really hope to stick to my country plan, though, since the purpose of the trip is to learn more about the places from which my students and their families originate. I'm pretty determined not to stray from that overall purpose. New Zealand is the only place that I am stopping only for me, and that doesn't necessarily align with the student purpose of the trip. But, I had to stop there to get to Samoa, and I'm not going through NZ without stopping, okay? :)
So there's my plan! I have started mapping "future routes" on my route map, so you can see how that is going to work. I plan to have mapped everywhere I've been, as well as map out the general next few weeks of where I plan to head, so you can all track my movements.
Time to go to bed now!!!
At this time next week, I'll be halfway to Singapore. I've spent the last 3 days trying to pack the next 8 months into a bag. As it turns out, that's really difficult to do! My small daypack has been traded out for a normal, school-sized backpack. My big pack is full. I've clearly overpacked. But, what can you do?
Something that I've been talking to friends and family a lot about lately is what I expect from this trip. Most people respond to "The Bonderman News" with a "Wow, you're going to have SO MUCH FUN!" or "What a fantastic opportunity for you!" True, true, all true. It's interesting, though, that most people miss a really big part of what this fellowship is about - sudden, startling interruption. While I certainly hope and expect to have fun on this journey, I also expect some amount of struggle. This is interrupting my life. This is interrupting my daily routine, my comfort zones, my diet, my sleep schedule, my relationships, my career, and my lease. :)
In sum, I expect to have days where I 100% doubt my decision to do this. The interesting thing that I've realized is that I am open and ready for these days, as much so as for the fun days. Let me explain, as best I can, starting from the beginning.
I applied for the Bonderman because it was a "wouldn't it be awesome to..." thing, in my mind. I never expected to be a contender, much less receive the award. My rationale for applying? Well, on the off chance that I get it, how could I turn it down? And then, there I was, wondering just that: How could I possibly reject this offer? And so...here I am...taking a big step, making a big change, and setting out on an adventure that still doesn't feel real to me.
Regardless of reality, I know that I am more ready for this experience than I ever have been. I honestly feel that I may never be as primed to receive whatever I am about to receive (and give whatever I am about to give) as I am right now. The timing of this trip fits so well with everything that has happened in my life so far, and I feel more ready than ever to spend some time exploring who I am and who I want to be, on my own. I feel a strange sort of calm excitement about all of this, even the painful parts. I know that's where a lot of the growth will come from. Or, at least, that's what the tell me.
And so, the countdown to Miss Independent Tour (Part Dos) commences. Whatcha got, world?
I arrived in Singapore yesterday, late at night. I was identified as a potential drug smuggler pretty quickly (young, white backpacker, I guess) and my bag was searched pretty thoroughly by customs. Luckily, I left all my street drugs at home, so I cleared customs and was picked up by my super gracious host, Lisa. She went to high school with my mom, and is on year two of four in S'Pore with her husband and two high-school aged children.
I woke up this morning, on day one of my trip, with this overwhelming sense of impending doom. I felt that for sure, I was making a mistake by embarking on this trip. I was disappointed in myself; I was succumbing to my fears far too early. But I started thinking, writing, and talking to myself (not ashamed) because I knew I had to move past it.
I checked my email and had several messages from loved ones, wishing me well on the trip. And I was, of course, motivated. I have decided to complete this trip much like the only way I can complete a run, or a race. I have to trick my mind into not realizing how long it really is. If I only focus on those points relatively close to me, I can break this "race" into manageable (even enjoyable!) parts. Before I know it, I will be half done, and will be more experienced in the art of pacing myself. So, I am focusing on my trip as a one-month-ahead thing. I think this will help me avoid falling into the trap of ruining opportunities with self pity by taking time when I need it to be something other than a tourist, taking in everything, for a day. I honestly cannot believe this is happening.
Other notes: international flights rock - better food and blankets, Japanese toilets are weird, and jet lag going this way sucks - I am already dreading going back the other way!!! Much love!!
Here's a bit about my few days in S'pore, along with my favorite pictures. I had a wonderful host, Lisa, who made huge efforts to make sure that I was having fun and seeing the city. Here's a rundown of what I got to see and do while there:
We walked around Little India and Chinatown, visiting the outside of an Islamic mosque, a Hindu temple, and visiting the inside of a Buddhist temple/museum. The inside of the temple was beautiful and really intriguing, as I know virtually nothing about Buddhism - see the photos I attached. Lisa and her husband Emil treated me to a river cruise, complete with some delicious food from a food court (Singapore is famous for them) as well as dinner at a fantastic Indian restaurant on the riverfront. The man driving the riverboat for the cruise was hilarious - pointing things out to us by yelling one or two words and insisting we take photos (JUMPING BOY! JUMPING BOY!). He also insisted I take a photo driving the boat, so that's here, too. :)
I spent an afternoon walking around the Singapore Botanical Gardens, which was amazing! They have an Evolution Garden, which is a concept garden meant to give an impression of what the earth's progression through evolution of life was. It was cool, I nerded out.
On the last night, Lisa took me on a wild goosechase to fix my iPod. Long story, but the moral is that she's awesome, and everything is fine! On the last day, Lisa took me for a ride on the Singapore Flyer - awesome! Saw the whole city from a bird's eye view! Took way too many photos, so only a few are here!!!! Then, we went down to the beach and walked around, marveling at all the cargo ships in the water (hundreds). After that, she dropped me off at the airport...on to the next destination!
Thank you Lisa and Emil for all of your hospitality! I appreciated the time and money you spent showing me a good time in your lovely city!!!!
Several things to note about this place:
1. Everyone stares at me. After about 30 seconds on the street some man TSSSSTSSSSTSSSS'd at me. It's funny because everyone looks at me like, "Huh? Who are you and WHY are you here??" but I still feel safe and comfortable, and am not really concerned with it. Not sure why??
2. The night market is AWESOME. Being that we're on the water, there is all kinds of seafood. Saw a puffer fish for sale, tuna, sea cucumbers, you name it, it's there. Went snorkeling with a friend, Julian, and saw stuff in the water that is at the market. Really interesting to visit a place that is using the resources around it and focused on doing that. Obviously, I'm not sure that all the fisheries here are responsible, etc., but it's still a very seafood friendly (and not much else) city.
3. Snorkeling out on some smaller islands off the coast, Mamutik and Sapi. Really cool stuff in all, but the highlight was seeing an anemone colony with CLOWNFISH! NEMO! It was so exciting to see these two really intriguing mutualistic organisms in their natural environment. On Sapi, Julian and I hiked to a beach that no one else was at, and the plants there were awesome - some photos included. It was incredible!
4. Okay, here's the big one: Climbing Mt. Kinabalu. So, right before I left the States, I realized that I knew very little about this climb, so I looked it up with my skeptical mother. Turns out it's just over 4000 m in altitude. You do the math to convert that to feet - it's a high mountain!!!! So, I was a little concerned that I wouldn't make it. Then, I lost my warm sweater somewhere (S'pore airport?) so there was that concern!
But here's the good news: I made it to the summit! Here's the breakdown: you climb up the first 6 km the first day, but wait a minute! Don't p'shaw that - it took us 5 hours! We gained 1500 m in elevation. AND, the starting point was approx. the same elevation as the top of Mt. St. Helens, so there was a bit of "out of breath" happening there. Then, you stay that night in a rest house that sometimes has electricity, sometimes not. Like, you could be sitting on the toilet without a light and the lights would go out. Awesome. You learn to carry your headlamp everywhere! You go to bed around 730/800 pm because you have to wake up at 200 am to summit. The weather is such crap in the afternoon that you won't summit if you don't dawn it. Good news is that you get to see the sunrise if you do it that way! It was incredible. Physically, mentally challenging, but worth every agonizing step.
Just found out I'm monopolizing the internet, so I'm going to have to upload photos later for the two most recent entries.....:) Sorry!
Having fun, loving life, and heading to Bali soon to WWOOF!
I am sitting in the Kota Kinabalu airport, in an internet cafe upstairs. I came to the airport 4 hours early to use the fast connection here. Still trying to update my iPod so I can Skype on it, and needed to upload photos. Turns out it's Malaysia Day today so coming early was a good idea - the airport is insane.I've spent about 10 days in Malaysia, and really loved it. I'm heading to Jakarta tonight to spend the night in the airport, then on my way to Bali in the morning. I've got lots of good things to report, but right now I have a pit in my stomach. So I'll get that out first:My contact in Bali has been unreliable, so instead of coming into a known situation, I'm going to have to figure out where to go and where to stay. Not a big deal, I know, it's what traveling is about...but this is the part that is hard for me to overcome - the not knowing. I am a Type A planner - I always know what I'm getting myself into and how I will handle it. Now, I'm not so sure. I know this is the part of traveling that helps me grow, but today I'm not embracing it. I have been sick the past two days, possibly a combination of bad food, a cold, and potentially a fever. I have had a sore throat, but no fever running yet. A fever in a tropical country is a good reason to be concerned, so I really don't want to have to deal with that as I'm en route to Indonesia.Heading into the unknown is something that I've never dealt with well. It's easy to focus on the unknown things that have turned out poorly, instead of recognizing that lots of unknowns are good, happy surprises. I'm struggling with this, only two weeks in. My cab driver was asking me questions about my trip, and when I told him I was two weeks in and had 7+ months to go, he said, knowingly, "Oh, so you're homesick now?" I've been ignoring it, but yeah, I'm homesick. Not because I've been gone too long, but because this is the first chunk where I don't know what I'm getting myself into. This is the first chunk where I am really realizing how long I'm going to be gone, away from friends and family. I want to cry - and maybe I just should, so I'll feel better. It's a funny kind of stress, where my body feels it even though my mind recognizes how illogical it is. All that being said, I'd like to focus on the amazing times I've had recently, so I can get excited about a new place with new people, and new memories. Here's what I've been up to:Last week, Julian and I got bored in KK, so we decided to head to Kuching, which is the main city in Sarawak (the other state in Malaysian Borneo). Kuching was amazing!!! Highlights:1) Weekend market - took tons of photos, it was beautiful and wonderful and so many cool things!!!2) Visited an "indigenous longhouse"...essentially a big, connected bunch of houses that ends up looking like a cool boardwalk town. It was strange to visit, since it's people's homes and you are looking in and taking photos, but everyone seemed to embrace it. A woman asked where I was from, and I told her the USA. She said, "Oh, people from the USA usually lie about where they're from...but I sure don't care!" It was funny...3) Spent a night out at Bako National Park...this was incredible. You have to boat out to the park, and services are limited. One restaurant and you are constantly watching your stuff because the macaques will steal it. :) I have very few words to describe this place, but I took a video on this amazing tidal plain we found that I hope to upload. Maybe not tonight though, because it looks like my internet will run out with the other things I'm doing. Absolutely incredible, though. Saw tons of wildlife - pit viper, flying lemur, countless birds, and Proboscis monkeys (endemic to Borneo)...a dream, really. So hot and humid there, came back smelling awful.Julian headed back to the States, since his travels are over, and I spent the day bumming around KK. Met a wonderful English gal named Claire, and spent some time wandering the city with her.Some general thoughts on this experience thus far:My thoughts tonight are very fragmented. I have personal things that I have been thinking about a lot lately, and they are becoming intertwined with feelings about this trip. I am struggling, but I can also see the beauty in the struggle. I sense my own strength and confidence in all this, and I admire it, but also see that it is fallible. Again, I am recognizing my dependence on human relationships for happiness, and I'm also encountering several feelings of guilt about leaving home, leaving people there. It's not all good, not all bad. Today, I wasn't a tourist. I was just there. I ate at Pizza Hut, and went to Starbucks. I sat on a couch and read a book. And it was okay. Compared to the past two weeks, this is nothing. But I have to remember that I don't have to do amazing things all the time. I can just exist for a few days if I need to...Anyway, I'm sure you can tell by my entry that I'm all mixed up and conflicted right now about the trip. I have a wonderful entry that I meant to post from Kuching about some people we met there, but it's on my iPod and I have to upload it or retype it, so we'll see which I choose to do.I miss you all very much, and appreciate the contact you've kept with me.NOTE: If you want to text me, I can receive texts at 971-248-7192 when I have WiFi. I will eventually get them.If you want to leave me a voicemail, you can do so by calling 253-642-7318. Google transcribes it and emails it to me as text and a sound file. I really appreciate hearing these!I'm always on my email and facebook, so keep up the contact. It helps me realize that I'm really doing just fine!Cheers!
Here's a very quick update, from the first internet I have found in days:
I am in Munduk, Bali, where very few people speak English and internet is difficult to find although not impossible!!!) I am WWOOFing - working with an organization on a gardening-related project in a school. Haven't really started yet, but am hoping to get the ball rolling. Things are....slower....here. :)
I likely won't be able to really update the blog again for about two weeks, and there will be no photos for at LEAST that long, no internet connections can upload photos here. Too slow.
Highlights:
1. Living in the middle of rice terraces
2. Finding a huge spider in the bathroom, the size of my hand, and all of the girls living in the house freaking over it together
3. Going to sleep with the sun, and waking with it.....equals 10 hours of sleep per night....I love this alarm clock!
4. Whenever I want to go somewhere, i walk to the road and flag down a motor bike. They'll happily take you wherever you want to go for about a dollar. It's wonderful, and fun!
5. Rice. Seriously, I never thought I would love to eat rice so much, but it's delicious mmm.
6. People - everyone yells HALLOOOO at you as they drive or walk by, with a big grin on their faces. If I thought people stared at me in Malaysia, haha, wow they stare here. Not used to seeing people that look like me, and it's really interesting to respond to since most people don't speak English well enough to communicate.
7. First night here went with another volunteer and some of her local friends to VOLCANO, a night club on the beach in Lovina, north coast of Bali. Indonesians party HARD, whoa. We got home at four thirty in the morning!!!! I don't think I'll tag along again - not my cup of tea.
Anyway, I am hogging the internet, and I need to let others use it.
I am up and down, lonely and serene, it changes all the time. But I cherish the messages I get from you, and my younger sister and my parents have my mobile number. It is too expensive to call out internationally, but I can send texts for cheap and can receive calls for next to nothing. If you want, you can give me a call anytime. Leave me messages, emails, whatever - I really do cherish hearing from you all right now.
I miss you, am having a life-changing experience, and already want to tell you so much about it, but this is all I can afford right now. So, sampai jumpa nanti! (See you later!)
Much love...
It's Monday. Today was the first day that I actually was able to get something done volunteering - what a wonderful feeling. Then, I used my working(!) phone to call several people at home and chat with them - again, what a wonderful feeling!
I had this thought the other night. It went a little like this in my head: "Hmmm, how long have I been travel-WHOA, it's almost been a month already!" I have this really profound sense that regardless of how difficult it's been already or how difficult it will be, that spending 8 months on the road is completely doable. I doubted that when I left, but now I see that it's absolutely my life task right now to complete this journey. It's absolutely what I need to be doing right now. So to have that feeling of justification in my choice to leave, even when I have a rough day, is really gratifying. There are lots of reasons why this trip is necessary, but that's for another blog entry.
This morning, Clem (another volunteer) and I dug out a garden bed at a kindergarten in Kaya Putih (a nearby village) with a few parents and teachers at the school. Then, we transported a bunch of plants down to the kindergarten classroom. We bought strawberries, cucumbers, spinach, chilies, celery, and tomatoes. The trip to buy these plants was a lesson in Bali-time in itself:
We drove ~30 minutes to Bedugul, where we crept slowly down a farm road, stopping at each farm. Our friend, Made, asked each person if they would like to sell us some small plants. Each place said, "No, keep going down the road!" So, we crept down the road. Eventually, we found a place that said, "Sure, but you have to wait 30 minutes for the farmer to bring the plants." I thought, "From where? Isn't this his farm?" but bit my tongue and waited instead. Two hours later, we had plants!
Tomorrow, we will plant these plants, and then, on Wednesday, Clem and I are going to travel to Ubud (yes, the place from Eat, Pray, Love). I intend to eat, but not really to pray, and certainly not to love. Unless you mean love the food, because I do.
Heading to Singapore on October 7th, when I will finally be able to upload photos again.
Cheers!
I've been wanting to write a little blog entry for awhile now about some things I've been thinking about and writing about, but keep forgetting and wasting my internet time. Now, I've forgotten my notebook with all of my notes in it. So, I guess this will just be one more update on where I am, what I'm doing, etc.
Today marks me being gone one month. Not really, because I am a day ahead of home here, but whatever. I feel like writing my "I've been gone one month" entry today.
So, it's a bit ridiculous to me that I've been gone a month already. I struggled a lot with it a few days ago, thinking about whether or not anything dramatic or worthwhile had developed in the past month. What had changed about me? What was better, new, exciting, etc.? I was disappointed when I couldn't find anything. A little depressed, even.
I spent some time exploring my dissatisfaction and have come to the following conclusion:
This month has been about acclimation. How do I travel? How do I meet people? How do I get into a country without an onward ticket when they want you to have one? How do I spend the night in a huge international airport safely? How do I find my way around a place where no one speaks English? All of these things take acclimation - you have to figure out how to navigate a new place, new people, new feelings, etc.
I've also realized that - gasp - I don't really like Bali. Maybe it's not Bali, maybe it's that I've just had a slew of experiences here that didn't add up. But this is not the place for me. So this month was also about acceptance. I wrote a sweet poem about this that I'd like to share but don't have it with me, so maybe at a later date I'll do that. Essentially, though, I'm learning more and more how to accept the conditions and situations with which I am presented. I don't enjoy Ubud, Bali (gasp, again, I know, I know) really all that much, but I'm here, and I'm not willing to pay early - so what can I get from it? How can I extract something useful and valuable from a place that I don't really care for? Well, by analyzing exactly why I dislike it. So, in this exercise, I've been able to genuinely explore a lot about my personality, and why I like certain places and not others, certain people and not others. It's actually been really interesting to pick my personality apart and look at it this way.
What I've found:
1. I have an uncanny knack to bear stress.
2. I have a terrible habit of letting said stress build until it explodes out of me, usually in the form of tears, a migraine, or both. :)
3. I remember places by the people I met there and spent time with.
4. I am much more independent than even I expected.
5. When it comes to relationships (both platonic and otherwise) - I have very high standards.
6. I really value the ability to have positive relationships with women. On this trip, I have only spent quality time with other women - no offense guys, but this has been incredible and empowering for me.
In the midst of unhappiness about where I was, I began to taste the real meat of this journey. Dissatisfaction with your life stems from beliefs about what other people have or what other people are experiencing, as well as your beliefs about what you have and what you are experiencing. Too often, I allow myself to really feel out the dissatisfaction, instead of taking action to change it. I'm really starting to believe that life deals you the things you need, that you are presented with situations that force you to recognize the growth you need. I mean, look at this trip! My very existence here is direct result of my need to break away (of course, not permanently) from everything I had connected my identity to and discover which of those things genuinely belong as a part of it. Again, I'm finding that people are at the core of what absolutely belongs in my world.
I wonder how many times I will need to be reminded of this. :)
Either way, this month was formative for me. I know a lot of things about myself that I didn't know, or didn't believe in enough before. I'm finding that my ability to do this trip in a way that satisfies what I need is really, quite feasible.
So, for all of you about to depart on your own trip, whether it actually be an international adventure, a new job, a baby, or even just having the courage to push yourself mentally or physically in any way - you can never know what you're capable of until you try. So just try!
And to all those about to depart on their Bonderman - you are going to love this.
I leave you with an excerpt from a poem I wrote that I remember, that I know is not grammatically sound:
"Each passing day
Pulls me further from home
But I must remember
It also brings me closer"
Much love.
Heading to Singapore on Oct. 7th and then the Philippines on Oct. 10th. Hope to upload photos during that time with a good internet conxn. Bye!
Of course, I should have known that I wouldn't be able to leave Bali peacefully. Come on, now, this is Indonesia we're talking about! The country where tourist centers are crammed with taxi drivers, hawkers, etc. just begging to take your money for whatever service they are offering. Of course, going through immigration is not exempt from this attitude....
I was really excited to head to the airport today. I had several obstacles to my departure from Indonesia and arrival in Singapore, and this is an important thing to blog about not only because these obstacles sum up how ridiculously important infrastructure is to travel. I also really just think that this is a hilarious string of events, and I am proud of myself for being able to genuinely laugh at the cultural differences instead of sinking into a vat of steaming frustration. So, here's the story:
My flight left Denpasar, Bali at 12:55 pm. This meant that I needed to arrive at the airport by 11 am at the latest in order to deal with queues, immigration, etc.
OBSTACLE #1: In Bali, very few people will tell you how to use public transportation because they would rather you pay their friend Wayan, Nyoman, or Made to drive you in his private taxi for a much inflated price. This meant that as I asked around for cheap ways to the airport, everyone looked confused and told me there was no way except a private taxi. This is the difference between $5 and $20, people. This is serious business. "No, no, no shuttles leave before 10 am, no shuttles will take only you, no one else needs to get there at that time." Uhhh, excuse me? There is an entire PLANE of people leaving this island, SOMEONE is coming from Ubud!!!! I was determined to win this game.
Eventually, the lady at the internet cafe overheard me discussing OBSTACLE #1 with my friend and informed me that they (yes, of course, the internet cafe, I should have known to check there) ran a 9:30 shuttle to the airport, and that there was room. It was $5. This led to VICTORY #1.
I made the mistake of sending a text to my friend Lara that said, "Made it 2 shuttle, now lets c if they can get me to my flight on time!"
OBSTACLE #2: Shuttle is at a red light. Policeman (Indonesian policemen, mind you, do not have the best reputation for being honest) approaches driver side and orders the driver to pull off the road. Driver obeys, is taken into small police hut on the side of the intersection. Still not sure why this hut is here?!?!?! Driver is yelled at repeatedly by multiple policemen for 15 minutes, then hops back in and off we go. This was VICTORY #2. I still have no idea what OBSTACLE #2 was all about or how VICTORY #2 came about. We asked the driver and he ignored us. Welcome to Bali.
Made it to the airport at 11:30 am. Nice timing, not too rushed, but not a lot of downtime. I liked my situation (which was my first mistake). Checked in, passed through security (phew!), and approached the desk at which I was supposed to pay my Passenger Service Fee (read, one more way to benefit financially from foreign tourism, right when they think they're home free).
OBSTACLE #3: I tried to pay my PSF using USD $12 and the rest in Indonesian Rupiah, since it was all the cash I'd had. I had asked around, and numerous people said, oh, yeah, not a problem, you can do that. WRONG! Well, you can, if you're willing to pay 50,000IDR extra! (that's $5, people, we're talking two meals here). I refused to pay the extra money, because I knew it was going to his pocket and I didn't like that. I decided to find an ATM and pay in IDR only, because that was better than overpaying by TWO MEALS. This would have led to VICTORY #3, except instead it led to OBSTACLE #4.
OBSTACLE #4: There is a policy at this airport that states once you have checked in, you are not allowed to exit the airport security. GUESS WHERE THE ONLY ATM IS BEFORE YOU PASS THE BOX WHERE YOU PAY THE GUY THE FEE?! Yeah, it's outside. So, VICTORY #4, which allowed VICTORY #3 to commence, was a hard fought, hard won argument that took place between me and several security officials about the layout of the airport. They finally agreed that if one of them accompanied me to the ATM (which was no more than 30 m from the entrance), I could re-enter IF and only IF I scanned my bags again. (Okay....but wouldn't the private security detail have noticed if I snuck something else into my bag? Okay, whatever...sure).
My flight was delayed, but that's an easy thing to overcome when the gate waiting room has free internet and is crawling with amazing Australian tourists with awfully braided, sandy beach hair. I slept on the flight, had a hot cocoa (air conditioned - it was COLD up there), and had a row of seats to myself. Finally, I was free....
WRONG!
OBSTACLE #5: After a long, nervous wait for my bag (it was the last one out, phew!) I was detained at customs. As in, I sat with my bags and they took my passport from me. As in, out of my sight to a different room. Uhhhhhh??? All I could think of were those horror stories about someone sneaking drugs into your bag so you are forced to bribe your way out of jail (or worse!). Turns out I have a knife in my bag (yes, it's mine) that apparently resembles a switchblade (oops, probably should have thought about that). It's a multi-tool, you know, with pliers, screwdrivers, and a small blade. But the blade swings out, not on a spring or anything, but it still swings out. After letting them do their little investigations, I meekly informed the customs agent that I had, just one month ago, entered Singapore with this knife. Customs had also asked me about it this time, but had let me through with little problem (they hadn't seen the blade part), so I just pulled the "well, they let me in beFORE" card. After 20 minutes of wondering what was happening, they just....let me go. VICTORY #5, you were sweet.
After all of this and 2 hours of buses in Singapore, I made it to Lisa's house again (WITH my knife still in my posession) where dinner was hot and ready (VICTORY #6?!). What a day!
And here I am, at 2 am, pounding away on a computer like a kid who's been without candy for weeks. It's definitely time for bed. But I'm proud of the way I got through everything today without feeling even an ounce of frustration. I just said, No, it's going to be this way. And did it. Ahhh, sweet victories....
More things to note:
1. You can now text me at (360) 249-7122. People who live in Grays Harbor, don't be confused, that's not a Montesano #, I promise it will send texts to my iPod. I had to get a new one after the iPod got all reset.
2. I've uploaded more pictures to old diary entries. Check it out.
3. I'm starting a YouTube channel with some videos. I don't promise they'll be interesting, but they're of me, if you miss seeing me in "real life", and some of them are funny (to me). My user name is annakae6546 (yes, Betsy & Duncan, in honor of Old Brown!), so look me up and watch the French man dance strangely at 6 am at 4095 m elevation. :)
For those who want to know, I'm incredibly happy and healthy, and winding up to head to the Philippines for 3 weeks. I feel so amazingly blessed to be on this journey and can't even begin to express the solidarity I already feel in my abilities to travel, take care of myself, and be on my own.
Much love!
I spent yesterday shopping in Singapore. I realized that I didn't pack shorts and I needed some other small rungs that I knew would be easy to find in Singapore. So I wandered around orchard road for awhile. Then, I met my friend Pauline (who I met climbing Mt. Kinabalu) and some of her friends at the Esplanade theater for a contemporary dance performance, which tuned out to be phenomenal!!!! Spent the evening at a tapas bar, drinking non-Tiger non-Bintang beer. An excellent night, taking it easy today, and heading back out for three weeks in the Philippines. I am excited to jump back in and especially in a country that I really want to know more about.
I have a very profound sense that this is better than the best thing that could have happened to me at this point in my life. I feel it each time I relate the things I am learning about myself to the way they will benefi me at home. Today, I am more in awe of this opportunity than I have ever been. The people, the places, the natural wonders....it's a whole new can of worms!!!!!
Much love to you all!!!!!
Just wanted to write a quick update on what I've been doing and where I am. When I get back to Cebu City on Tuesday, I hope to write a bit more detail about what I've seen and add a few photos!
I arrived in Cebu City and have been hosted by a friend of a friend, who has been an excellent host. I was supposed to go diving and get certified, finally, but got sick so ended up heading to Bacolod City with a new group of friends for MassKara. Before this, I was hanging out on the beach on Panglao Island, off of Bohol, and riding around Bohol on a motorbike checking out some cool stuff, which needs photos to accompany a description - won't describe it without those photos!
Comes down to: people here are remarkably hospitable and friendly, and I've already had several marriage proposals. :) In the meantime, check out some basic info on the festival I'm at. It's pretty wild here!!!!
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/MassKara
Hello! I'm back!
First things first - Typhoon Juan (Megi is the international name) has not affected me besides me being too afraid to fly to Manila today, thus skipping my flight, only to find out that it's fine now and I could have gone anyway. Hm. Seems like I lost that travel battle. Ah, well...
Seems like the country was well-prepared, and aside from the most scary flight I've even taken in my life from Bacolod to Cebu, I remain unaffected and safe.
So, what have I been up to? Here are some highlights...
1. Eating balut. It's a partially developed duck embryo, for those of you that don't know, and it's actually pretty tasty...as long as you don't look at it, get one with feathers (not kidding) or bones (again, not kidding). It tastes like an egg. Here's what you do: crack the egg, much like a hard boiled one, and peel off the top part of the shell. Then, you break the membrane and suck the juice out. Again, not kidding. Tastes like egg soup. Or, egg chicken broth. Either way, it's salty and a little bit "animal" flavored. Ha. Then, you peel the rest of the shell off to reveal what might be the MOST disgusting thing you've ever thought of eating. Then, you sprinkle salt on it and put the whole thing (minus the "hard part" whatever that is!) in your mouth and spend approximately 10 minutes trying to chew it. What they don't tell you is that usually people snack on it, you know, nibble by nibble. But that takes much more mental willpower, so nomming down on it is a better way to go if you are at all skeptical. And, I was. But, it had the texture and taste of......drumroll, please.....well, an egg. Huh. So, the next night, when another poor foreign soul was being peer pressured into trying it, I offered to take the plunge a second time so he wouldn't be alone. And guess what? This one had feathers.
2. MassKara. This is a festival held around Oct. 19th, which is Bacolod City's Charter Day. It's essentially a huge street festival that lasts about 3 or 4 full days. Including all of the night. It's ridiculous! I wish I could upload all the photos for this, but this site sucks at uploading photos.
Instead, imagine a full on street festival - you know, street food, tons of people, lots of drinking, eating, dancing, music, and sweat. Now multiply whatever you're imagining by 12, and that's MassKara. I went with some friends I met here in Cebu, and we stayed with this huge group at a fellow Couchsurfer's house (shoutout to Gringo) - amazing hosts (but then again, I don't think that bad hosts EXIST in the Philippines!). Sunday, for example, was the parade, which sounds harmless enough but was over FOUR HOURS of dance performances. The fun seriously never stops in this country!!! It was an incredible experience. As the dance groups come down the street, a ring of people is surrounding them with a rope to keep spectators out of the way. This is usually not successful, as a member of our group frequently ran out and danced among the performers. Ha. However, if you aren't crafty like Sebastiaan, you get plowed over by tens of people shouting "EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME" as they run into you and shove you out of the way. A pickpocket's dream, really, this madness, but I left with all of my things.
3. And so much more! The general amazing hospitality of people here. The unique culture that is here....when you arrive you think, oh, look at all the coffee shops and McDonald's and cars and it's so Western. But then you almost get hit by a jeepney (google it) and someone makes you eat balut and you realize you're not in Kansas anymore, but you really aren't in SE Asia either.
Because of the people, it's an amazing place to be, and typhoons aside, I think that the Philippines has just made my list of "places I will return to someday". Like, next year, for MassKara. ;)
****
All happy thoughts aside, they've already begun to play Christmas music here (started Sept. 1st, and I am no longer going to complain about when 106.9 at home starts playing Xmas music) and it made me realize some of the things I'm going to miss here pretty soon. I was telling someone about pumpkin pie (because, let's face it, my new travel quest is to consume as many desserts as possible, internationally) and I realized that I am going to miss pumpkin pie this year. Wait, but that means I'm missing Thanksgiving, and the big get together with the Munks and the Petersens....and......MY family. Wait, I'm missing ALL the big holidays this year. Oh, dear. I mean, I KNEW that, but I hadn't really thought about it....
So, today I'm thinking that this is an amazing adventure. But amazing adventures rarely come without sacrifice (also something I KNEW, but didn't KNOW), and I absolutely know for sure that there is a list of people that I left behind that made it hard to leave. Obviously my family, but also some of my close friends. I've been thinking a lot about how people leave their homes to travel, then decide not to return, or they move abroad. I'm not sure I could really ever do that, because my people make my home, and my people are in Seattle (and the surrounding area, but accessible from Seattle!!!). I think I always will feel that way. I certainly feel it acutely now.
When we were on the phone the other day, my parents asked me if I had been homesick. My answer was, yes, every day! Every day I think of something at home or someone, and I miss it. I want to be home, in some small way, every day. But not enough to leave. Not enough to not experience this, and not enough to NOT enjoy what I'm doing. Just enough to recognize that the people that I left behind are important to me - they matter so much! Not just because of their affect on my daily life but on my character. On who I am. I mean, honestly, there are friends that go back to high school who have contributed to my life in a way that I feel makes them partially responsible for me being able to tackle a trip like this alone.
You guys and girls are important to me, all of you. So when you read what I'm doing, know that in every bit of it, there's always a tinge of loved ones in my experience, even though you are all the way over there...
Much love!!!!!
They took my umbrella. They said the metal pieces made it unsafe. This is the fourth time I have flown with my umbrella on a domestic flight in the Philippines. This is one more example of how traveling in other countries can be quite ambiguous. It wasn't even my umbrella (sorry, Lisa), and I hadn't used it recently, so I surrendered it willingly. Almost happily, as my bag has gained 1.5 kg in 1.5 months. This is not a good trend. The umbrella was at least 0.1 kg (wishful thinking), so the security official was clearly doing me a favor.
On the upside, they haven't charged me for my accumulated excess baggage so far, only noted that they should and then asked (as everyone does, hesitantly) if I was traveling alone before waving me on, boarding pass in hand, fee-free.
A strange, inconsistent system, but a system that works for me, nonetheless. The dilemma of the solo female traveller: is it more inconvenient because you have to take more precautions (like smuggling umbrellas with sharp metal parts onto planes to protect yourself) or more convenient because a smile often gets assistance and waived fees (as opposed to a man, who gets, at best, a smile, in return).
A friend in Cebu called it WPP: white people privilege. I'm sure he is partially right, but I think that the female aspect compounds this, as there are very few (read: one, me) solo white female travelers in this area, and relatively more (read: four) solo white male travelers.
Unless they were just all arrested for trying to keep the umbrellas they had tried to smuggle onto the plane.
****
But seriously, someone's drunk uncle tried to get me to go home with him today ("it's okay, my home is close and you're pretty"), and my host's 15 year old son told me that I am a princess. He has also persistently asked me 3 separate times WHY I don't have a boyfriend, like I am holding out the big secret from him and will tell him if he just asks enough times. The other son has been sending me text messages incessantly telling me that I'm pretty, but won't even talk to me when I'm in the room. Ay, yi yi. It's hilarious, flattering, strange, annoying, amusing, and makes me really uncomfortable, all at once. Huh.
I've also been told by three people today (I went to a house blessing, essentially a full on Filipino family gathering) that my "sharp nose" (remember that exact description from Bali?) is quite nice. Take THAT, all you people in the past (mostly from junior high, yes) who have noted that my nose is crooked.
****
All joking aside, today was the second time that I've gotten so homesick I cried. I wrote for about two hours on that subject already, so I'll save you the whining.
Just know that today I really longed to be in Seattle, watching a Sounders game with my family. My dad would keep bringing us the free food that we actually paid for in our tickets that no one wants to eat but we paid for it, by golly, while my mom laughed at him and said, "Oh, Chuck!" My brother would be throwing things (probably the "free" food) at all of us until one of us got mad, then he would laugh and realize that he just started a fun game in the stands, and whoever caved would have the pleasure of being Phil's target for the day. Sarah would probably be the one that caved, and would be trying to convince Philip to stop throwing things at her by throwing things at me or Emily and laughing diabolically. I would probably be learning something about my family that no one had told me (they never tell me ANYTHING), or pretending REALLY hard that Philip wasn't bothering me until the nacho hit me in the face. Then I'd probably have to work hard not to cry, because I'm too sensitive. Emily would probably be eating all the gluten that Dad had grabbed because he forgot he can't have gluten anymore. In the meantime, Michael would be sitting on the side, probably next to mom, actually watching the game with a beer in hand while Sarah tried to avoid flying french fries by ducking behind him.
I just realized that this whole thing is probably only going to be funny to my family (and maybe not even to them), but I don't really care, because that's how much I miss each of them. I'd love to be in the midst of a food fight at Qwest Field with my family right now.
Instead, I'm in Batangas City, about 2 hours south of Manila. And you know what, I love being here, too, watching a movie about a magic golden coconut (in Tagalog) with a 15 year old translator.
Life is good. Life is sweet. I love you all!
*Disclaimer: this blog entry contains profanity
Okay, so I may have misjudged you, Manila, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't make assumptions before proper introductions...but so many people insisted I wouldn't like you. They said I would be unsafe, unhappy, and that there was nothing to see here. I see their points, relative to the rest of the Philippines, but I also agree that maybe people should just give you more of a chance. Maybe your first impression isn't always your best, but let's face it: we've all been there before.
In order to explore the validity of these stereotypes about Manila, I present to you a pro/con argument, mostly because I am bored with writing a normal blog entry today...
PROS:
I stayed with a SERVAS host named Janet, who, like every Filipino/a host I've had, is incredibly hospitable. She has a driver, and has let me use the car to explore the city for free, thus more or less eliminating the need for public transportation. FYI, in Manila, the difference between having a safe air-con ride and being crammed into a careening jeepney could definitely bias your opinion of the city.
I have friends here that I met in Bacolod for MassKara. The first night, I met them for dinner in Makati, and two of them (shoutout to Paul and Rowie) explored Intramuros (historic part of the city, mostly from Spanish colonial era) with me today. Not doing the tourist thing alone also biases a lone traveller.
You are all going to laugh at this one, but whatever: the food! I'm not kidding. Bali convinced me that I liked pineapple and coconut, and Manila has convinced me that I like prawns and shrimp. I went to this restaurant called Dampa tonight with Janet (apparently Dampa translates to swamp...???) where you first go to a wet market and pick out your meal. I mean, you get to hand pick live crabs, fish, etc. Lots is on ice already, but some is very very alive! Uh, you don't get more fresh than THAT! Mmmmm.... So, I had these giant prawns that just melted in your mouth. I think that its quite possible I have never enjoyed seafood so much.
CONS
Taxis in Manila are horrendous. I only took them twice, but they are constantly trying to scam foreigners. They don't turn on the meter ("fixed price for YOU"), the fixed prices are overinflated, and they often pretend to know where someplace is, then drive aimlessly while finally running the damn meter on useless kilometers...Upside of this con is that you just have to be firm and willing to get out and find another taxi. One night, it took me four taxis before I found a decent driver. Beginning-of-the-trip-Anna would have had trouble dealing with this, but currently-more-experienced-Anna has no qualms saying, "Why, NO, I will not pay you to drive in circles. Let me out, NOW. Wait, no, up there, under the street light. No, I am not paying you for that 30 meters. (Exit cab)." So, a con has shown me some of my progress as a solo traveler.
Today, at the Bay Walk (Manila waterfront), I saw a bit more of real Manila. I'm talking outside the air-con car, now. The Bay Walk is littered with, well....litter, as well as homeless people (mostly families). Lots of babies and small children begging and then cussing at you when you don't give them any pesos. As we were walking, a child in front of us squatted down and proceeded to shit on the sidewalk. Sorry for the language, but nothing conjures the image I have permanently in my brain like the word shit. This was wrong, vulgar, and I wanted to scream that someone should be teaching this kid that you don't SHIT on sidewalks in public. But, no one even noticed but us. It was a complete non-event.
I think that summarizes a huge downside of Manila (word most often used to describe Manila? "shit-hole"). The poverty here is mind-boggling. I mean, there are kids growing up here who think taking a shit on a public sidewalk, in front of strangers, without cleaning yourself at all is normal, or at least unquestioned/unnoticed. I feel like such a snob writing about this, because let's face it, we have to poop (ALL of us, yes, even you) and if there's no bathroom you still gotta go, right? I guess this event just highlighted the in-your-face poverty that exists in so much of the world that is so easy to ignore, until it hits you in the face (or you step in it).
Traffic is also DEFINITELY a con. I don't care where you live, traffic is worse here. There is nothing like this block of concrete covered with speeding pollution-making machines. It is hot, slow, hard to breathe, and pretty much just a free-for-all in terms of traffic laws. There are lanes, but I don't know why - no one uses them. Same goes for most traffic signals and virtually all traffic cops (and there are a LOT of those).
******
So, Manila, you are quite a conundrum. I came here with zero expectations, and you delivered on some grounds to me, the foreigner. You are a chaotic, but functioning city, and although I know I should feel endangered here, I don't. You've let me in enough to feel like I've seen a bit of your inner-workings, and you've hit me in the face with the stark reality of what life is like for a lot of the people who live here. On that note, you've also made me reflect on and reconsider my own lens on the world (WHY was the kid on the Bay Walk such a profound experience for me?) and what that means for me as a citizen of the USA, a traveller, a white person, a middle class American, and so on.
So, in closing, I'd like to thank you, Manila, because even though not everything you gave me was pretty, it still carried value, and for that, I will no longer call you a "shit-hole".
I know I should write an entry about Seoul, but now that I'm in Vietnam I can't even think about Korea....I wish I could, sorry to disappoint....but here is something I wrote while I was in Seoul that I like:
*****
Sitting on a bus with the rest of the tourists in Seoul, heading to see the DMZ. Sad to be leaving but I know I have to because it's too easy here and it makes me want to go home. Somehow, it has also rejuvenated me for the next few truly solo months that are coming. I feel like I keep getting better and better at this and I will continue as the trip wears on. Kind of cool, to see the progress as it occurs.
Have I mentioned that this is exactly what I needed at this point in my life? Wow. I can see how everything I have gone through has prepared me for this very experience. It's like a puzzle, and everything fits into its place, you just have to be willing to look for it, to see the purpose in it all. I'm beginning to truly believe that: that everything in life has some purpose. I already believed it, but now I can live it. It's becoming a part of my philosophy not because I feel it should be, but because I see the success in the practice.
Success is what I am finding. Small successes, big successes. And I am finding them even in the failures: the homesickness that sets in only a day after I was on top of the world, the fact that I still cry almost every time I skype with my family members because I miss them as a physical part of my daily life so much.
Traveling is portrayed as so glamourous, so sexy and exotic. But I am here to tell you that it is HARD. It's hard even with other people, but alone it really takes you down. It costs more alone, it is more lonely, and there is often no solace in communicating with others, because they don't really know you. But if you can find the purpose in the difficulty, you can move past it eventually. I still have days where I do nothing, see nothing, just sit around. Some days I am homesick all day, unable to shake the urge to hop the next flight to Seattle.
But I am learning to take the feelings as they come, for what they are, and to allow myself to feel them, because they have a purpose! This is a part of travel - anyone who has ever traveled away from home (ANY distance) knows that.
By learning to accept and face up to these feelings and experiences, I am becoming more able to avoid their typical disabling actions. Instead of being dysfunctional all day, I am able to reflect on my feelings and grow from them. It's an incredible confidence booster - I feel like I am more in control of my emotional fate than ever before. These things that feel and look like failure and weakness on the surface are truly becoming my biggest travel successes. And the best part is that these travel successes will translate into success in do many other parts of my life: my teaching career, my personal relationships, and so on.
Ah, sweet success.
First of all, my space bar doesn't work. So this will be a short entry because my thumb is getting tired. Yeah, I'm that pathetic. I am in Cat Ba town on Cat Ba Island in northern Vietnam. It is, in a word, AMAZING. Phenomenal. It may be the most beautiful place I have ever been. This island has huge limestone cliffs that end in the most beautiful bay I have seen, tropical jungle you can trek through, wading through grass up to your chest....it has it all. We have motorbiked the whole island (I finally learned how to drive one, and yeah, it's as easy as everyone said it would be) and it is, simply, magical here. I never want to leave. But really, I want to see MORE of Vietnam. I'm afraid a month may not be enough...
Highlights, in no particular order:
1. DON'T LAUGH, but the food. I'm entitled to this now, it's not just that I love food. Food in Vietnam is special. It's....amazing! Everything is delicious. I can't describe it other than to say that I can't stop eating. Uh oh......
2. Halong Bay is majestic, beautiful, wonderful, awe-inspiring, etc. It's given me lots of opportunities to reflect, to write, and to wonder about my life. It's made me feel small (which, compared to it, I am), but also really significant at the same time. Really hyper aware of myself and what I want. I feel like this trip keeps getting better and better...
3. The people. I met a few others in Hanoi and we traveled out here together. Ro, I met on my flight from Seoul (via China, there's another story for once I've safely left Asia) to Hanoi. Derya and Olivia, I met in the first hostel I booked in Hanoi. Terisa, I met in the second hostel I booked in Hanoi (because the first one double booked and subsequently kicked me out). Paolo (sp?) met up with Olivia and joined us for a few days out here, too. We had 6 amazing people in this amazing group - we just all clicked. We've only been spending time together for a few days but I can't get enough of these folks. It's one more testament to why traveling alone is so fun - you get to meet all these new people!
4. Ditching the tours. I have made a solid effort to never book a tour. I did the DMZ Tour in Korea because it's the only way to go. Here, we have bought solo bus tickets, rented motorbikes, and chartered boats from locals instead of organizing tours through hotels. WIth all of us working together as a group, we have managed to not only save money but see Cat Ba Island through the eyes of locals. We've even made friends with some of the locals. Hai, our boat driver, has lived here all his life. We've chartered his boat twice now, and his wife cooks meals while he drives, and we play games with them and they show us caves and beaches, etc. They are really sweet people, and even though we can't communicate with them super well I wouldn't want to experience this place any other way. Also, I'm learning a bit of Vietnamese, which is fun, useful, and makes people a lot nicer to you.
Okay, my thumb is tired. This space bar sucks.
I love Vietnam. Everyone should come here once in their life. And, everyone should probably also meet Derya, Terisa, Olivia, Paolo, and Ro. But, hey, do what you can.
****
Photos won't upload so check them out on Facebook, I hope the links work, for those of you who don't use Facebook....
Back in Hanoi, just in time for a rush of homesickness. I got sick the last day in Halong Bay, I think I was seasick and had a little stomach bug as well. Had a long day of travel back to Hanoi, and when our bus arrived there were at least twenty taxi drivers literally swarming the bus as we pulled in. They were actually pointing in the windows yelling TAXI!!!!! at us. I was not a happy camper, and it was all I could do to be civil to these men. Okay, I definitely was not civil to them. I was just not in the mood to be harassed. Sigh. So sick of sticking out like a sore thumb, I was. Sigh.
I was supposed to go visit a school this morning, but I woke up at 4 am with an irrepressible urge to use the toilet. I was, unfortunately, confined to the bathroom for the next four hours. Hence, I have renamed my blog. Right now, I am sick of being sick and I want my mom. Not afraid to admit it! I wanted to write a blog that showed the dirty side of travelling, but my heart just isn't in it because I have already started laughing at myself...but you should know that this weekend has sucked and that traveling is not always glamourous. Sometimes, traveling is all about trying not to wake up the dorm at 4 am with awful sounds of sickness, and praying that no one else (of the 8 people that you only just met) will need to use the one toilet in the room that you are hogging.
Sigh. I am getting really good at laughing at myself.
But tomorrow I am going to the spa.
The last time I blogged, I was trying desperately to overcome some serious illness. Good news is that it only took 4 days to get better, and I'm doing great. I've never been so sick as I have been in Vietnam, though. Between the food, the water, and the pollution, I'll be amazed if I make it out of here with no chronic issues. There is so much to update you all on.....
Last Thursday, I left Hanoi on a 7 day motorcycle adventure through a relatively remote part of northern Vietnam called the Ha Giang (ha zang) Province. I went with 5 other people, none of whom really knew each other before the trip. A random smattering of nationalities and personalities, and the group was - as you might expect - PERFECT. We had France, England, Australia, the United States, and Denmark covered between the 6 of us. We took 4 Minsk motorcycles and 2 scooters, and tackled our first nearly impossible mission: to find our way out of Hanoi.
Two hours later, we were on our way, feeling pretty proud of our navigational skills, our biker skills, and our adventure skills. The first few days were sort of like that: we were excited and unsure of what was in store. Our days looked pretty much like this:
1. Wake up
2. Eat breakfast (likely a bowl of pho)
3. Ride
4. Stop for lunch (likely a bowl of pho)
5. Ride
6. Stop for petrol
7. Ride
8. Stop to find a place to sleep, eat dinner (likely a bowl of pho)
9. Drink a few beers
10. Drink rice wine with the locals
11. Sleep
The riding seems like a basic part of the day, but it was phenomenal. The scenery just got better and better, and as I (and the others who were new to riding motorcycles) got comfortable with our bikes, we were able to relax a bit more and really feel good about ourselves and what we were doing (I'm a COOL BIKER YAAAAAA). We had a few close calls with people tipping over down hills a few times ("Not AGAIN!!!") and slipping in the mud (ya, that was me...oops), but all in all we came out unscathed. And, we only bent the frame on two bikes. (insert sheepish grin here)
The best day, though, was also the scariest. The route between Ha Giang and Cao Bang (basically the furthest north you get on the road in Vietnam before you're in China, heading west to east) was relatively unfinished, and we did not have offroad bikes. Someone told us the road beyond the bridge we needed to cross the river was closed, so we set about trying to find an alternate route. And wow, did we find one.
We began to follow a worker from the nearby quarry who offered to guide us (paid, of course) down what honestly seemed to be a footpath. It was narrow, precarious, and bordered on one side by a steep drop. Then, we started going downhill....driving in what seemed to be wet clay for bits here and there.....and then my brakes weren't very good....and then we had to drive down switchbacks. I can honestly say that I have not been as terrified as I was then in a very long time...I thought I was going to throw up.
Once we all somehow safely made it to the bottom (even though I did actually tip over in the sand at the end...haha, and my name means "graceful"), we saw how they wanted us to cross the river: on a ferry made of bamboo lashed together with some ropes. Ay, yi yi!!!! Again, somehow we made it across! The rest of the day followed with these events:
1. ride up switchbacks on the other side to get out of the river valley
2. burn out a clutch
3. boys push bike up remaining switchbacks
4. guide gets restless because we are slow and weak foreigners who can't get up a hill
5. boys fix clutch
6. ride motorcycles on VERY treacherous path with steep cliffs (=death) on one side
7. guide points one way down a road and leaves us
8. we find the main road
9. the main road is under construction
10. the under construction main road is slippery and treacherous
11. the main road turns into a very treacherous soft gravel road
12. the main road turns into a red dust bowl
13. we arrive, covered in 7 layers of mud, pollution, dust, and sweat to a place we can sleep for the night that has a PAVED ROAD....
I know my writing won't do this justice right now, but this really was the most epic week of my life. On top of that, it was a good crew, and it all just reinforces why I'm out here traveling and pushing myself.
I had a moment right before I tried driving the Minsk for the first time where I thought, uncontrollably, "I can't do this. I should just rent a scooter." And for the first time in my life, I was able to actually just push that thought aside. Just to ignore it, to deny it any credibility. And, what do you know, driving a motorcycle is quite feasible, especially for a country girl who grew up crashing on Dad's motorcycle (which apparently has been through much worse, lakes and the like) and knows how to drive a clutch anyway.
It amazes me how much we let our mental perspective of something determine what we will push ourselves on. I knew that I would regret not trying the motorcycle, so I tried it. I drove 100 m down a road, turned around, and came back. And I was so...HIGH, just from those few minutes of trying something scary. Same with driving down that hill - my adrenaline pumped that hard only when I've done things like bungee jumping or downhill skiing. I know there's a line between pushing yourself and risking your safety, but I can't reiterate enough that I feel so alive when I do these things that scare me. I feel so empowered by trying all of this stuff, by meeting all of these people, and by continuing on with this trip.
It really just keeps getting better.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the States - I miss you all and am sorry to be missing one of my favorite holidays. Mama, I do hope you'll freeze some pumpkin and make me a pie when I get home...... :)
Check out new photos in these albums (the new photos are always added at the end):
www.facebook.com/photo.php
www.facebook.com/photo.php
Tomorrow evening, I take a 32-hour sleeper bus to Laos. Not in my original plan, but hey, those are always subject to change. On Dec. 6th I head to New Zealand. Cheers!
I just took a sleeper bus from Hanoi, Vietnam to Vientiane, Laos. I will never take a sleeper bus in Asia again. Remember how I don't fit in most things in Asia? That includes the coffin beds on sleeper buses. The bus driver also picks people up on the way and lets them ride in the aisles if they pay something directly to him. An Aussie guy switched with someone on the floor because it was more comfortable. The amount of people on the floor makes getting to the toilet an acrobatic feat. Once you get there, you try not to think about what the inch of liquid on the floor is (its pee and/or regurgitated toilet water) as you somehow complete the acrobatic stunt of using the toilet without stepping on the floor. I managed to accomplish this successfully, but only when the bus was not moving. When the bus was moving, I only had one option: hold it.
The couple in the middle of the bus is making out shamelessly. My coffin bed is next to the toilet and directly under a speaker: a bad combination because of the acrobatic traffic and the bad Vietnamese pop music that is blared almost the entire bus ride. The biggest pro? I am first in line for an escape hatch, should an emergency evacuation become necessary.
This has been a 20 hour ride thus far; we were scheduled to arrive 5 minutes ago and this still does not look like a city is anywhere near. The border crossing was easily the most unofficial, unregulated ones that I've seen. Other bus drivers were walking around asking for money to prioritize your immigration papers. Jason and I refused to give our passports to the one hounding us, and so we ended up being the last ones through even though we had paid (extra) to prearrange visas and "skip the queue". Load of crap. Oh, well.
I was, and am still, sad to leave Hanoi. Not because I liked Hanoi, but because I have met some amazing people in Vietnam. First, there was the Halong Bay crew, then the motorcycle trip crew. It was 3 weeks full of great fun, friends, and adventures. But even though I was sad to go, I knew it was time to move on. I get this feeling when I've been in a place and am comfortable there that motivates me to go somewhere née and really try to put myself back in that "first experience" mode. To have to figure out a system or a place again.
So here I am in Laos for about a week. I get to meet up with Brottany, another Bonderman Fellow, and I am really excited about that! Then, it's on to New Zealand. Almost time to shift regions...
So, today marks the day that I've been gone 3 months. This is an ominous amount of time. I've heard about the "3 month wall" and blah blah....someone else told me that you haven't been traveling for a long time until you stop counting the months...
Anyway, I've hit a wall recently, not sure if it's the "3 month" wall, the "missing Thanksgiving" wall, or the "I'm sick of the backpacker trail but it takes so much energy to get off it" wall. It doesn't really matter that much, I'm tired of traveling. I'm definitely tired of traveling in SE Asia. I'm tired of not fitting in anything, I'm tired of fearing for my life on windy roads in buses that don't seem to have brakes, and I'm tired of eating rice. Except sweet rice with mango.
But if I break away from my whiner status and think about what I've done in the past 3 months, I start to get amazed. I really have done a lot. Even when I compare to some of the people I've met who have done way more, I've really done a lot for what I initially thought I was capable of doing. I've climbed a mountain, danced all night in Seoul, taught Balinese children English, driven a motorcycle down a dirt trail with limited brakes, and managed to make it 3 months before I had a significant breakdown. I'm impressed with myself. Really, I am!
The past week has been interesting because I've given myself a week where I am just hanging with Brittany, another Bonderman fellow. I needed a break from pushing myself to regain the energy it takes to get off and stay off the tourist trail. So here I am, on the tourist trail. In Laos. Let me describe the town I'm in:
Vang Vieng. A few years ago, this town was a sleepy little stop on the way north from Vientiane. Now, it's the frat party of Laos with some international flair. Basically, this town sits on a river, and the locals have harnessed the tourist-attracting power of tubing, drinking, and drugs. Right now, as I'm typing this, there are 3 bars with competing loud music and "free buckets" all vying for the attention of hundreds of already drunk revelers. Part of me is disgusted, part of me sad, and part of me doesn't really care at all, because there's rock climbing and schools and an organic farm.
It's virtually impossible for me to immerse myself in this scene. Last night I went out with some friends to dance around and drink a bit, and encountered the following comments from various guys at a bar, all within 15 minutes of being there:
1. "Will you smile?"
2. "You're in my way. I need a beer."
3. "Wait, so you're going tubing tomorrow in the morning? And you're not drinking?" (finds a way out of the conversation and slips away)
It's comical to me that I can't even mask that I'm not having fun in a place like that, even though I'm trying really hard. Sigh. At least it's still comical to me.
****
Tomorrow, I begin an epic 2 day journey from Laos to New Zealand.
Leg 1: Vang Vieng to Vientiane (minibus, 3 hours)
Leg 2: Vientiane to Bangkok (sleeper train, 26 hours)
Leg 3: Bangkok to Auckland (plane, obviously, ?? hours - but it's long)
Whew.....and then, a whole new part of the journey will begin, complete with camper vans, Kiwis, and Lord of the Rings-style mountains! Wish me luck on my epic journey, and as always, check out some new photos:
www.facebook.com/album.php
My iPod just deleted an entire entry so this won't be as good as it should be...I would go back to bating this iPod but skype started working so I guess some part has to still suck to make up for that...
I love New Zealand, and I haven't even really seen the country yet. Here's what I've done so far:
1. Arrived, and was allowed to enter the country after two full days of travel and the BEST flight I have ever taken in my life. If you are ever able to fly Thai Airways International, do it. I had two great meals (not good "for airline food", just delicious food!), finally watched Inception and (of course) Step Up 45: You Got Served. All free. Included in the ticket. AND a pillow and blanket. Mmmmmmmm hmm!
2. Met my Grandma Onalee's niece Janet and her family in Auckland. Amazing people, a stellar example of Kiwi hospitality for sure. The first night I arrived, they invited me to spend Christmas with them.
3. Rented a car and drove to Cape Reinga, the northernmost tip of the North Island. Also, coincidentally, where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean tumultuously collide. Really cool stuff for a science geek like me. I sat and watched the whirlpools that are caused by the colliding currents for hours....on good days, the two seas are even visibly different colors, but I didn't get to see that.
I stayed with SERVAS member up north for two nights; she lived in the middle of the most beautiful farmland I've ever seen (take note, Jennifer Hageman, we're moving), and was also an amazing, generous host. I went to the town Christmas parade with her and her family, and was reminded of why I absolutely love being from a small town...
I also saw: black sand beaches, white sand beaches, giant dunes, rock faces, rolling green hills dotted with hundreds of sheep, rocky harbours and subtropical rainforest that looked just like Borneo (tree ferns and all)!!! Incredible variety, and that's just north of Auckland!!
4. Went to Christmas in the Park, which is essentially Auckland's "kick off the summer" outdoor music festival. We ate cheese and drank wine and watched the entertainment: musical acts and a slew of teens trying so hard to be hip and cool...made me miss teaching.
Things I'm learning in NZ already:
1. I need to travel alone (read: truly solo) every once in awhile to stay sane.
2. Nature inspires me more than anything else.
3. I need to budget better. (don't worry, I am now)
4. Although I know I need people and relationships, I realized on the flight from Bangkok to Auckland that my favorite, most reliable, most treasured travel companion is...my Self. Cool!
Photos will follow soon, next I head south with new friends and another rented car. My NZ phone number is +64 2108126759, if you feel the the to spread some Christmas cheer. I don't always have service but for the first time in months i have a sim card in English so I was able to setup voicemail!!!! Wheeeeeeeeeeee!!
I can't bear to type any more on this iPod. Good night!!! :)
Quick updates, because it's Happy Hour at the Internet Cafe ($2.50 per hour instead of $1,000,000 per hour):
1. I added some more videos to my YouTube channel (annakae6546) so you can check those out.
2. I added more photos to my Facebook albums:
www.facebook.com/album.php
www.facebook.com/album.php
3. I am currently driving south with two people I met, Gavin (England) and Peter (Ireland). We have been camping (budget camping with $20 sleeping bags and foam mats for sleeping on) mostly, waking for sunrises, etc. It's been amazing. Best way to see this country is to rent a car, start driving, and stop where you want to. I love it!
I think the photos speak for themselves, though! Enjoy!
Yesterday I did something awesome, I hiked the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Now, let me tell you about this trek:
1. It's 19.4 km, with a few optional mountain summits on the way. One of those is a 2200m volcano called Mt. Ngauruhoe, and wow is it a climb. We opted for that, and it almost killed us, but more on that later.
2. It's one of New Zealand's "Great Walks"....in other words it's epic.
3. It looks like Lord of the Rings, but still on the North Island.
4. Tongariro National Park is a dual status World Heritage Site, once for the natural wonders and once for the cultural wonders (Maori significance).
Now, "we" is me, Gavin, and Peter, and we started this trek with lots of spunk and vigor. I'm afraid that Peter is the only one who finished with the same. Gavin and I finished with a multitude of injuries and pains, only a bit of spunk, and no vigor left whatsoever. This is definitely the hardest trek I've ever done, and I think I may owe all of that (or most of it) to the pair of hiking boots I rented.
NEVER hire hiking boots. If you have to, put some insoles in them, please. Hiking boots are one of those things that are WORTH THE MONEY and WORTH THE HASSLE of trucking around. I am a wonderful example of that.
Pain and brutal wear and tear aside, this was also one of the best treks I've ever done. Climbing that volcano was difficult, coming down even harder and more frustrating, but one of the best views (and certainly the most interesting volcano) I've ever seen. Check out the photos (link below) and you'll see just what I mean.
I am more certain now than ever before that I am the weakest daughter of the Kramer clan, but I finished that darn trek. It was really difficult, but I did it. I finally feel like I've begun to challenge myself again, and I love it. It may have come at the cost of no trekking for a week, though. :)
I am finding that New Zealand is flying by me. I feel really ready to get to Tonga and Samoa and jump back in the "less easy, but not more difficult" mode of travel. The holiday is creeping closer, and I am interested to see how I deal with a Christmas away from home and family. Looks like I will be in or near Queenstown, NZ, possibly jumping off a bungy tower as a Christmas present to myself.
If all goes well, I won't hang off the top of this one (that's an inside-Kramer joke). Don't worry, if I do it I'll be sure to get video again. :)
Love you all, miss you all, and highly recommend that you all come to NZ for no less than 3 months' time.
First of all, forgot to include this on my last blog, and there are new photos up:
www.facebook.com/album.php
Sorry about that!
Also, check out more (old) videos: www.youtube.com/user/annakae6546
In the past few days, I have hiked a section of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track - one of New Zealand's Great Walks, as well. It was rainy and terribly dismal most of the time - but I loved it. I felt at home in the rain, and there was almost no one else on the trail the whole time. I had every beach to myself, every viewpoint to myself, and it was glorious. I met a really nice man from Virginia who asked me to take a photo of him to prove to his grandkids he could still hike. He was slow, and in pain, but he was still out there doing it. I hope I'm that ambitious when my body begins to let me down...right now I'm such a whiner anyway and my body's just fine!!!
Peter and I left Gavin in Wellington (stupid expensive city with dumb Irish bars - long story, but really Wellington is grand) and carried on to do a whirlwind tour of the South Island. Turns out it will be a wet tour, as well. We've been camping every other night because it takes a full day for the tent to dry out in the back seat of the car. Hostels it is, can't do them more than every other night because it's $30NZD a night to stay in them. They're nice, but spendy. Everything costs, too - laundry, internet, everything. Nothing is free here - must be the Western world!!!!
We've been driving lots and just kind of pulling over when we want to see stuff. As a result, the extent of my non-bird wildlife I've seen is a dead penguin (well, still a bird, okay) and a dead fur seal. The fur seal was SO dead, in fact, that all I saw was its skeleton and some residual skin. Gross, but also the best way to identify it - fur on the skin! We drove through some ridiculous weather today, not sure how we survived. The rivers here are ridiculously flooded, eliminating my hopes of doing the Welcome Flats trek - river crossings required, so when there's flooding there is no hope of doing it safely. So, instead, we are going to hope that we get a view of either Franz Josef or Fox Glacier tomorrow or Thursday. Weather for tomorrow calls for thunderstorms, Thursday for rain, so good views are not likely, but we're hoping that the "four seasons in one day" thing will cut us even just 5 minutes of sunshine or lightly cloudy viewing. Cross your fingers for us!
Anyway, working on another article for the good ol' Daily World, and I have to pay to use the computer sooo.....you get the drift. :) Time to go!
Happy holidays to you all as you get ready to celebrate (or continue celebrating) with your loved ones. I should have internet again on Christmas, but anyway, Happy Holidays!!!
Love and kiwis....
For me, it's evening of Christmas eve. So here's a bit of Christmas cheer, since I am not home.
Being somewhere else for Christmas isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Hold on, now, family, don't be offended. It's not that I don't want to be home - it's that it doesn't feel like Christmas here at ALL. It's sunny, warm, people are walking about in SUNDRESSES. What? It's strange. No snow, hell, not even any RAIN, which is really what I'm used to. I have a feeling that all of these feelings will be dwarved by a wish to be home as soon as I Skype with my entire family tomorrow, and I realize that I'm not there.
Being away from home for Christmas has it's pros, though: it really makes you think about what all of those traditions mean to you. There are obvious ones that I miss, like my mom's cooking, and the sibling run to the stockings. But there are more subtle things, like the period of time after opening gifts on Christmas morning where we are all just sitting around a bit aimlessly, doing nothing much, just enjoying each other's company. The heat from the woodstove. The flooded (usually) field. The way that neighbors wave at you when you go out for the family walk. The family walk. All of these things, I'm missing this year. Really, it's the first time I've missed any family holiday, aside from Thanksgiving this year.
I think it's important to point out right now how grateful I am for my family. I just got off the "phone" with my older sister, Sarah, and even though I'd already planned to Skype with her tomorrow it makes me feel really good to have chatted with her. There are lots of reasons that I love my family, definitely too many to list here, but you should all know that them throwing support behind this trip just shows how supportive of me, in general, they are. My dad's Christmas letter made me cry this year because you could feel how proud he is of all of us, and the strength of our family shows through things like that.
I cannot wait to see them again, some I will see sooner than others but I am excited to see them all, nonetheless!
In other news than my love for my family, here's what I've done lately: mucked around on one of the world's few glaciers that comes right up to a rainforest. Was able to stand on a glacier in a T-shirt and hiking pants for a bit while the sun was out - really unheard of (unless you're in Patagonia, I suppose). As it's warm and has been raining, I also got to see lots of the glacier fallout into the river, huge chunks of ice. Also got to see a ridiculously big and scary rockfall. During this little outing, I got to know my guide a bit and found out that she 1) reminds me a lot of my good friend Jamie Deutch 2) is interested in teaching, and 3) was thinking of moving to the PNW. Naturally, I blasted into way too much excited information about UW Seattle's science ed program, and gave her a few names, emails, and websites. After listening to her explain to the "general public" how glaciers work, I think she'd made a great teacher. I have to say, though, that it made me miss teaching a LOT.
Peter and I have been driving south bit by bit each day. He injured his knee/hip doing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, so I've been setting out on a few things here and there on my own. Tomorrow I'm hoping to find something around Queenstown since everythign here is so bloody expensive (bungy: $200!!! skydive: $500!!!!). I'd rather walk in the woods by myself for free. Haha, old fashioned? Yup. Thanks, papa. :) I may spring for a jetboat ride if it's $100 or less, but going up on the glacier cost me, so my budget's a bit set back for that.
In short, I am happy, healthy, missing home, but loving this trip. Every day, it seems like I see something amazing, meet someone interesting, and learn something else about myself.
What more can you ask for, really (besides, of course, to see your family on Christmas)? Then again, we'll get to Skype, so I suppose I will see them, after all.
Life is sweet. I love you all. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's to beginnings, growth, family, and friends!
I've been getting lots of really nice emails lately, must be the holiday season vibe! Anyway, some things have been quite poignant, others funny, maybe only to me, so here's a smattering of quotes from emails I've gotten this holiday season, anonymous, of course. :)
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I wish I was seeing you sooner!!! Love you nonfamily family!
Hope the rain lets up for you....at least you aren't afraid of going out in it!! Thanks Washington!!
So, it's really hot, I'm nowhere near my family and it's Christmas, something isn't right.
It was good to see you too! You looked happy and beautiful. Loves you lots
You're going to be standing and loving life. Happy Xmas. Love and hugs.
people gotta stop getting hitched. What's the deal? Something in the water?
Great pics, too...no wonder you're smiling...seriously, how hard it is to travel in new exotic lands with five hot guys?!
yes just email when you have flight confirmed, we will go from there. Hope you like feeding chickens.
As a Daily World subscriber, I have read with great interest your most recent travel report from Vietnam.
I am so glad you are doing this. I can confirm the value of your experience. In 1978, at age 24, I took a year off from my teaching career, and traveled around the world.....visiting 32 countries on 4 continents.....quite an adventure and learning experience for a young guy born and raised in Elma. Being shortly after the war, I was not able to visit Vietnam, but was able to thoroughly enjoy neighboring Thailand and other countries you would not be safe traveling through now such as Afghanistan and Iran.
My trip was a life game changer for me. I saw the world and my place in it from such a new perspective ever after. It has made all the difference. I am confident you will be significantly changed as well. Enjoy.
Do keep up the reports printed in the Daily World. Your writing allows thousands of fellow Harborites to share your adventure.
I have been reading your blogs, and when I finish one, I start looking for the next one---I enjoy your adventures!
I think of you often. Keep up the good attitude---and be careful, o.k.?
How to be compassionate towards people that remind you of social injustice I can't say. It is difficult. In my experience the most difficult people to be compassionate towards are those that remind me of the things I criticize in myself. Since you are at least on the same trail as the people you are meeting, this may also be challenging for you. I'm sure there's some room there for love though.
Rode a motor bike yesterday in Vietnam just to get a feel. I don't know if I'm going to do South to North but I feel like such an independent woman/bad ass riding one of those things I think I just might have to do it some mo'.
I love travel for what it is. And it's different for everyone. And one of the biggest things I gained from my trip besides the actual 6-months-of-traveling-with-a-backpack-experience, was the perspective on the life I led here in the NW and what I took for granted before. I found out a lot about myself while being gone and am happy I have been able to apply to my life now, every single day.
G'day u big wanka!!!! Article reads great, I always knew I would end up famous in the states.
I met a very nice couple for Seattle in the bus, and we had good time yesterday, but you know who's my number one Seattle girl!
It's snowing here this morning, here's a picture off the back porch at the house in _______. It's winter somewhere!
hi anna! we start drinking beer before noon now, so things have improved since you left.
Did this (paraglide) mere minutes after getting off the plane. No better introduction than running off a cliff. :)
Hey I hope the travel is going well. The pictures are very good. I wanted to send you a Christmas card. Nothing too exciting has been going on here just kind of the same ol same ol but I miss you and travel safe.
Remember it is ok to fall hard, as long as you land softly!
Hi Anna. Boy, I sure miss you.
When are you coming back? You're missed. :)
A red centipede? Yes, stay away from those things. I didn't know that they were aggressive-- do they jump at you? I think I need to put a GIS tracker on you and see where you are everyday!
And YOU think I am the crazy one in the family!!!
So! That was a really bitchy, complaining paragraph. I just wanted to commiserate, and let you know that you're not the only one out here feeling the strain. And, if you want to write a totally whiny email with none of the upside (which I feel like blogs kind of require), then I'm happy to read it. I hope New Zealand is amazing, and revitalizes you!
I actually learned a lot from you. I know, learning, who does that? But really, I needed someone to jump start the assertive person I know I can be, and really haven't been. More than that it was refreshing to be with someone who has similar ideals. I knew there was a reason I was feeling unhappy with my travel experience and you pinpointed it. I am on the backpacker trail! Hearing about your time in Vietnam made me rethink the way I'm going about my travels.
Anna, I LOVED the goat video, because it featured great road trip music and also you helped me, the viewer, feel like an interactive part of the goat-on-the-wall experience.
From my travel agent: Since Fiji is a honeymoon destination and you're so close to Valentine's Day prices might be a touch higher. (nothing like going on a honeymoon with hundreds of newlyweds! whee! helloooo Fiji!)
****
Also a wonderful type of message to receive (not anonymous):
These messages were sent while you were offline.
6:55 AM Duncan: HIIIIIIIIIIII
just missed you!
****
Okay, I may have gone a bit overboard, and this may be more fun for me than for anyone else, but see if you can find an email from yourself in there. Some people only had stuff that would give their identity away (like about a certain coming wedding) or the word "sister" etc. but I hope that grabs most of the nice stuff I've received, as well as some of the funny. Unfortunately I can't put voicemails on here, otherwise I would really have gone overboard!
Still loving and missing you all. In Dunedin right now, hoping to see an albatross. Got to visit with a friend, Billy, that I met in Vietnam, and that was excellent. Starting the trip north, now, and it will be a frenzy until I get on that plane to Tonga...
To paint a wonderful picture, Michael Jackson is playing in the background, the sun is shining, and I am smiling.
Cheers!
I have been failing lately. No, no, it's okay. And please, let me explain.
There are little fails, like going to the wrong bus stop (twice today), needing to mail things during one of New Zealand's umpteen public-the-post-office-is-closed holidays (they really stretch it out!), and the ever present spending too much money on things that "are just so cheap at home!". Minor fails. The types of fails that don't matter unless there are a lot in one day. Like today.
Then there are big fails, like letting the little fails get to you. Letting them BURY you in their muck and lies that the world isn't alright. Like today.
Today I wanted to come home, and as I was riding the bus back to where I was staying, I almost cancelled the Skype dates I had because I was feeling so foul-minded. And then my bus broke down. I don't know why these things happen, but the typical straw that should break the camel's back just makes me giggle. It's like, what else can you throw at me today? And then, I realize how silly I'm being. I've been in places where children poop on the street because they don't have a toilet, much less a home.
And so, the fails help you learn to chill out.
Speaking of chilling out, I've been online for 4 hours. Finished my Knowles application (finally, only took 3 months), and am flying to Tonga tomorrow. May be without internet for awhile, and I don't expect to have a phone anytime soon. But you never know what you may be surprised with.
So, here's to taking the little fails in stride, and avoiding the big ones.
Let me tell you what I know so far about a little group of islands in the South Pacific known collectively as the Kingdom of Tonga.
I arrived yesterday evening on a flight from Auckland that eventually makes it's way to LAX. I'll be taking a different leg of the same flight from Tonga to Samoa later this month. This time, though, I disembarked on the island of Tongatapu, the biggest of the Tongan islands. My first impression of the country, via immigration, was that this airport had more fans than immigration desks/officers, and by quite a margin. So far, it's been living up to that: hot and humid, with few officials. Back on the plane, I had the pleasure of sitting next to Like (lee-kay), an older Tongan woman who was thrilled to know that I was 1) stopping in Tonga 2) staying for more than 10 days and 3) a teacher of Tongan students at home. She promptly insisted that I come stay with her family, which I will likely do as soon as I finish WWOOFing. So, the first thing I've learned:
->Tongans are quite hospitable!
I was picked up from the airport by Lata, who works on the farm that I will be helping out and learning on, and Teta (tay-tuh), with whom I am staying. Lata's super adorable son, Tala, also came to the airport to get me, and almost immediately was holding my hand as he screamed (sang, they tell me) the lyrics to a song he learned at church. This is probably the happiest child I have ever met. The things that entertain him are simple and easy, like screaming. Obviously a little boy.
Second thing I've learned:
->The kids here are adorable!
I got settled, and the next morning (today), I went wih Lata and Losa (low-sah), another Tongan farm employee, out to see the farm. As far as WWOOFing goes, this is pretty tame so far - I was at the farm for at least six hours and spent 1 hour working, 1 hour eating and drinking fresh coconuts, 2 hours sleeping, and I have no clue where the other 2 hours went. It's a lot different from the States, in terms of efficiency, but what a fantastic difference, because the third thing I've learned about Tonga is:
->the South Pacific is about taking it easy; when they say island style they mean it.
I also had the opportunity, as it's prayer week, to go to church and then attend a post-church feast. Well, Teta and I were so tuned into island time that we missed the service (but I got to hear singing at another service down the road - amazing voices!!). Then, when we got to the feast, it was clear that I was the only palagi (white person) there. Not a big deal, kind of cool, until all the babies seated around you recognize it and start to cry when in "danger distance" of you. Which was, and I'm not kidding, no less than 10 feet. A kid sitting across from me kept missing his mouth when eating, he was staring at me so hard. The baby next to him
was actually furrowing its brow at me, then screaming. The teen holding him looked across the table at their mother with a questioning look, and her mother whispered "palagi!" and them smiled sweetly at me. I apologized, I guess for being strange but also, I suppose, for being white, and everyone burst into hearty, body-shaking Polynesian laughter.
So, the fourth thing I learned about Tonga is:
->I'm a weird, sharp-nosed freak here, too. Tee hee!
Last, but not least, I learned that it is not pronounced "Tawng-gah", it's "Tawng-ah". For those who can't understand my stunning linguistic skills, it means that the G isn't a hard sound (Gah) it's part of the NG sound (tong-ah)...make sense? Anyway, that's how everyone here says it, except Kiwis and Aussies, they say "Tawng-er". And "An-ner". Bahahahahaha!
Good night.
I can't sleep - today has been too big a day.
I spent the morning hopping around the garden beds on the farm avoiding red ants and mosquitoes as I tried to weed. That netted a total of probably 2 hours of work, but since I was only out for about 6 hours today, thats a huge increase of percent time spent working. Jumping back to my elementary school days, I also finished an entire book. Needless to say, it was a productive day. But at the end of it I was homesick.
But this time, I was prepared.
When homesickness kicks in, I want to shut myself up, pretend I'm at home, and wallow. The ironic thing is that the way out of the funk is to push through it. Example: today I wrote in my journal about the homesickness I was feeling, and I wrote that I didn't want to go to church tonight because there was a feast after and, well, that's quite the opposite of holing up and pretending to be at home. I knew that staying home would only cause a positive feedback loop to kick in on the feelings of homesickness, so I forced myself to go. I wrote it in my journal so I couldn't go back on the promise guilt-free. :)
And off I went to church for the third night in a row, to hear the singing, see the praying and worship, and become a little more of a recognizable face in a significant part of Tongan culture - religion. As soon as I walked in the church, and slid into the back pew with Teta (because we are eternally showing up late), I knew I was where I was supposed to be. In the church, in Tonga, and on this trip. Sigh...it was that simple. Not easy, but simple.
Turns out we hadn't gotten the memo about church being 30 minutes earlier than normal; being 40 minutes long, and with us showing up 5 minutes late (to the original time), we missed virtually all of the service except the last hymn. But there was still a feast!
We walked around back of the church to the hall where the feast was being held. There were three main tables running the length of the room, and one head table, where the important church people sat. On either side of the tables were huge, colorful woven mats upon which we sat. The tables were really just designated rectangles on the floor for food, which was wrapped in all sorts of packaging. There were halves of watermelons, decoratively cut with jagged edges and pre-cut, bite-sized pieces of watermelon inside. There were roast suckling pigs, whole pigs, on the tables. Next to that you might find yams, kumara (sweet potato), fruit baskets with apples and oranges, pasta dishes, stewed vegetables, candy, and a variety of (mostly sodas) bottled drinks. This was, seriously, a feast. All of the food was covered in white lace fabric when we entered, to keep the flies off.
I scared less children at this feast; in fact, I even made them laugh! I think kids are like dogs (hold on, hear me out) or bees, in that they can sense fear and react accordingly. I had less fear of sticking out at this feast (cause I just DO), and I think people, but most obviously kids, can tell these things. What I'm afraid of - well that's an entirely different post.
After seating ourselves comfortably against a wall near the middle of the room, one of the important men in the front started speaking. I had no idea what he was saying, didn't even catch the word "palagi" when he used it, but apparently he was telling Teta, "Tell your palagi to come sit here!" and so, as the whole room watched me, laughing, I walked to the front of the room and took a seat at the head table. Teta said later that it was because I was from out of town (pretty far so, I'd say), and it turned out that the woman next to me was Samoan, born and raised in New Zealand, married a Tongan, and thus also a guest of honor. So, I wasn't alone, but still the only palagi. Plus, everyone knew her anyway. :)
So, in short, I had another amazing, genuine experience that was a direct reward to me pushing through a hard patch.
I have recently gotten more than a few emails that let me know that someone I loved was suffering a difficulty of some kind in their life. For some, it's a minor thing that will pass with little effort, and for others it's an emotional or physical struggle that they are finding themselves in. I don't consider myself an expert on hardship, but I have had my share of health scares, death, loss in general, and other trying life situations. Enough to know that sometimes the same concept applies: it's time to push through the hard part. I am a little bit homesick all the time, knowing that people I love could use an Anna-hug, a chat over coffee, or a drive to a doctor. Sometimes, the feeling is so strong that I'm sure I can't do this for another 3-4 months.
But I am pushing through, because for the first time in my life that I can remember, I am making myself the priority. And although that may mean temporarily leaving some of my loved ones behind, I know that when I come back I will be better, stronger, and more supportive of the people I love - because I have already grown so much and realized so much about what and who is most important in my life.
So tonight, this blog is for those who need to know that even from the middle of the South Pacific, I am loving and supporting you, and wishing you well as you bravely face up to these things and work to overcome them.
I love my people. Kisses!
I started my day with a love story. Now don't get all ridiculous and assume that the love story is about me. Y'all should really know better by now.
Siose (hope I'm spelling that right), who works for the couple that also owns the farm I'm working on, gave me a ride out to the farm this morning. On the way, we were exchanging the usual small talk (how long are you here, where are you from, etc.) and he mentioned that he is from Vava'u, but did some contract work for the government on one of the Niues (really small outer island group) and that's where he met his wife. He initially described her by saying he is "married to the most beautiful woman in the world, and she is from France". He seemed excited to talk about her, so I asked him to tell the story of how they met.
In short, he said that after years of searching for someone to spend his life with, he was convinced that there was no one for him, and that love was, essentially, bunk. Naturally, he thought that pursuing a life as a priest fit that viewpoint well, and so he spent the next four years of his life studying to be a priest. Eventually, he said that he realized that it wasn't truly his calling, so he took this job in the Niues, implying that it was a sort of "well, there's nothing left here for me" move. As many of us know, often you find that love chooses only to present itself when the seeker finally stops looking for it; this is exactly what happened to Siose.
Almost immediately after beginning the work in the Niues, he met this woman, and he said they had only spent a total of 15 hours together when he knew she was the woman he had been searching for his whole life. The next day, he proposed. Three years later, he's still raving about her. Sure, in the grand scheme of things, three years is not a lot, but I wish you could have seen the way this man spoke about the woman who seems to have changed his world. His story was sweet, genuine, and spoken wholeheartedly; he meant every word he said.
It was a positive way to start the day, and I'll leave all of you to speculate on why this story mattered to me. This is partly because I don't feel like publicly expressing my thoughts on the subject and partly because I need to go kill a cockroach that seems to like my bed as much as I do.
Yesterday I was supposed to go on a little weekend trip out to Eu'a, where there is lots of hiking and wild horses and cool nature to explore. Instead, I ended up lying on a couch at the office in town as my entire arms and legs eventually went tingly. At one point, I lost my ability to move one of my hands, and it got stuck in a creepy claw-like position. No, yesterday was not a glamorous day for me, and that's only the beginning.
Everyone figured I was dehydrated, so they gave me salted cucumbers and a coconut to drink, but it was so hard to drink, and I didn't know why. The salt almost immediately released my hand back into my control (science phenomenon: why, kids, did that work?) but I just could not drink anymore, so they decided to take me to the hospital to get an IV drip put in.
I ended up going to a doctors office, instead, where I immediately went to the back and laid down on a patient bed. You remember being sick when you were little? You were so uncomfortable, hot, then cold, then somehow both...and so scared because you didn't know what was happening to you. Well, that was me. Sekola, the amazing girl who took me to the doctor and sat wig me the whole time, told me later that she was certain I was going to die. I, too, was convinced. Then, I vomited all over the floor. Instant relief! Turns out I just had food poisoning, but combined with being dehydrated my body had trouble being convinced that I should vomit or otherwise expel any fluid. I had a stomach bug last year (almost exactly this time last year), but I knew I was gout to vomit the whole time I was sick. This time, I had all of these other things and feelings before feeling the need to vomit, and had no idea what on earth was happening to me!
Anyway, to all those people who think that traveling is always easy and fun, try being so sick that you can't move, so restless that you must, and with nobody to keep you company or take care of you. It's not fun, and definitely compounds any feelings of loneliness you may have already.
I'm going to try to eat today. That's my big, glamorous activity for the day. :) Whee!
At least I get to listen to Jonathan Kimball and his reggae band, Dub Lounge International, on KEXP. A small slice of home.
Now that the kids are finally cool with my presence here, the pigs and dogs have suddenly rebelled against me. Not aggressively, no, they just run like I'm the devil. Tsk. Well, I'm glad the kids never did that.
I am in the island group of Vava'u for a few days. I came here even though I was sick mostly because I had no chance of refunding the $300 (USD) that the ticket cost me. Speaking of the flight, that was the most expensive amusement park ride I've ever been on. Phew! I fell asleep, and woke up right as the plane was descending. I woke up because as it descended, it hit an air pocket and dropped about 5 meters. You know those dreams where you're falling, and the only reason it's okay is because you wake up and it's not real? Yeah...this was real. Because of the turbulence, the pilot of our 50 person plane had to quickly ascend again. Turns out stomachs respond to that, too. But, we made it on the second try, so here I am. I forget how much of the flight you can feel when you are in smaller prop planes. Glad it wasn't the 10 seater they use sometimes. :)
Anyway, I was also determined to come here because one of my students was really excited to find out that I was coming to Tonga, because he's from Vava'u, and I wasn't about to disappoint him.
As it turns out, I am staying in a hostel owned by a couple from the Seattle area. Had a good chat with Emily (the woman) about Seattle's inability to deal with snow, and found out lots about Vava'u. I only have two full days here (arrived in the morning, staying three nights, leaving in the evening), but I'm going to try to do a full day guided kayak thing so I can (safely) see the outer islands a bit. Might rent a bike tomorrow and just explore all day. I have to find a particular village here that my student grew up in. I think it might be right next to me, but I'm going to ride all over anyway. :) I need the exercise! I'm still a bit weak after being sick, so I have to be careful, but I can't afford a taxi!
Today I walked to Mt. Talau National Park, hoping to do a 2 km trek to a lookout. Well, turns out that the "trail" was really just an old road left for people to use. It's not really usable right now because of the recent rains, but I pushed ahead until I thought that if something happened to me, no one would be silly enough to come this far, so I'd better turn back. I did, and proceeded to find the Tongan equivalent of the Monte logging roads. For those not familiar, this is where the kids in my town would rally and have illicit parties. A fire pit and several leftover bottles and cans lying by makeshift benches were the telltale signs of the parties here.
For those of you who are interested, yes, I feel better. After 3 days of sitting around doing nothing, I was ready to explode. Instead, I went to Vava'u.
More soon.
Photos from Tongatapu have been added:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2654226&id=10703228&l=071537e81c
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2720754&id=10703228&l=ae8a27c68e
I just returned from a trip out to Leimatu'a, a village near the airport on the southern part of the main island in the Vava'u group. I took a taxi out and the driver, Afu, helped me find and meet the family of one of my students, Siope. I explained to them who I was, and why I was looking for them. They seemed a bit confused, at first, about why I would want to meet them, so I just started nervously asking them questions about their lives, their family, about Siope (little Siope, apparently his dad's name is also Siope). Siope isn't little. But, I digress...his youngest cousin (10) tried to sneakily take a photo of me (I caught her), his aunt fed me papaya, and it was just amazing to connect with someone who is connected to one of my students directly.
I feel dreadfully inarticulate right now, and internet is expensive. I'm sorry, I wish I could say more, but right now the most important things to note are:
1) I had the nerve to seek out a student's family.
2) I was received well.
3) This is why I am doing this, and it's amazing.
4) I am on top of the world!!!!
Would love to post photos but my SD card reader just split in half, so it'll have to wait until I get back to Tongatapu and my camera cord!
Other things to note:
1) I went snorkeling yesterday in a place called Coral Garden, which was essentially a reef that breaches the water and plunges to, well, the abyss, within 50 m or so, and it was amazing. DIdn't see anythihng remarkable, like a shark, but to me, it was just phenomenal. There were so many different types of coral, the diversity was ridiculous. So many bright colors and amazing body shapes and structures. Life is really, really, freaking cool. Marine life, as it turns out, is even cooler!
Cheers, everyone! Today is an amazing day!
My days since returning from Vava'u have been full, which is good because they are my last days in Tonga (until I return). Yep, you heard me - Tonga has made my list of places to return to someday. I love this country. The people, the places, the traditions, the relaxed attitude - it's been wonderful to be a part of all this.
Today was Sunday, so we went to church in the morning and then Teta drove us (there are two new WWOOFers here from NZ) to see the blowholes at high tide. It was beautiful - waves coming in, crashing, and then these geysers shooting up in the cracks in the shore after it seems the power of the wave has passed. Material for physics class? :)
Then, we drove to the western end of the island, to the landing site of the explorer Abel Tasman (1643, I think). After a bit of a fight between the minivan and the muddy road, we came upon a beautiful view of the island and some smaller surrounding islands. I hope to upload photos soon.
Then, we went to the beach for the evening. This was no ordinary beach, though. Remember the blowholes? Well, just before the blowholes, there is a bit of sandy beach that borders a tide pool, of sorts, at low tide. At high tide, it forms a beach as you would imagine one. But the real treat is as the tide comes in. Huge swells are breaking on this coast, smashing into the rocks, exploding up through the cracks in the rock, and eventually filling up the pools on the beach until they are all the same again. For awhile, we sat on the rocks, letting the waves wash over us. Pretty soon, we were coming close to getting knocked off the rocks, so we clambered into safer territory, where loads of local kids were swimming in the gradually deepening pools. After towing some of them around on a body (boogie) board, I got my camera and we had a nice photo shoot where every one of the kids mugged like a gangsta instead of smiling. Haha!
The evening ended with a beautiful sunset - complete with gold-rimmed clouds - and we went home tired and happy.
I am going to miss this place. It looks like a cyclone is headed this way on Tuesday evening - the same time I am scheduled to fly out - so it's possible that I may be here a bit longer after all. We'll see; I'm not sure I would complain if that happened.
Regardless, I am amazed at how fast this is all flying by and grateful, as always, for the messages people have been sending me. Lots of good news from home: engagements, pregnancies, new jobs, new pets (kittens and ducks), happy friends, and healing bodies and souls. My soul is in a good space right now, and I hope you can all feel that. :)
Much love from the Kingdom of Tonga, my friends!!!!
There are two ways that I am evolving on this trip: as a person, generally, and as a teacher. Yes these things are intertwined, but they are also separate. When I view th eplace I'm in through the eyes of Ms. Kramer, I am learning lots of factual things about the place. When Anna takes over, I am still learning information, but also growing in different ways.
Yes, one of those ways is my pant size (which has since gone down again), but another and perhaps more important way is my heart size (not my physical heart, for those of you who know my history of heart problems, this is metaphorical). I find that the more I learn about different people, the more I find a space for them has naturally grown in my heart. I find myself working not to cry when I leave a place, a person. I want to stay with them, to continue making memories, and continue learning from them.
I think it's obvious how Anna's growth relates to Ms. Kramer's, but maybe it's not so clear to you. As I experience more things that are difference from what I perceive as normal, I become more aware of the parts of my life that I truly value. For example, as I travel, I have found it extremely satisfying to prepare my own food. I don't mean cooking pasta and throwing sauce on it (which is delicious), I mean going out to the garden and choosing what to eat based on the agredients available to you that day. I mean being involved with your food, knowing what plant it comes from, seeing the animal that you are picking meat from, and understanding what it takes for food to be available for you to eat.
This is something I've always valued, but never really taken action on. "So, how does THAT apply to teaching?" you may be wondering. Well, it doesn't directly apply. But the lessons that taking time to learn about and become experienced with food and what it actually IS teaches patience, work ethic, curiosity, and interest in the natural world - all crucial parts of a science classroom. So, here and there, I'm getting ideas about how to use common cooking and farming practices from around the world that I can use in my classroom. And I'm living what I will eventually be preaching and teaching - crucial to teacher authenticity.
So, it's been good. both "Anna" and "Ms. Kramer" are growing, and I'm finally seeing how these two parts of my identity really fit in to create "Ms. Anna Kramer". I like it.
I have just arrived in Samoa. Leaving Tonga was like ripping my heart out, and I don't want to talk about it. I will go back someday.
But, I learned that 3 weeks isn't long enough, so I'm skipping Fiji and spending an entire month in the Samoas - which so far has proven to be a good choice. I completely understand why people visit the South Pacific and never go home.
So far, I've seen the tsunami damage (still here, entire foundations that had houses just stripped from them), made some contacts for places to stay and people to visit, and am hoping to pop my head in for a few days to visit the teacher education program at the National University of Samoa.
Internet is really only in Apia. Photos certainly won't be uploaded until Feb 10th or so, when I visit Turner (what what!) in American Samoa, and maybe not even then. In short, I'll be AWOL for awhile. But I hope to keep good track of what I'm doing in my journal so I can share it with you after the fact.
My Samoan mobile # is 751 9503, and I believe when you call it should look like this: +685 751 9503 but you should check on how to call a Samoan mobile from whatever country you're in before trying, or if it doesn't work. Phone is going to be my main contact here, looks like!
And, I bought my first lavalava today - look it up. Mine is turquoise and green.
MISS YOU ALL!!!!!!!
When I met David Bonderman last year, I outlined my trip itinerary for him ("How am I spending your money, you ask?"). He laughed, and said bluntly, "Good luck trying to leave the South Pacific." I laughed, said something about Central America and learning Spanish being motivation enough for me, and forgot about it.
Don't worry, Mom and Dad! I've yet to cancel my ticket, marry a Polynesian, and take up island life. But, in all honesty, these islands are paradise. The scenery is beautiful, the people are beautiful, and the food is beautiful. I love wearing lavalavas, going without Internet, cooking with hot stones, making baskets from coconut palm fronds, and riding the awesome pop-music-blaring buses here (I LOVE SAMOAN MUSIC, like Zipso, referenced in the title). The lagoons that surround the islands make for perfect morning, night, and any-other-time swims. The rain is warm, the sun soaks through you, and wind off the ocean keeps the mosquitoes away at night. The men are phenomenally good-looking (enough to forgive the rattails), and the women are even more beautiful (maybe because they don't have rattails?).
Of course there are exceptions to all this: you see a shark in the lagoon that you were just swimming in, the wind gets so strong it blows rain into your fale (fah-lay) at night, the rain soaks your laundry, the sun burns your white palagi skin, and the men dye their hair bleach blond or bead their goatees (or have rattails!!). But the women stay beautiful, and so it remains a paradise.
All joking aside, I just spent a week on Samoa's less-developed island, Savai'i (the "real" Samoa, they say). I slept in beach fales - open air huts on stilts so close to the ocean that the waves crash under your bed at high tide. You fall asleep and wake up to the sound of the ocean. Mostly, I went to sleep and awoke with the sun, but when I didn't I was sitting in the "living room" (a really big fale) with some fellow travelers, drinking Vailima (Samoan beer) and watching the stars dance across the sky over the ocean as the night breeze slowly became a windy rain. That was the bedtime call - when the rain began.
I met Grace and Jennifer, two Kiwis on a two week holiday, on Savai'i. This was Grace's fourth trip to Samoa, so she was our expert. We got to help prepare the u'mu on Sunday, which was a direct insight into family life in the village here in Samoa. We peeled breadfruit (Google it) with the bottom of a tin can and ripe bananas with a sharpened piece of wood. We helped wrap taro leaves and coconut cream in banana leaves to make palusami, cooked on the hot stones, and watched as the actual "oven" was prepared with layer after layer of hot stones, food, banana leaves, breadfruit leaves, and mats woven from coconut palm leaves. One hour later, we had a legitimate Samoan feast.
In another village, we met two boys from Chile, Manuel and Sebastien. We learned to weave visors (hats!), baskets, and bowls from coconut palm leaves. We fished with Sione, the owner of the beach fales (well, they did, I hate fishing). When one of the boys caught a fish, the girls dutifully screeched as one of then killed the fish by smashing it over the head with the flat side of a meat cleaver. This was one of the Vailima-drinking, star-gazing nights. We ate homecooked meals and watched the local (beautiful) men play rugby in the ocean and games of volleyball on the beach. We napped when we wanted to, and walked through the village saying "Malo!" (hello) to everyone we met. It was beautiful, a mix of relaxing and cultural experience.
And like all good things, it had to end. A week tanner and more relaxed, I am setting out, alone again, to the east coast of Upolu, Samoa's more developed island, to meet a woman who narrowly survived the tsunami in 2009 and visit a secondary school.
The South Pacific is calling my name, but just like I promised David Bonderman, Central America and learning Spanish has a louder voice.
But if anyone wants to visit Tonga or Samoa in the next few years, count me in....
Finally uploaded more photos from Tonga and Samoa.
Food photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2720754&id=10703228&l=ae8a27c68e
Other photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2654226&id=10703228&l=071537e81c
PREFACE
Yesterday, I got some very sad news. Alena Suazo, a fellow Bonderman Fellow, passed away while traveling in Xela, Guatemala on February 9th. She contracted some kind of infection while in Africa, and worsened to the point of hospitalization after arriving in Guatemala. Alena was an amazing soul and an accomplished woman. She had just graduated from UW Law and passed her bar exam. She was a fighter for all things social justice, and had a fire to her that anyone could see. I remember her excitement about the Bonderman - she recognized the incredible opportunity that was being given to her and accepted it with gratitude and determination. This is a devastating loss, not just for her friends and family, but really for the world - she was going to make waves.
It's also been scary for the Bonderman fellows that are out traveling. We've just found out that contrary to one of our biggest fears, she was not alone through this. She had been at a school and a member of the staff was with her in the hospital the entire time. She also had contact with her family before she passed away. We're all shaken, we all have had a bit of a time when we really felt the urge to come home early. But I think we also know that Alena would be pissed at us if we did that, and rightfully so. But the reminder that human life - even incredible, vibrant, admirable human life - is fragile is a stark one that forces us all to realize how important it is to hold those we love close to us in ALL times, but especially times of need.
The blog post I wrote a few days ago, as I was leaving Apia to visit American Samoa (and my good friend Turner from home) reflects that I was given the opportunity to realize the fragility and value of human life through conversations and experiences in the tsunami affected zone of Samoa. I'm very grateful that I get to have positive experiences to help me recognize the importance of people in my life, and that it is not only tragedies like Alena's death that prompt these thoughts. I'm also very appreciative, beyond words, that I was with Turner when I heard this. I have had someone to hug, to cry on, and to talk with about this that I trust and who knows me really well. If I had been in Apia, alone, it would have been much harder.
So, there are blessings. But please, pray/send good vibes/whatever you believe in to Alena's friends and family, and to those of us who really need to be encouraged to keep going out here when we really just want to rush home and hug our families. And tell the people in your life how important they are - because life is precious and we should not wait for tragedy to be reminded of that. I love you all so much, miss you all so much, and cannot wait to see you again.
Here's the blog - it's full of the joy and amazement of travel, which is something that Alena knew well. Enjoy:
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Today I woke up at 5:45 am to catch the Lalomanu bus back into Apia, the capital of Samoa. I'm on the island of Upolu, the one everyone says is "not the real Samoa" and "doesn't have the good beaches" and "blah, blah, blah". Through SERVAS (Man, I love this organization, it's made my trip), I managed to connect with a woman who runs a wellness retreat in Salea'aumua (which I can finally pronounce).
Salea'aumua (sal-ay-uh-ow-moo-ah) is in Aleipata (come on, it's not that hard, you can do it!), which is the district of Upolu that was most seriously damaged by the 2009 tsunami. Read: Aleipata was basically destroyed. Most people that died in the tsunami in Samoa, died here. One family, the Taufuas, who run a beach fale resort here, lost 13 loved ones, spanning four generations. Driving through town, the road is several meters closer to the sea than it was before (shore washed away), and the foundations of houses that were leveled are still there. People either rebuilt next to them or moved far inland to escape the unpredictability of the sea. One village, Saleapaga (sal-ay-uh-pan-gah), completely moved inland except for one determined business owner, now the only building in the old Saleapaga. These people, if they are anything, they are resilient.
I stayed with Lee Letiu for 4 nights. During that time, I had the opportunity to attend church, be treated to yet ANOTHER Sunday family umu, spend a day visiting a secondary school (at which I managed to score a copy of Samoa's secondary science curriculum goals - OMG!), and read an incredible book that wove together tsunami survivor stories (which Lee was included in). Not only did I get to experience village life where there are no resorts, I got to see a school, talk to teachers and a principal, observe classes, and most of all - learn from people who have honestly looked death in the face and somehow managed to survive.
I highly recommend the book to anyone who is interested in what the tsunami was like here, what the response was, and how people coped economically, emotionally, etc. It's called Pacific Tsunami - Galu Afi by Lani Wendt Young. It's incredibly well-written, and although I'm positive that being in the place while I read it was a big part of it's meaning, I still think everyone should read it.
Now, I come from a solid family. There was love in our house growing up, and there is still love - we are strong and united, and I know my family would support me in a heartbeat if I needed them (hell, they are right now). But I was blown away by the degree of family support outlined in the Aleipata survivors' stories. Remember the Taufua family? They lost 13 family members because they spent so much time saving their GUESTS, because they considered them as important as family. People ran from the first wave, and ran back to save family, friends, strangers - because in Samoa, the village, the district, the island is connected by extended family. Community is vital to survival. In fact, after the tsunami, there were no refugee camps - because EVERYONE had family to take them in somewhere. If they had no family left, someone was kind enough to include them in their family that day. I mean, the society is not without flaws, but the family structure is thought to have saved many people in this particular disaster just because the response was so immediate.
Anyway, it struck me as really beautiful, and sitting by the ocean reading that book on a calm day was so unnerving - when just over a year ago the ocean took a lot from these people, yet they continue to live in harmony with it, fishing, swimming...
Visiting the school was a great experience, too. About half the classrooms have desks, in the other rooms, kids sit on the floor in their pinafore uniforms. School seems very teacher oriented - teacher talks, students repeat or recite at the teacher's command. But of course, I'm sure it depends on the teacher, and I only observed a few classes. The school is pretty desolate of materials, and not just the big ones. The library co-exists as a staffroom. There is no electricity in the classrooms besides the fluorescent lights - if they had computers they would have to rewire to find a place to plug them in, and put better locks on the door to prevent them being stolen. The registrar is an old battered book labeled "Registration 2011" This school lost everything (which wasn't much) in the tsunami. Being that it's a rural school, far from the resources of Apia, not much has been restored here besides the buildings (which is a great step). Mili, the principal, is a brave, sharp woman who refuses to give up. When I asked her if I could come visit her school, she responded, "Well, I'm supposed to get approval, but you know....(mischievous grin)...it is MY school, so you can come whenever you want."
I'm currently working on figuring out how I can help at this school. One teacher insisted that the only way to help was to move to Samoa to teach science, of course marrying him in the process. Huh. I think I'll find alternative methods. :) But it seems like you can't just donate to an individual school in Samoa, you have to donate to the Department of Education and they dole out the money - which seems to be the initial problem anyway (the division of funds). I'm trying to figure out how I could use my position as a teacher of Polynesian students to raise money to buy basic supplies for schools like the Aleipata Secondary School. We're talking notebooks, textbooks, pens, chalk, hell - overhead projectors and rewiring, maybe eventually building a separate building for the library, so the staff can have a separate room. Maybe a storage room that's watertight....I mean, this stuff can happen, but not without 1) the funds, 2) someone on the ground in Aleipata to make it happen and organize it well. It seems like too big a dream, really (but maybe a great excuse to return), so I guess I'll start with figuring out if it's even possible. Anyone with any info on international donations from private citizens to public programs, email me. This stuff is confusing. But these kids sit on the floor while they learn math. On the cement floor, not even on a mat. Some of them can't come to school because they don't have a uniform - which you have to have to attend. So there's work to be done, anyway.
Tomorrow, I start an epic journey that begins in Pago Pago, American Samoa, and ends in San Salvador, El Salvador. You guessed it - there are no direct flights. Here's my schedule:
February 17th: 30 minute flight from Pago Pago to Apia, Samoa.
February 19th: 2 hour flight to Nadi, Fiji (beginning at 5 am)
14 hours in Nadi, which has been described to me as a "disgusting city" so that will be fun
February 20th (because I'm back over the international dateline and thus will be jumping wildly forward in time): an I-don't-know-how-long-it-is flight from Nadi, Fiji, to Los Angeles, USA.
12 hours in Los Angeles, which will consist of me buying new shoes and underwear from REI and Target. If anyone is in LA, let's hang out? I'm going to be bored...
February 21st: 6 or 7 hour flight from LA to San Salvador....
And then, finally, the 3rd trimester of my trip, the Spanish speaking part, will begin. Whew!
*****
So, I've been in American Samoa visiting Turner, my friend who moved here 2 1/2 months ago. American Samoa is wayyy different from independent Samoa. First of all, everyone here drives big trucks. There is one called "The Beast" that reminds me of trucks I'd see in Montesano in high school (and still, I guess). It's awesomely disgusting, since of course all gas has to be freighted here. If they're not in a big truck, it's an SUV. And fast food is everywhere. Well, everywhere relative to independent Samoa, anyway. It's really bizarre. There's a huge weight problem (as would be expected of a place that has the highest grossing McDonald's in the world). And there are, obviously, a lot more palagi here so the island culture is a lot different here.
But it's been fun! Today, I got to judge a science fair at an elementary school, which was loads of fun and came with free food. I've been trying to catch up with the teaching world, which has only stressed me out as people are getting RIFed (budget cuts) and jobs are somehow opening at the same time. What a weird system. I'm sort of resetting for 4 days of moving and then hoping to be in one place for awhile to combat that feeling of unsettledness.
I don't have a lot to report, mostly because I'm tired and grumpy, but things are going well and I do have one bit of news: I've bought my plane ticket home!
I will return to the States on May 7th. I decided to buy the ticket now for two reasons: 1) It was only $250, in April it will be around $400 if it's the same as last year, and 2) I think I need an end in sight. I know a lot of people who are gone from home longer than this, but to be moving around so much and never have a base, to be living out of a bag, it really wears on you.
And so I've met the 5 month wall. I remember having a conversation with a South African guy in Ha Noi, Vietnam, about the 5 month wall. He said, "I just feel like I've done so much in the past 5 months, what else will possibly excite me now?" And at the time, I just laughed. But now, I get what he means. And I am SO glad that I left Central America for last, because this is where I DO get to do something really new and exciting - working on my Spanish. I think that Central America will be even less about seeing the sights and doing the tourist things. I just want to live in these places, to have a similar day-to-day life as the locals, and experience that fully.
And now, it's time to go through another cycle of "will all this stuff still fit in my bag?!"
Much love...
***
More photos have been added: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2654226&id=10703228&l=071537e81c
Today is the day that I get to live twice. When I jumped west across the International Dateline this morning, I sacrificed a day. I just...lost it. Now, I get it back, in the form of not one, but two Sunday, February 20ths. And they are going to BOTH be painful and boring. Sigh.
The first February 20th began as February 19th, 3:00 am. Alarm going off. I was wondering what the heck I was waking up for. I was staying with Marco and Maria Kappenberger, who invited me to stay at their house because of their sympathy for my flight time and proximity to the airport (15 minutes instead of the 45 minutes from Apia). Marco is Swiss and Maria is Chilean, so I got a chance to practice my bumbling Spanish. This morning, I was picked up by the most important clergyman in their village, Fasito'outa, and he and his wife drove me to the airport. Because that's Samoa - people doing whatever they can to help.
I miss it already.
At 11 pm on the first February the 20th, I board a plane that will take me away from the islands that I've come to love. No more islands for me; although I've spent all of my trip, save the time in Vietnam, Laos, and Korea (about 1.5 months) on islands.
The second February 20th will begin somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Well, actually, I know where it starts - right as I cross, heading east this time, over the International Dateline. I will spend this Sunday in Los Angeles. Doing what, I don't know. I need to buy new tennis shoes. I desperately need new underwear and sunglasses. So I'll do those things. But I don't know what else. At least I'll only have about 9 hours there, and I've rented a car. So I may just drive to the beach and sit. Who knows. On midnight of the second February 20th, I will board a plane in Los Angeles that will fly in the opposite direction of home. Even though I will be a 2 hour flight from home, I'll head south instead.
I'll arrive in San Salvador at 8 am on February 21st. On the upside to all of this travel, the way that my flights go (both overnight), and the fact that they are spread over several days and heading east will make jetlag not really a problem at all. So that's pretty nice.
Anyway, I need to go figure out how to spend the next 10 hours, as it's raining and Sunday here in Fiji, which pretty much eliminates most activities, as the lady at the front desk told me. So, here's to the first of two Sunday, February 20ths. Wish me luck!
Next time you hear from me, I'll be in El Salvador!
Let me tell you a story about how much traveling can suck. I have to admit, first, that I love writing these blog entries because they are so open and honest and I don't feel like I need to censor my experiences. I really trust you guys with all my good and bad experiences...
So, the past few traveling days have been difficult. I have been alone and emotional - never a good combination for a person, much less a female. But let me tell you something amazing:
In a stroke of fate, I happened to feel like reading the lovely things that people had been writing on Alena's Facebook page since her death, and discovered instead that her friends in Camarillo were hosting a Mass in her memory on the same day I was flying though LA (Camarillo is about one hour north of LA). The stars aligned, God spoke, coincidence, whatever you believe, it was clear to me that I should attend. I expected it to help me deal with it, to give me closure and comfort, but it unexpectedly opened me up and ripped me apart. All of my loneliness and emotions burst to the surface during my attempt to talk to one of her friends (coincidentally a former Bonderman fellow). I felt like an idiot. I was so emotionally explosive I decided not to go to the reception they had after the service. Instead, I did something therapeutic that I haven't done in awhile - I drove and sang my heart out, tears streaming down my face.
What was this? I hardly knew Alena besides the Bonderman functions, but listening to her friends and family talk about how much they loved and missed her triggered something in my heart. I felt a deep sadness that someone so young and full of life was taken so early. I missed my own family and friends - I wanted to tell them right then and there how much I loved them. Instead, I drove, sang, and cried. It felt so good to let it out. This trip is amazing, but I don't believe anyone who says it isn't taxing. For some, it may take years of traveling alone to tax on them, but for me I can already feel it.
I love the people in my life in a way I never have before, and it hurts, surprisingly. I love them so much I want to ensure that they always know how much I care and how much I long to share this experience with them. I miss them all, YOU all, so much!!!
But then the logical side of my brain, that annoying voice that is so damn right all the time, pipes up. And it reminds me that even if I want to come home now, the feelings will pass. Much as it heals sadness and mourning, time takes care of these types of homesickness and insecurities. When I used to hit bottom like this, it was ugly. Now, I have this strange ability to find humor in the strangest places when I am feeling my worst.
Tonight, I scammed my way onto the plane to El Salvador without an onward ticket and celebrated with a beer before my plane left. Enter Cesar, an aggressive (but, he claims, respectful) Mexican movie producer (he claims) who decided to buy me my beers (only 2 don't worry) and spend 2 hours telling me how amazing I was. Hilarious, unwanted, but it made me laugh, and suddenly I wasn't crying anymore. And then I was meeting more people at the bar, including a deaf guy, Ricardo, who was impressed that I could sign my name and taught me how to say "teacher" in ASL. And then I was smiling. And even though my heart was still longing for home and familiarity, I was no longer alone or isolated.
It's amazing how many times I have to learn this lesson: the cure for loneliness is people. They don't necessarily have to be people you know. Just people who want to connect - by laughing, smiling, talking, sharing, flirting, whatever. They think you're worth talking to, and when you are really alone you appreciate these small gestures.
So, somehow, a forward guy at a bar helped me get back on track for this trip, reminding me how amazing it is, what I am doing, even if it might not be amazing to everyone. It is to me, and I hate that I forgot that for awhile.
I have already been using my Spanish. I am a strong woman, dedicated and vibrant. Tonight, these were Cesar's words. But I believe them. And even though I won't take him up on his offer of a free flight to Costa Rica (come ON, man), I do appreciate the candid conversations we had tonight about Alena, my trip, and life in general.
Sometimes, it just takes a person to remind you that you can do it, even if they don't realize they are giving you that message.
Gracias, Cesar.
The title of this is misleading as I haven´t really done, well, anything in the 3 days I´ve now been in San Salvador. After 4 days and 4 countries of travel, it was time for some rest. So, I slept, ate, got a massage, and slept some more. Then I switched hostels, slept, ate, and read. It was glorious. Then, I got bored.
So, now, I´m looking into what to do around here. There´s an opportunity down the street to volunteer in an orphanage playing with kids. Check. There´s a language school but it´s expensive. Mayyyybe check. There´s a nonprofit called Glasswing that wants me to meet up with them to see what I can offer and what they can teach me about El Salvador´s education system. Check. There´s a beach town that doesn´t have loads of Californian surfers, just mangroves and birds. Check. There´s ruins to see, more language schools, and a WWOOFing farm. Check.
And, like most places, I haven´t been shot walking down the street like people claim you will in San Salvador. Like everywhere else, you practice caution and avoid the bad areas of town. Hell, I did that in LA. The people are actually really friendly here (which is what I´ve found in most places people claim are SUPER dangerous). I went to get food earlier today and the girl serving our food got our emails and asked if we would be interested in swapping English for Spanish practice. Check. So my experience has been good so far.
And I´m also on the up and up from the 5 month crash that lasted a week, so that´s good. I got to Skype with Marilyn and Helene, program advisors from UW, today and that was excellent. I am excited to do the rest of this trip with a good attitude, which I finally have back. WHEE!
So, just updating you so you know I´m happy and adventurous again, and am excited for this new place, which seems to be the most avoided place in Central America by travelers.
Which automatically makes me love it.
Today I got lost not once, not twice, but three times. In San Salvador. Large Central American cities are generally not the best places to get lost. But it was fun and now I know my way around at least 33.33% of the city.
The first time I got lost, Susan (New Yorker) and I were trying to find the science and physics museum that is named after Stephen Hawking. Needless to say, asking Salvadoreans where the museo de Stephen Hawking in somewhat confuses them, especially when your Spanish sucks and the museum no longer exists (at least, we never found it).
Then, I set off on my own to find the offices of Glasswing, where I will be volunteering next week to get a peek at education in El Salvador. I tried every road off of the key-point roundabout except the one the office was on. On my map, that road was shown as a deadend - clearly no one expects tourists to go there. Eventually, they came to pick me up, assuring me that they would easily be able to find "the only white girl sitting forlornly in the roundabout". Sigh.
The pattern was obvious, but I didn't notice and took the bus home instead of a cab ($0.20 vs. $6.00, Hellooooo!!!). Now, I managed to get off at the correct stop, but somehow walked the wrong direction. Into. Down. Town. El centro de San Salvador is not a place to be alone, especially as a woman when dark is not too far away. When I began to recognize places from my quick trip downtown with Susan, I thought, "Oh sh*t." and got my ten dollar bill into my hand in case someone decided to rob me. Silly American. No one except the 13-19 year old boys even cared I was there. But I was still quite alert and ready to fight or flight the crap outta there. A nice man kindly, patiently listened to me explain that I was trying to get to the Metrocentro (a mall near my hostel), yes in Spanish!, and showed me on my map where I was. Oh boy. A couple miles away. The one time I actually wanted a taxi and none were anywhere except a man who was so sound asleep that yelling at him didn't wake him up. Yes, he was breathing, I checked.
Well, I made it. And got a very good workout in the process between the walking, the heat, and the panicky feelings that caused my heart to race.
Mom and dad, don't worry - I'm sure I wasn't really in serious danger. Anyway, I failed to find the museum, arranged to volunteer designing reading club and science curriculum changes to the public school system (I know, whoa!!!), and met a very nice Christian man who told me (something) about God in Spanish and also helped me get home.
I celebrated the day by getting a Frosty at Wendy's. Oh yeah, there are Wendy's here. But that's a whole different story.
I spent this weekend doing what lots of Salvadoreans do: relaxed and got out of the city. Susan (a super solid NYC solo traveler) and I bused to Barra de Santiago, a beach town near the Guatemalan border. Saying that we bused there doesn't really do the 4 hour journey justice. We:
-took a taxi to el Terminal de Occidente (10 minutes)
-took a bus to Sonsonate (1 hour)
-waited for another bus (45 minutes)
-took a bus to Barra de Santiago (included an unexplained hour stop on the side of the hot dusty highway) (2 hours)
-walked from where the bus wouldn't go any further down a dirt road to the beach...the only access to the hostel (5 minutes)
What a brilliant reward for all that travel and asking people where the next bus was - the beach was empty but for the local surfers, the waves were huge, and there were pelicans everywhere. It was a beautiful weekend of doing nothing - we read, walked, talked, and a local guide, Julio, showed us the mangroves and the location of an abandoned indigenous village.
The return trip to San Salvador was almost more eventful than the ride out, because there was no bus from Barra de Santiago. We took what the locals call "un pickup". Yup. Load into the bed of a truck with the locals heading into town to set up food stalls. Load in and help hold on to the bowls of fold, the chairs, the coconuts, the babies, and all of the carefully prebagged juice, horchata, and coconut water. We were full. Every person who saw us, these two silly gringas, sitting in the bed of the pickup covered in other peoples things and children had a wonderful hoot. It was pretty fun...
A few hours and 3 buses later we arrived back in San Salvador. It was a great way to explore the bus system here with a buddy before I end up out on my own.
Tomorrow I start a week of Spanish school and volunteering with Glasswing. My contact with them will last the whole month or so I'm in El Salvador since they do work all over the country in the schools. I've found a couple to Couchsurf with the second half of this week so that will be a good chance to practice Spanish and save money and get out of the "only meet other travelers" rut.
I'm loving this country - I don't know why people don't recommend traveling here. It's beautiful, there's lots to do, and the people are exceptional! More to come on my impending struggles with Spanish.....:)
Much love!
My plan for El Salvador was to spend as much time out of the "muy peligrosa" ciudad de San Salvador. But...I've been in the country for almost two weeks and I'm still here. I'm not sure what happened, but I think I fell in love. Of course, as always, I've fallen in love with something incapable of loving me back - this time a city. In fact, this city threatens to rob me, to confuse me, to overheat me, and to embarrass me by being Spanish-speaking. But I still love it. I love the chaos, the confusion, the smoke-belching buses with the obnoxious turnstiles that my hips get stuck in (fat jokes, commence). I love the impeccably dressed people, all the women who stare at my shoes because they're not heels, and all of the people who greet you ("Buenas!") even though you're in a huge city. Yeah, I love it. It is incredibly surprising to me because I am certainly far from a city girl.
I have found San Salvador to be an incredibly comfortable place to work on Spanish. Or maybe it's El Salvador that's comfortable, but either way, the people here are gracious and forgiving when it comes to butchering their language. In the past few days, I've been told that I'm improving quickly and that (gasp) I don't even speak like a gringa. Apparently my accent is convincing, which makes me all warm and fuzzy inside until I realize that I still don't know how to use the past tense fluidly. There's always a huge pause where I say, "Lo siento" while I try to figure out how the hell to conjugate "X" verb in the preterite...or wait, shoot, is it the imperfect? But everyone always waits, patiently, smiling, for me to try. It's wonderful! And so far, I haven't said anything embarrassing.
I've been taking Spanish classes at CIS - el Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad. It's a very politically motivated nonprofit that also has a language school. The result of this is that I am learning a lot of Spanish centered around social and political issues, which is great! I have had conversations with my professor about abortion, immigration, poverty, and workers' rights. I have explained to him why I want to teach and how I believe I can work to change systemic social problems at a grassroots level - in Spanish. Slow Spanish, but Spanish nonetheless. It seems so much more gratifying than learning how to ask where the bathroom is or how to order food. But then, you learn (sometimes the hard way) that these things are important to know, too. Ha.
Of course I'm going to move on from here, because I already feel comfortable. It's interesting that I no longer have the itch, though, to be exposed to "newness". Perhaps it's because I know that Guatemala will not feel like a "brand new" place because of all the similarities to here. But maybe it's because I'm really starting to value the practice of staying in one place and learning about it. I really feel like I could stay here for a long time, just learning about this place, its people, and its issues. But then that thought surfaces again, "Oh, I can't wait to see my family!"
But unlike the beginning of the trip, I'm at peace with being gone. I see the value in the trip, I accept the solo part of it, and I enjoy it. The longer I am gone from home, the more I realize how ready I was for this experience, and how much I have gained from it. My period of exponential growth is over, but I am still growing. It's just not as dramatic anymore. I feel a sense of calm in my soul that I have never had before, not even previously on this trip - a sense of calm that I have always been seeking from other people instead of myself. How cool is that, to be at peace with your Self and with your situation and what your life is? It's an incredible feeling. I think that this state of mind is making it possible for me to learn Spanish, because it removes the anxiety of embarrassment from trying to speak it. I am still very acutely aware that my Spanish needs work, but I am no longer anxious that others will judge me on it. It's cool. ¡Me le gusta más!
I am in awe of the things that are transpiring in my life, in awe of my loved ones' ability to support me in this, and in awe of the kindness of strangers in foreign places. All over again.
And to top it off, I get to guest teach in a private school next week. How cool is that?
La dulce vida, as they say, and I do believe they are correct...
Saturday was one of THOSE days. So I did the best I could and went out to coffee with a Couchsurfer, Christina, which turned out to be a really great time! We went to this wonderful cafe that overlooks the city and I had the best pupusas (de maíz) that I've had since arriving here. Mmmmmmmm! I felt, for some reason, that it was time to spend a little more time alone since I had a better attitude, so they dropped me off at Ximena's Guesthouse again. And that's where and when I met Merion! She is a super cool girl from Calgary who is here for 3 weeks because the ticket was cheap and her plans for Carnival in Brazil fell through due to passport/visa issues. Her 3 weeks align with my 3 remaining weeks almost perfectly, so after this week of language school we are going to set off and explore some of the less traveled parts of El Salvador. She is going to check out the language school tomorrow so I may even be seeing her at the lunches we do after class every day at the comedors (little home restaurants that are like lunch buffets). Cool!
In other news, I am now staying with Rosy, my new Salvadoran mother, and her son Armando, who has quite possibly the most beautiful tattoos I have ever seen. I'll try to work up the courage to ask him if I can take a photo of them. They're amazing!! I started things off here on a good foot by explaining to them that I had been staying with my two friends in Escalon and that (nosotros estamos casados) we are married. Like, all three of us. Oh boy. Oops, I meant THEY were married. Then I tried to joke it off (because everyone was laughing) and made the biggest Spanish mistake EVER: I said that this was the first time I had ever been embarazada en español. Embarazada means pregnant, NOT embarrassed. I KNEW that! Needless to say, after the fits of giggles died down, I could tell I was at home with these two lovely people who are quite gracious about the way I am butchering their native language (out of the necessity of learning it). Hilarious, and it really is the first time I've done that (and been aware of it, anyway). And today Armando greeted me by asking how the married pregnant girl was doing.
So it was enough to really put a smile on my face. :) And just like that, traveling is fun again! Plus Merion and I are going to DJ Tiesto at CIFCO on Wednesday, which is going to be an epic night of music and dancing. Haha!
In other news, we get to take part in the International Women's Day Solidarity march in San Salvador tomorrow. Legal and safe because it's not a protest, and loads of cool people involved! I get to guest teach on Wednesday and then go to DJ Tiesto, so the week will fly by. I am busy and learning lots, including humility.
Hi! Yes, I´ve been a bit AWOL. A lot has happened since last Tuesday, and so, in chronological order, here´s a rundown of the highlights:
1. The International Women´s Day parade in San Salvador. I went with my other CIS peeps (where I have been learning Spanish) and it was incredible. Loads of people turned up to commemorate this important day as well as to remind each other of the work that still needs to be done in this country. A law is currently in the process of being reviewed here that would take big steps to ensure equality for men and women in the job and social services sectors, so lots of people had signs and stuff that supported that. It was a lot of fun to be there and to see the solidarity that exists in this country between the educated women in the city that are pushing for change and the poor, illiterate campesinas of the countryside who are also rallying and fighting for their rights. We got to walk in the parade with a big mix of people, not all women, and everyone, for that day, ignored that we were strangers, foreigners, etc. It was a lot of fun, and a giant community surrounding these issues clearly exists here!
2. Oscar, the leader of the afternoon political education at CIS, took us later that day to la UCA (Universidad de Centroamerica) to visit a museum and site at which four priests and two women were murdered by the military in the late 80s. It was a very somber place (claro), with a chapel that held highly politicized paintings and graphic charcoal sketches of victims of the war. The museum itself was small, but very to the point, with the clothing of the four priests (in which they were killed) on display and a really well done presentation of their lives and accomplishments. There was also a small portion of the museum dedicated to Monsenor Romero, who stands as the nation´s revolutionary hero. He was a bishop (I think?) who was quite quiet at the beginning of the civil war, but when one of his close friends (also a high standing member of the church) was murdered simply for speaking out against the government, he decided to take a stand. Eventually, he was assassinated, and the anniversary of this day is March 24th, so I will get a chance to experience the country as it celebrates the life of one of its biggest heroes.
There were also a few photo albums at the museum that contained forensic photos of the scene of the massacre of the priests and women. This is not something you can forget after looking at them, and several of us were unable to look at all the albums. These people were not just murdered, they were tortured and disfigured and suffered horrendously before finally being shot. The two women were murdered simply for being present and potential witnesses. Also tortured, God knows why, for they were simply THERE. It was a very clear reminder that this country has seen violence that I just don´t know, that I just can´t fathom. Violence that can only be fueled by pure evil and indoctrination. So that was a very full emotional, difficult day for us, but very very important in terms of understanding the gravity of what people here had to fear and what they went through during the 80s and 90s.
3. Then, on a happier note, I graduated from the Basico B program at CIS - this means that I am officially an intermediate Spanish student! COOL! Bout time...to celebrate the graduation of two of us as well as the many English students who were completing a cycle of English classes (9 weeks), we had a little CIS party that included each class performing a skit. All of the Spanish students and teachers got together to perform a skit about the situation on buses in San Salvador. This included terrifying driving, the driver getting several tickets for driving sin licensio, a vendor selling dulces "to raise money for charity" and a gang member robbing the passengers and killing one of them. As you may have guessed, part of this was funny and part was very serious. As you may NOT have guessed, my role was the marero, the gang member. Whee. But we did a great job and the audience both appreciated the humorous parts and the seriousness with which we presented the grave parts of the issue. So it was successful. And I have it on video. To be posted as soon as I find fast internet.
4. Last weekend, Merion and I went to the beach and got a dose of surf culture/rich kids from San Salvador partying. It was nice but not really the scene we wanted, so we left, and we are now in Perquin with Alex, another student from CIS. It´s a mountain town in northeast El Salvador. This was a stronghold of the FMLN (guerilla party) during the civil war, and thus has a lot of (often disturbing) history, which we are off to begin learning about today at a museum. So I´ll write more about that later. But first, I have to tell the story of getting here.
First, we ended up on a "SUPER especial" bus after asking for only the especial bus (a direct, fast, safer bus). It cost $5 from San Salvador to San Miguel. Nothing, right? Well...then, we ended up on a chicken bus to San Francisco Gotera, which traveled the same distance, roughly, and cost $0.80. Does that put the $5 into perspective for you?! So we made it to Gotera crammed onto this chicken bus with loads of other people. I met a nice man (a Salvadorian farmer with a sweet cowboy hat) who helped us figure out where to go next. Enter my second ride in the back of a pickup here - an hour long ride! Ha! We were slowly downgrading in class, basically, but this was the best ride of all because everyone was very curious about who we were, what we were doing here, etc. etc. So we got an hour´s practice speaking Spanish with people who didn´t give a crap that we were learning - they spoke as fast as they wanted. It was, in a word, hilarious.
So, here we are, in Perquin, about to get off the beaten path quite a bit, and really enjoying it. We´ll head back for a night in San Salvador on Friday before heading out to the dreamy Suchitoto (a town apparently everyone loves) and then maybe to the Ruta de las Flores in the west. We don´t know. But we´re really seeing the country now, and it´s great to have some basic (or intermediate?) Spanish to help us out. We´re a formidable group, 3 ladies with minimal Spanish, but it´s fun.
And we ate the best pupusas I´ve ever had just next door to our hostal last night.
··········
So, I feel like I´m really beginning to explore the country here, and I´m glad I did it this way. I really love this place, despite the trash, national fear of violence, and hot dusty bus rides. The people are beautiful, the mountains are beautiful, and the overall attitude here is one of resilience and friendliness, willingness to share with others.
On top of all this, my brother arrives in Guatemala City in two weeks, and I can´t get that out of my mind. I am so excited to see him!
So that´s what´s going on with me. I hope to add some new photos soon, but I´ve started a new photo album on Facebook to accomodate more photos from this last stretch. You can look at the photos from the International Women´s Day here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2778703&id=10703228&l=24e95ba5a1
I hope to post more when I return to San Salvador or something, but it´s always dependent on finding a virus free internet spot.
Love and miss you all!
Last summer, my uncle Eric passed away after a long roller coaster bout with cancer. It was ridiculous - the healthiest man I know couldn't have succumbed to a disease like this. But in all it's strangeness, it was all quite real. Eric was a special person for a lot of reasons, but one of the best things about him was his ability to get us involved in what we were doing with him. If we were going canoeing, there was an expectation that we would help carry the stuff down to the water. If we were seven, we carried paddles. If we were twenty three, you'd better believe we were underneath the upturned canoe, carrying it to the water with Eric. He believed strongly that the only way to do things was to fully experience them. He seemed to approach traveling this way, and it was an inspiration for me - someday, I hoped I would be brave enough to live and travel like him.
I have seen Eric everywhere on my trip. He was in the rain in Bali, in the wind that rushed past me as I learned to drive a motorcycle in Vietnam, in the sweat that poured down my face as I climbed a volcano in New Zealand. He is in every bird I see, soaring freely, watching me realize my dream of learning, bit by bit, to live like he did. He is part of every awe-inspiring experience I've had because he is at least somewhat responsible for my own motivation to do this trip. I can't help but think that he would be proud to see me where I am today, in Joateca, El Salvador. Where? Exactly. Eric would be happy to see me somewhere difficult, somewhere away from the tourists, forcing myself to speak Spanish and interact with everyday Salvadorians. In a place with a Peace Corps member who could barely speak when he saw us, out of surprise to see foreigners in this small, out of the way village on the Ruta de la Paz.
And then, a swallow swoops outside my window, and I realize that Eric does see me here, and he is proud of me. And just like that, the awe of my experiences comes rushing back, surrounding me and making me wonder if this is real - makes me wonder if I am really in Joateca, El Salvador.
And, I am.
We ended up here after catching a random pickup ride towards what we thought was a hotel, but turned out to only have camping. As the day began to close, and the light to fade, we became a little unsettled about not having a place squared away to sleep, but we tried to just relax - after all, we were in a safe village where kids were able to play in the streets after dark (something we had yet to see in El Salvador).
Of course, it worked out fine, reminding me a lot of the Vietnam motorcycle trip where we would show up unannounced and sleep in the only hotel in town. Instead of pho, here, we ate pupusas for every meal....ah, memories...
Prior to arriving in Joateca, we visited El Mozote, the site of the worst civilian massacre in El Salvador in 1981. This year will be the 30 year anniversary of the date when almost 600 troops arrived in El Mozote, and over the course of 3 days, murdered the entire town, save one survivor. Almost 150 of the recovered bodies were children under the age of 12. Our guide explained that the thought was to eliminate the "seed" of FMLN ideas as well as the politically active grownups. There is a beautiful garden now, in the place where the children's bodies were left in a pile. It was clearly a really horrendous act, and the woman who showed us around made it clear that the purpose of the tour is to never forget what happened here, so that it might not be repeated. It was heavy, serious stuff. I found it ironic to see USAID clean water projects constructed less than 100 meters from a memorial that is meant to honor humans killed by a US sponsored military outfitted with US made guns and uniforms. Of course, the water projects came 14 years after that particular event, but that doesn't erase the irony.
Prior to visiting El Mozote, we spent half the day exploring el Museo de Revolucion in Perquin, which was similarly ironic and difficult to digest, with photos and stories about FMLN martyrs next to more examples of US made weaponry used by the military in the civil war. Less somber was the original studios of Radio Venceremos, the guerilla radio that kept them connected both to each other and to the rest of the world during most of the 80s and 90s. It was broadcasted in several European countries, even. Oh, there is so much we don't know...
In the past three days, I have hitchhiked in the beds of trucks, watched a futbol game in a police station, walked miles of hot dusty road in the northeastern mountains of El Salvador, and had long conversations in Spanish with schoolchildren in which they got frustrated that we didn't understand them. It's been amazing, and I can't help but be reminded of how damn blessed I am to experience this. I hope I never forget these feelings of awe and never settle for less than these types of looks into other cultures.
In light of losing my uncle, I can at least be grateful that his ideas and life philosophies have become more clear to me in the wake of his death. I realize that there is no waiting for change, no "I'll do that next year", no unrealized dreams for me anymore. I feel like I have a much greater grasp on my own abilities to do things I want to do - definitely one of those sought after qualities of Eric's that I've always admired.
I miss him terribly, as do many of you that are reading this, I'm sure. And although he isn't here physically to cheer me on and ask me blunt questions about the logistics of my trip, I really do feel his legacy, his attitudes, and his support in all these different ways as I travel. It's a bittersweet reminder of how fleeting life can be, and how important it is to live how you really want to, to leave a legacy of love and inspiration (which includes your family!) that will continue long after your body is gone.
Miss you, Eric, but thanks for putting all these ideas in my head. :)
After one more week of hopping around the country, my travel buddy Merion went home. I have 3 more days here in El Salvador, and because I'm so excited to see my brother on Tuesday, I've filled up my days pretty well so I don't get too antsy.
Tomorrow I am visiting Ciudad Romero, a community that just won rights to its land - a huge deal in a country where 80% of the land is owned by 20% of the people. Tomorrow is a huge celebration, and should be exciting and full of positive energy. Afterwards, the Green Festival is at la UCA, complete with good live music and other cool stuff.
On Sunday, I am day-tripping to Santa Ana to meet my friend Joana's (from Seattle) aunt, who lives there. After, I might head to Lago Coatepeque (sp?!) for a swim before heading back to San Salvador. Then, my bus leaves Monday at 4 pm! So excited to see a member of my family!!!
The last bit of travel we did was up north to Suchitoto, the dream town according to Lonely Liar (Planet). Baaamp! It was nice, but not what it was hyped up to be. Tranquilo? Uhhhhh, is reggaeton all night tranquilo? Quaint, sure. Peaceful? Well, not for me. The men here were so gross, doing nothing all day sitting and drinking in the streets, some passed out in the street all morning while the women worked. And they tsstssst'ed at us more than anywhere else, too. Come on, guys!!! Maybe I caught it on a bad weekend, but I wasn't impressed. I liked Joateca, the town we stumbled on the week before accidentally, much more.
Then, on Monday, Merion and I climbed Volcan Santa Ana, which was short, hot, cold, windy, and difficult, but not too bad. A little of everything!! Most notably, a gigantic crater with a beautiful turquoise lake at the bottom, and two armed tourist police plus a local guide. Whoa, imagine that job!!!
We spent a few days exploring the Ruta de las Flores, but were so tired we really just drank coffee and ate pupusas the whole time. The towns there were nice and safe, and beautifully mountainous and cold. Ahhhhhhhhh......
I tried again, in vain, to upload photos and it just isn't happening. I promise to keep trying....there are lots of good ones!!!!!!
In order to distract myself from the loooong weekend that separated me from seeing my brother in Guatemala City, I overplanned and overscheduled my time to make sure that I wouldn´t sit around doing nothing. Turned out to be a phenomenal send off from El Salvador:
SATURDAY:
On Saturday I had the opportunity to visit Comunidad de Romero, a community of people in the Distrita Italia that just won their land rights after a 6 year struggle. The best I can explain it, as it was explained to me in Spanish, is to say that 80% of the land here is owned by 20% of the people, and the rest really by the government. The government has programs for letting landless people develop government land, but here that means bureacracy, red tape, opposition by the people who are likely using the land illegally, etc. And by opposition I don´t mean, "hey that´s my land" I mean "I will kill you" while brandishing a machete. It´s been 6 years of struggle, complete with death threats and fear for lives and wellbeing. So it was an incredible experience to be there as they blessed the land and presented how they plan to develop it into a successful productive community. The celebration ended with a break dancing exposition, which really surprised me until I learned more about the area the community is in.
Let´s just say that as we drove up, there was a solid armed guard presence. And we´re not talking a dude with a baton, we´re talking at least 20-30 police on the main street with fully automatic weapons, as well as handguns strapped to hips and thighs. This is serious gang territory. This is serious unsafe territory for children. This is.....reality for these people. The breakdancing club was created to keep young boys off the streets and away from gangs. Unfortunately, breakdancing culture in some way mimics gang culture here (the clothes, attitudes, and sometimes the music, etc.) so the boys still suffer a lot of persecution from the police for the way they look. One was arrested for murder before the exposition. Luckily the reliable leader (a respected adult in the community) of the club was able to vouch for his whereabouts that night. A strange reality, one that has never been a part of my life, and likely never will - eye opening.
After the visit, we went to Festival Verdad, a huge music festival that had lots of amazing live music, but culminated with a revolutionary (this is a pun, you´ll soon understand) Chilean band from the 60s/70s. Their music is all about the Chilean revolution (get the pun now?) and the band was simply AMAZING. They´re called Inti-Illimani, and have a confusing history that I don´t quite understand, but it resulted in two bands, one being Historico and one being Nuevo, and we saw the former perform. Ridiculously talented old men with a knack for social commentary lyrics. Awesome stuff!
SUNDAY:
My friend Maryann and I made a trek to Santa Ana to meet my friend Joana´s aunt. Joana is a teacher in Seattle, we went through the same teaching program, and she is salvadorena. i got to meet not only her aunt, but her grandmother, uncle, and two other aunts. Really amazing people, very patient with our slow, limited Spanish, and got to see Santa Ana which is a beautiful city. I have a very special photo of me in front of the Teatro Nacional for Joana, to prove that I was there :)
I wish I could write or explain better the transformation that has come over me this weekend. I should have written it last night, when I was feeling enlightened, but I failed there. I think after 5 weeks I have finally gotten a real glimpse into the real El Salvador, a country that is poor, yes, violent, yes, but also incredibly vibrant and full of social change. People here are fired up about human rights in a way that I´ve never seen in the US. I made this observation to my friend, who replied quite wisely, "Yes, I suppose it´s because it actually directly matters in their lives. It´s their mothers being beaten and denied basic human rights. It´s their friends who don´t have the same legal access to public university. It´s their grandparents, aunts, and uncles who survived massacres during the war. " And it´s true. But the passion, persistence, resilience, and determination to better their country for everyone, not just themselves, it what has really struck me. These are things I take for granted, things I don´t have to worry about. I can buy land if I have the money, I can demand a fair wage, and I had ready access to a multitude of schools across the nation. We are privileged, and why? Because of where we were born. It´s mindblowing, all over again.
So I´ll leave El Salvador today at 4 pm on a bus with a very good idea of what this country is about, and a pretty strong desire to come back for an extended period of time to really learn firsthand about grassroots, citizen-driven, social change. Cause it´s allllll over here.
Next time you hear from me, I´ll be in Guatemala.
Signing off...
Phil has arrived! And we have made quite a quick start to the travels. Busy, busy, busy. Unfortunately, I´m having lots of issues getting old computers to recognize my jump drive and SD readers as real hard drives, so photos will continue to backlog as I wait for the perfect combination of fast internet, new enough computers, and time to sit and upload photos. It´s an art, really.
We started our travel time together by doing something super fun - we went to a private hospital in Guate and arranged for Phil to get an MRI on his elbow (cost comparison to the States? about 5:1. Yeah, hellooo medical tourism!!). That was definitely an experience, but we were excited that it was so EASY! We arrived and explained what he wanted, and they basically said, oh we can´t do it right away, how´s 4 pm? It was 3 pm. Needless to say, it was easy.
We left Guate for Copan, a Honduran Mayan site just over the border - and it was a quick lesson in cheap transportation. So far, we´ve managed to stick out the so called chicken buses, which are rarely as advertised (bright school buses with big racks of stuff on top) and more typically minibuses or giant old coaches that seem to be falling apart. It´s hot, sticky travel, but it´s fun, and we get there. Copan Ruinas, the town, was overrun with tourist services. Cafes, bars with dancing, etc. Not that cool. We did find a small comedor that was really just someone´s dirt floor living room, where we ate "empanadas" (which were the same as pupusas) both nights and spoke Spanish to the various people there having a drink after work. They would only say that what they were drinking was a "bebido tipico" but I know it was fermented corn. MMMM....
The site itself was spectacular. Copan is probably most famous for having the longest sequence of meaningful hieroglyphics in the known Mayan world - an entire staircase of history. It´s amazing! It also has the most completely preserved residential ruins (Las Sepulturas or something), which have given a lot of insight into what life was like for all Mayans at that time, not just the fancy pants who were buried with jaguars, macaws, and jade. Really amazing site, and we had it almost to ourselves for quite some time in the morning.
Now, we´ve moved on to the famous Rio Dulce, which is another interesting place that was probably a lot cooler before tourism took over. Lots of hippie havens here - it´s hot, sticky, and jungle-iscious. Lots of mosquitos, dugout canoes, and lanchas (motorboats that take you up and down the river). On our neverending quest to find the nontouristy parts, we´re headed today to a place called Finca Tatin, which is a 30 minute boatride in from Rio Dulce town, and about 20 mins from Livingston, the real hippie haven. We´ll see, so far all the places we´ve been told are "untouched" are definitely touched by tourism.
Either way, tourists or not, it´s been great to have my brother around to travel with. We´ve already lamented about how much crap we have with us (I think traveling is a neverending quest to lighten your bag), the sticky heat, and how much we can´t wait to get into the highlands away from the tourists. Don´t worry, we´re not just complaining, though. We´ve also been throwing things at each other and eating lots of good food.
Buen. Until next time.....
Yesterday, Phil and I went to Tikal. Yeah, you know, one of the most famous Mayan sites in Central America. It was incredible! We woke up and caught the shuttle to be at the park at 6 am when it opened, and essentially ran to Temple IV (the big high famous one that overlooks the whole site) to sit and enjoy the jungle for awhile. We had it to ourselves for about 30-40 minutes, and it was so tranquil and amazing! We saw coatis, javelinas, hawks, parakeets, toucans, loads of other unidentifiable birds, howler monkeys, spider monkeys....a phenomenal amount of wildlife!
We stayed in a small lakeside town called El Remate, and were pretty proud to find the "keep it a secret from the tourists" bus terminal for the public bus. We saved almost 10 dollars by doing this instead of the tourist shuttle. Ability to speak Spanish and determination to save money go a long way these days...
After Tikal, we decided to try to get out of the heat and headed to the Western Highlands, to a city called Coban. Only two buses to get there, right? Um, well....
Options: take a tourist shuttle. Direct, expensive. Take public buses. Indirect, inexpensive. We opted for the economic option, and almost vomited/died/were overexhausted/etc. by a continuous string of 4 minibuses. These are made to carry about 15 people, but somehow they always fit 30 people and all their crap in them. It´s amazing but also infuriating. Anyway, by the 4th bus we were not as proud about saving 50 quetzales, so when the driver began screeching tires around every corner (and we were in the back) we exchanged looks and spent the next 2 hours focusing on not vomiting. I think it´s a key experience here, but I´m getting sick (pun intended) of it.
Positive, unrelated note: Finally fixed my jump drive, temporarily, so I´ve started uploading new photos. I know it´s been like a month, but I just haven´t been able to do it. First priority is uploading them to an online archive in case I lose the jump drive, and then I´ll upload all my Facebook albums and post the link here. Sorry it´s taken so long, but between internet, viruses, and broken SD card readers, it just hasn´t been able to happen.
Now I have to go Skype with my mom.
As promised, updated photo links for those of you not linked in on Facebook:
Food Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2720754&id=10703228&l=ae8a27c68e
Highlights: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2778703&id=10703228&l=24e95ba5a1
Enjoy!!!!!!!!!
I have now managed to do the following exciting things, only using Spanish (okay and sometimes a small bit of English):
1. Get an MRI for my brother - used lots of English here, not going to lie, but also Spanish, and it was fun. For me.
2. Went on a hike with a local guide, who told me the history of the region (Ixil) regarding the Civil war in Guatemala, all in Spanish, and I was able to ask questions and understand everything! Whee!
3. Take lots of chicken buses, negotiate fares, and tell people when I needed to get off.
4. Order food (sounds not very exciting, but believe me, it's nice to start getting what you ask for).
5. Get to know my homestay families, all in Spanish!
6. Ask for directions.
7. USE, correctly, those same directions, to successfully find a place.
8. Tell a joke (I am most proud of this one!) Estoy MUY chistosa!!!!
9. Get my hair cut, without losing it all (the secret is to NEVER use the word "corto")
And now, embarrassing things that I have said in Spanish..in public.
1. "Si, uno de mis amigos es de los E.E.U.U. y la otra es de Israel. Si, nosotros estamos casados." More or less, that means that I am in a marriage of three people. I meant to say THEY are married...
2. "Esta es la primera vez ha estoy embarazada en Español..." Yeah, I did that one, I said it was the first time I have been pregnant in Spanish. Makes no sense. Stupid words that sound like they mean something, but mean something embarrassing.
3. The usual mixing up of feminine and masculine adjectives, thus referring to myself as a man frequently...
Sorry to disappoint a little, but I haven't said that much in Spanish that is embarrassing....yet......
I spent the past week "getting off the gringo trail", as they say. Well, yes, I did that. I went to Nebaj, Guatemala for another week of language school. Nebaj is supposed to be one of those places where you have to use your Spanish because no one speaks English. As usual, not entirely true, but to do anything in most places, I needed Spanish. Good practice!
Unfortunately, the school turned out to be a bit of a bust. Unorganized, and my teacher didn't come one day, and arranged for me to do something else another day, which turned out to be wander around the nearby town of Chajul with another teacher, speaking Spanish. Good practice, but I paid for Spanish CLASS! Still need to work on my imperatives....haha!
The two amazing things about my time in Nebaj_
1) My host family. They are an indigenous Mayan family. Maria, the mom, is Mam and Domingo, the dad, is Ixil. Maria has learned both Ixil and Spanish in order to live in Nebaj with her husband. She grew up in a small village near Xela, so it's pretty amazing that she is where she is. They have four children: Juana, Jose, Javier, and Fernando (Nando), with another baby on the way, which Maria claims is her last with an exasperated sigh and a smile. The kids are, as you would expect, beyond full of energy, especially Nando, who is 2 years old and the epitome of the terrible twos. Wow. That kid would wake us up by screaming bloody murder at 4 am, he almost removed one of the dog's eyes, and was constantly causing trouble. His mother was always very...tired. :) But he was fun, nonetheless.
Having the kids around was fun because they are closer to my level of Spanish, and I can ask them silly questions like, "Are you an elephant?" and they think it is funny. Good vocab practice (yeah, I'm a dork). We did fun things like make jewelry (those beads are the best investment I have made on this trip) and play outside. Whee!
Another awesome thing I got to try was the traditional Mayan sauna at their house, called a "chuj" or something like that. I had to crawl in through the door, and ended up sitting there in just my underwear with Maria and Juana, which was funny at first (being naked with strangers who are extremely conservative under all other circumstances is weird), but then just relaxing. Saunas are awesome!!! It was relaxing and nice because the weather is cold there.....
2) The hiking. Nebaj itself is pretty...ugly. Concrete buildings, dusty, chaotic, you know the drill. But it's in a bowl and once you get across the ridge, in almost any direction, you encounter the joy of the highland aldea. An aldea is just a village, but here they are simply perfect. The two that I got to hike to are called Cocop and Acul. Cocop was a harder hike, and was a more historical visit. This is a village that had about a third of it's inhabitants murdered during the war during a massacre in the 80s. There is a nice cemetary there that memorializes these victims, and the guide I went with gave me lots of insight into the people's lives there now, as they are finally rebuilt (the village was razed) and have a proper, permanent memorial.
Acul was one of the first "model" villages that the government installed indigenous Mayan people in during the war, and for this reason is has, I believed, received some kind of money from the government to rebuild. Lots of construction, but it is nestled in this Argentina/New Zealand-looking valley, with huge, rapidly rising hills and amazing rock formations and green pasture land. Very tranquil, with only a dirt road in. Lots of horses, cattle, chickens, etc. And everything just slows down. It was beautiful!
So, the week in Nebaj was a bit of a let down in some respects, but in others it was great. Regardless of all that, it was great to be in one place for a week and get to know some people! Next, into the forest around Coban to search for quetzals (the national bird)!!!
More photos:
Food: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=10100119215463158&id=10703228&aid=2720754&l=ae8a27c68e
Other: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=10100209993737768&id=10703228&aid=2778703&l=24e95ba5a1
I have been really lazy about blogging. I would say that I am sorry, but I'm not. Sometimes I just really don't feel like writing, or I only feel like writing in my personal journal. Oops.
But anyway, here are some cool stories of the past 10 days:
1. I went hiking in search of quetzals (really amazing bird) outside of Coban, which sounds pretty tame, but entailed living with a Mayan family. Now, I lived with a Mayan family in Nebaj, but this was different. Well, the corn and beans were the same, but in order to get to this aldea (village), you have to hike out. Yeah! So you ride buses for 2 hours out into the hills and then hike for 2 hours out to their house. No electricity, save what they can get from a foot by foot solar panel they purchased using money they get by hosting foreigners. Definitely only fire heat, dirt floors, etc. And to get anywhere is almost straight up or down a hill. The scenery was amazing, it was tranquil and quiet and the moon lit up the ridge at night. Absolutely beautiful, and also a very cool cultural experience. I was miserable, physically. Freezing cold the whole time and the food was really difficult (my body is used to vegetables other than corn and beans). So it was a great experience because it was difficult and different! AND on the hike back out (at dawn, no less) a quetzal flew directly over the group as we walked. A male quetzal, that is, perfectly silouhetted against the sunrise. It was incredible, and even though I couldn't even dream of getting a photo, I will always have that image of that bird in my mind, its amazing tail streaming behind it as it flew.
2. After that, I met back up with Phil, as we had a chance to meet who we thought were relatives in Antigua. Turns out it was the ex-wife of our grandfather's cousin, so not exactly related, but still tied to our family quite strongly, and she knows lots of our family in Guatemala. So that was really cool to meet Olga and to see a different side of life in Guatemala (as her family is fairly well-to-do). Antigua didn't really do a lot for me - it was the heart of Semana Santa, so it was crawling with people and a bit busy/touristified for my taste. Beautiful city, beautiful setting, and amazing food though. Just doesn't feel a bit like you're in Guatemala.
3. After Antigua was Xela. This was a hard place for me to go, because this is where my fellow Bonderman fellow passed away in February. I had all sorts of plans to go visit the school Alena had been at, but as I was there during the holiday days of Semana Santa (Holy Friday, etc.), everything was closed. I admit, I felt a little guilty being there and enjoying it, so I ended up being in a bad mood most of the time. It was unfortunate, but I guess I didn't really expect it to be so hard to be there.
4. The last thing I did while in Xela boosted my spirits. It was on my birthday (April 24th) and Phil and I got together for one last hurrah before I headed to Mexico. It was my 25th birthday, so I suppose it is special (birthdays, meh). Originally I had wanted to be back in Chiapas for my birthday (the place I fell in love with last year in Mexico), but Philip raised the idea of summiting Volcan Tajumulco on my birthday. Um, yes please! Tajumulco is the highest peak in Central America at a whopping 4220m. That's higher than Mt. Kinabalu, which I climbed in Malaysian Borneo. Of course, I had to do it. Let me tell you about this fantastic experience (yes, I am addicted to climbing mountains now).
First of all, we did this climb with a guide service called Quetzaltrekkers. I HIGHLY recommend these guys, if you ever happen to be in Guatemala looking for a guide service. They are a nonprofit (I believe Guatemala's only one) tour service, basically, so all the guides are volunteer. This results in no local guides, but the organization works so closely with locals that it really doesn't seem to matter. All of the food is bought from local stores (homemade JAM and peanut butter, too!), the gear is donated, we ride the public transportation, the whole shebang. It's more like a group of friends going hiking/camping than a guided thing. This way, all of the "profits" from the trips can be used to their maximum ability to fund the nonprofit. So, what does the nonprofit do? It funds a school for kids who have access issues to schooling as well as a home for kids who, well, don't have one. They just started collecting donations for a new home, as well, with more beds. So, it's a good organization.
Now, the trip: On Saturday (the 23rd), we caught a pickup truck to the bus terminal at 5 am. We rode a public bus to San Marcos, where we ate breakfast at a local comedor. Then, we were hustled onto another bus that dropped us off right at the base of the volcano. We hoisted up our packs and off we went, up, up, up. Now, this hike isn't really that hard (4 hours of hiking and about 1000m elevation gain), but you start the hike at about 3000m. That's HIGH. And if you aren't used to altitude, it's HARD to breathe, talk, whatever. So for some people it was pretty hard, others a physical challenge because of nausea, etc.
Once we made it to base camp, at about 4000m, we ate lunch and set up camp. It started to rain almost immediately, so we ended up sleeping most of the afternoon in the tents to avoid the rain. We woke up, made dinner (mmmm pasta), and went to sleep. We had to wake up at 4:20 the following morning to summit at dawn, after all!
So, on my 25th birthday, at almost precisely the time I was born, even, I summitted the highest mountain in Central America and watched one of the most spectacular sunrises I have ever seen. There were clouds everywhere, so we just poked out of them and could see maybe one or two other peaks in the distance. To the north was a huge thunderhead, lightning flashing all over the place - it was really cool! Then, we took a nap on top of the volcano in our sleeping bags, which we had brought up with us. We hiked back down, made breakfast, and then started the trek back.
All in all, it was just freaking amazing! I met some amazing people - Gerti and Daniel from Austria and Dani and Avi from (currently) NYC - and it really revived my travel happiness again. Just in time to finish up!
*****
And so, here I am, finally in Mexico, where this whole thing really started, and with less than two weeks left on this grand adventure. I can't even begin to tell you what is going through my brain, but I do know that I am both excited to come home and sad that this went so quickly. It feels like yesterday I was being greeted by my mom's friend Lisa at the airport in Singapore. I miss my family so much, and seeing Phil was such a good soother for that, but man I can't wait to see you all - friends too!
My sister is already planning a get together on May 13th, so mark your calendar because we are going to have some fun that night, okay!!!
See you all soon! Photos coming soon, when I'm in Oaxaca (Wednesday sometime)......MUCH LOVE!
I am in Oaxaca now, unfortunately relatively sick and so not really making the most of it. A mild head cold combined with Oaxaca-style heat equals very little ability to have energy. Most of my time is spent trying to overhydrate (anyone who has been here understands how funny that is), and making use of the Spanish lessons I have already paid for. This is, surprisingly, one of my most expensive places yet, but I am pretty sure it's because the school's rent is high, as it's in a super posh part of town.
It was hard to leave Chiapas - there is sill so much I want to see!!! But my short time here just means that I have to return to Mexico. Oh, no!! ;)
I am staying with a really well-to-do Mexican couple that treats me like their own daughter - meaning they barely want me to walk to school alone. It's like 5 minutes and I had to convince Patricia I could walk it okay alone. When we walk around the zocalo, one of them always has a hand on me. It should be annoying but I actually appreciate it because it has brought the catcalls to a crushing halt. Hallelujah. I hate that my hair gets blondish in the sun.
Anyway, it's funny. With them, thought, I have had the most successful Spanish experience - either I am finally really getting it or it's just easier to understand Mexican Spanish, but either way I feel successful enough with the language to come home.
Okay, now about Oaxaca. It's huge! A lot bigger than I expected, but feels nothing like a city because all the buildings are so low (earthquake savvy). The zocalo (center plaza) is, for lack of a better word, divine. What a cool meeting point of music, art, tourism, food, drink, and amazing architecture. It's beautiful, clean, and fun! I love it! That being said, the rain and the sickness have kept me from getting there very much...tomorrow I am going to try to go to Monte Alban (ruins) and Santo Domingo (cathedral) - with my escorts of course. :)
The food here is off the charts, the chocolate freaking CREATED the charts, and I continue to convince my body that yes, the mangoes and papayas will be this good forever.
Home is pulling, though.
For those who care/can:
My sister is hosting a welcome home party for me on May 13th starting a 730, I think. So far, there is no location but I think we are looking at the Center for Urban Horticulture on the northeast end of the UW campus (near the stadium...ish). It will be a potluck style gathering and if the location holds alcohol will be allowed. Everyone who wants to come is welcome! It will be a chance for me to see lots of people at once, to show some photos and share some stories, and to just have a good time with good people.
Okay, that's all for now. Can't believe my trip is 97.4% done! Yes, I did the actual math.
It is Cinco de Mayo, and I am stuck inside with a migraine. The worst I have had this trip. Instead of enjoying a parade and a Mexican holiday, I am stuck here in pain trying to make it all go away. I remember Eric asked me how I expected to travel alone when I get migraines. I guess this is how - missing things sometimes. If I could drag myself up the stairs I could watch it on TV, but that sounds awful. So I just miss it. Sigh.
At least my flight isn't today - that would have been terrible! I may have even missed it!
Now, the positive: I am with Karen Boyer now, who is (if you don't know) also from Montesano (sorry my keyboard wont let me write your first name right). It turns out that she flies home the same day I do, just earlier, and has been gone roughly the same amount of time I have. So we are having a sort of countdown together, which has been fun!
The first day in DF (Mexico City), we took the Turibus (think open air tour bus) all around the city for 3 hours. It was really fun! We also went to see Templo Mayor, the remnants of the Aztecs biggest temple that was excavated from underneath what is now the Centro of DF. It was wild to see the ruins right next to modern buildings. We also went into the museum there but ended up getting told to leave, which was really confusing until we realized the museum was closing (the lady never said a word other than that we needed to leave!).
The next day we went to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's home in Coyocoan. It has been turned into a museum of various things, most notably their personal effects ad some art. It was cool to get more of the story behind Frida especially - I like her work a lot more now that I understand it better.
I got to visit with 2 friends I had met last year in Mexico, so that was good too. It's been a good way to wrap up the trip, to come around and visit people from last year and, at the end to share the end feeling with someone who is going through the same, mas o menos. I like it!
And I will be home Saturday.
****
By the way, it's later in the day now, and I dis get over the migraine, get out, and have some real Cincinnati de Mayo fun - which here means music and celebrating a country with family events, not drinking until you puke your brains out. It's funny how Cinco de Mayo is really only strongly celebrated in the US, which has almost nothing to do with the holiday itself.
Anyway, all weirdness aside, good music and food (chiles en nogado) in the zocalo, and an amazing chapel decorated in real gold (Capilla de Santa Rosario). I am having a blast with Karen and am really glad I met up with her here!!
And Puebla is a wonderful place. That's all for tonight! Tomorrow I get to say that I'm coming home tomorrow! :)
The cool thing is, I'm writing this while I drink coffee in my parents' living room. The cool thing is, I made my short connecting flight AND was able to sneak through customs un-hassled. The cool thing is, I have more than 2 outfits to choose from now. The cool thing is, my mom brought me a PB & J to the airport with her homemade jam on it. The cool thing is, I rocked out to Tiesto in the car last night with my sisters.
The cool thing is, I am home.
A few people have asked me the following questions, to which I have the following answers:
1. Now what? I have no idea.
2. No, seriously, now what? Okay fine, I have an idea. I will be moving back to Seattle at some point, and working my awesome EYC job this summer (remember that one, where I drive kids around while they clean up the sides of our state highways?). That doesn't really start right away, so I have a bit of time to "adjust" and "move".
3. What's the first thing you will do? Well, obviously, see people. But aside from that, which I think is really what people wanted to know, I will do the following:
- condition my hair
- dry my clothing with fabric softening dryer sheets
- change my clothing, maybe wear a new pair of pants, definitely wear different underwear
- eat, eat, eat, lots of mom's food, food, food
- go square dancing (Monday night, Tractor Tavern, Seattle)...this one is important.
4. What was your favorite country? It's a tie between the Philippines, Samoa, and El Salvador, but all for very different reasons, so I think they just all win.
5. Least favorite country? Hard to say, but I probably won't be going back to Indonesia or Guatemala anytime soon.
6. Can I see your photos? Okay, yes, but there's a caveat. You have to come to my welcome home party THIS FRIDAY (May 13th) at the Center for Urban Agriculture near the UW Stadium in Seattle. It's at 7 pm. I am working on two things that will make this fun, besides seeing yours truly :)....a slideshow of my photos and a small keg (need to check the rules of the venue).
It's pretty likely that I won't be posting much more to this blog, partially because I don't really like this site and never have, and partially because, well, I'm home, and have to look for a job now. But I'm going to make a video from the slideshow eventually for those of you who aren't in Seattle/Montesano and post it here and on Facebook. Sooooooo....For now, that's all.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my increasingly deteriorating blog, and hope that somehow, sometime, it was enlightening in some way.....because that was the point. Much love, and hope to see you soon!
I know I said I was done writing on this blog. But I've found that I'm really missing this outlet for thoughts, and I've also realized that traveling thoughts don't stop when you return home. That is for dang sure.
It's been almost a month - and here's a quick update on what has happened:
1. Moved into my aunt and uncle's house in Wedgwood (thanks, Don and Peggy - you rock!)
2. Started sporadic work with the Ecology Youth Corps (most awesome summer job ever)
3. Became an "I'll do any random kind of work for money" person (housesitting, dogsitting, babysitting are the most common)
4. Interviewed and got offered a teaching position at Cascade Middle School down in White Center, where I student taught (this is my dream come true, my life is complete now)
5. Began running a LOT in order to train for a half marathon trail run in August. (wait, why?)
6. Am leaving next week to go on a mini trip (already!) to Omaha, NE (long story, haha) and Oakland/Berkeley/SF, CA. (must. travel. more.)
So, I realize that it sounds like I've been really busy, and in some ways, I have. But I have been slowing down a lot, spending entire days gardening (yeah, unemployed joke here), going on hikes, and walking places instead of driving. And it's been amazing. Part of me can't speed up and go from errand to errand anymore. But more importantly, NO part of me WANTS to live that life again. I find so much more pleasure in slowing down and experiencing the things you do. And the key to this, I think, is being comfortable doing it all by yourself.
Now, I enjoy the company of friends as much as the next person (maybe more), but when you're unemployed in May/June, there aren't a lot of people around during the day to play. This morning, I decided to run to Green Lake from my house in Wedgwood, which is a decent 25 minute run. But then, my glasses were ready to be picked up in Fremont, so I thought, well, maybe I should drive to Green Lake, run there, then drive to pick up stuff in Fremont. OH NO, that is NOT what I did! :) Instead, I just walked the whole thing. It was like 10 miles or something. But it was aammmmaaaazzziiinggg!!! And I met so many cool people on the way!
So, while walking 10 miles per day is simply not realistic, I think it highlighted my new ability to do things the slow way. It's cool. I love it.
And a bunch of the other Bonderwomen (def: female Bonderman fellows, also indicates strength and quality of character) returned to the US of A recently, so I'm looking forward to meeting up with them.
Life is good. Thanks for welcoming me back, home. I missed you.