Well, those last 3 weeks went really quickly!!!
I blame my lack of blog updates on a number of factors.
1) the internet connections in Myanmar suck.
2) Google has conspired against my blogger account and made signing in more difficult and time-consuming than it was worth.
3) sheer laziness.
But, I have been posting lots of photos on instagram for you (#jillgoesbackpacking), and I find myself with a decent wifi connection and a lovely balcony overlooking the river and mountains of Hpa-An on my last evening in this beautiful country...so I will take some time to relect on some of the most memorable and unique parts of Myanmar.
1. The Longyi (pronounced "LON-jee")
One of the first things you notice when you walk off the plane into the airport is the Longyi, which is essentially a traditional skirt worn by both men and women. The men wear more subdued hues of blue, green, brown, etc, and usually it has a plaid or striped pattern, while the women wear vivid colors and floral or more abstract designs. The Longyi is about 2 meters long and sewn into a tube shape. Whereas the men gather the fabric in front and tie it in a knot, the women tuck it to one side to make it more fitted, and slightly more restrictive.
It is quite a beautiful peice of clothing, and its easy to buy in the markets for very cheap. An economical longyi might be anywhere from 2000-3000 Kyat (roughly $2-3 CAD), but a better quality one made with silk or other expensive materials will cost you a lot more.
My Dutch friend bought herself a longyi in Bagan and the friendly guesthouse matron enthusiastically showed her how to wear it. I have also seen many male tourists embace the cool, breezy comfort while traveling through Myanmar! I asked one if he had someone show him how to tie it, as there appears to be different methods, and the men frequently undo the knots to straighten and adjust the cloth. He said yes, but when they showed him how to tie it by demonstrating on their own, he saw a lot more than he bargained for, since they don't wear any underwear underneath!
2. Thanaka
This is a thick yellowish paste made of some kind of bark. It is worn on the face primarily by women and children, and often in different designs (such as circles on the cheeks, or dots/stripes on the forehead and chin). Thanaka is multipurpose, used as sunscreen, a cosmetic, and as it is apparently very good for clearing the skin of blemishes! Some men do wear it, but our guide in Hsipaw explained that it is generally less socially acceptable for males (they might take some heckling about being gay, apparently) so they often only wear it at night to cleanse their skin under the cover of darkness!
3. Green Tea...with everything
Tea is a big part of Myanmar culture. It is grown here, and while you might have a tough time finding a bar or any kind of restraunt open past 9pm, tea shops are found on every corner at every hour. These adorable local establishments are easily spotted due to their tiny red plastic stools and wooden tables underneath an open-air shop with an awning covered in plastic advertising the local beer or whisky (which is kind of funny, since the real draw is the tea...). There is a thermos of green tea on every table, and it is generally free and served with absolutely everything. My friend and I ordered cappuccinos once, and we were served green tea while we waited!
4. Fermented Tea Leaf Salad
While we are on the subject of tea, there is a unique dish here in Myanmar made of tea leaves that I have grown quite fond of! It doesnt look like much more than some mushy green leaves mixed with a few random ingredients, but the flavor is great! Its a bit sour, but its kind of nice, like pickles. There are crunchy dried peas and beans, small diced onion, and sometimes tomato or other veggies. Its really tasty when mixed with rice...I might try to recreate it at home, if I can find the ingredients!
5. Betel Nut
One of the first things I noticed was a common habit the men (and some women) have of chewing some kind of (what I assumed was addictive) substance wrapped in a leaf. I have since learned that this is an areca nut, which is wrapped in a betel leaf painted with limestone and sprinkled with tobacco. It is chewed as a mild intoxicant/stimulant. The limestone is used to basically lacerate the gums to allow the stimulant to more easily enter the bloodstream, and it is easy to spot the heavy users. They sport a mouth of rotting red-stained teeth, and constantly have a cheekful of betel nut. And they spit everywhere. The streets are stained red...with betel juice. I'm not a fan.
6. Chinlon
The national sport in Myanmar is known as Chinlon. I first saw this in Laos, but its obviously much more popular here. This game is played by two teams with a total of 6 players, and a high net dividing them, similar to a volleyball court. However, each side attempts to knock a small woven rattan ball onto the opponents side using any part of their body except their arms and hands. Its quite amazing to watch, as they are very flexible and nimble, hitting the chinlon ball very hard with their feet, knees, and head. I have seen some female tourists (who have experience with soccer) join in, much to the amusement of the locals, since Myanmar girls dont play much (at least not in the small towns. The country does have a very good women's national team, though).
7. The Trishaw
The trishaw is a contraption I have seen everywhere in Myanmar, from the small villages to the big cities. Its essentially a huge tricycle with two side passenger seats; one facing forwards, one backwards! These look extremeley uncomfortable and slow, and the poor men who push them must have killer strong legs because there is certainly no gears of any kind on those things.
8. Christmas Lights...all year round.
I do not know what the Myanmar fascination with bright, colorful lights is about...but they are EVERYWHERE! In almost every temple, the Buddha is surrounded with a halo of gawdy, flashing lights like the circus has come to town, the clocktowers or landmark buildings in the center of town will almost certainly be lit up like a Christmas tree at night, and even the local buses have rainbow colored lights flashing around the windows (on the inside!). Its like a tacky trailer park that leaves up the holiday decorations year round. So ridiculous...but kind of hilarious and loveable.
9. Guesthouses and Breakfast
Tourism is relatively new in Myanmar, and compared to places like Thailand and Vietnam, its a lot more expensive for travelers. This means hostels haven't really been established here yet, so accommodation options are usually limited to guesthoues and hotels. The upside of these slightly pricier digs is that 9 times of out 10 you are served a free breakfast between 7-9am. Sometimes this means toast and tea, but most of the time we have had our bellies pleasantly filled with piping hot omlettes, shan noodles, samosas, or pancakes, and there is almost always some fruit served as well! I actually quite like starting my morning like this, rather than trying to scope out a cheap breakfast option along the road somewhere. I know...I'm lazy.
10. Buddhism
Myanmar is probably the most intensely religious SE Asian country I have been to. Buddhism permeates every aspect of the culture, and it is evident everywhere you look. From the monks and nuns of all ages that walk the streets, sometimes collecting alms, to the elaborate temples found on every corner, the morning readings of the Dhamma on the radio and tv, the random trucks with huge speakers blaring Buddhist chants, and the golden stupas spotting the countryside. Merit-making, or the performing of good deeds to improve your karma, motivates everything from keeping good hygiene to giving to the poor. Morning rituals of offering food and drink along with prayers at household shrines occurs regularly.
Most SE Asian countries profess Buddhism as their primary religion, but this is the first place where I have seen it taken to seriously by the general population. It has been very interesting to witness!
Unfortunately, tomorrow I leave Myanmar. It has been a marvellous 3 weeks here, and I am sad to leave, though I have a lot of look forward to in the next 3 weeks! Myanmar was certainly a one-of-a-kind experience, and I hope these 10 points gave you a little taste of what I have been seeing and living recently!
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Friday, 29 January 2016
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
Doing "Normal" Stuff in Da Nang
After spending way too much money on tailored clothing in Hoi An, I chilled out for 2 nights at a hostel in Da Nang and really did a lot of nothing.
Da Nang is a big-ish city about an hour from Hoi An, and its definitely a little more off the beaten track. There are some tourists that stay there and commute into Hoi An to avoid the higher accommodation and food prices in the Old Town, but walking around the city you definitely feel like you stick out as a white person! I got a lot of stares and occasionally a child would point at me!
I had to do some t-shirt shopping since I didnt pack very many and a few have been ruined along the course of the backpacking adventures. This was also an adventure. For one thing, Vietnamese women are TINY. At home I generally fit a size small or medium shirt, but here...I am a Large or XL! And sometimes they dont even carry those sizes! The upside is that clothing here is so much cheaper...I got 2 good quality shirts that I like for 50,000 VND each, which is roughly between $3-4 CAD.
The other thing was that I would walk into a store and the staff would just look at me and break into a shocked smile, like as if a clown had just burst in with noisemakers and a dance routine. Then they would drop everything and try to suggest things for me to wear- usually stuff I would not be caught dead in, and usually way too small. I think both of us were a little bewildered as to how to proceed. Eventually we would both give up, but it was quite sweet. When I did actually buy something, the one salesgirl who had followed me around told me in broken English that my purchase was very pretty.
Ordering food at a restraurant was an interesting experience! With no English translation, no English-speaking staff, and few photos to go on, I literally just pointed at something within my price range and hoped for the best! It turned out to be Ban Xeo, which is rice paper pancakes, fried omelets, and veggies served with peanut dip- the same dish I ate at Friendsgiving! Delicious.
I repeated the point-and-wait-for-a-surprise routine each time I ate out. Since I loved most Vietnamese food, this was generally quite successful.
On my last night in Da Nang I was feeling a bit nostaligc for home, and wanted to do something that felt normal. So I went to the movie theatre, and I watched The Hunger Games....yes, it was in English, with Vietnamese subtitles! I was the only white person in the entire mall/cinema, and definitely got a lot of curious stares and points. I was also the only solo female, and it turned out to be a date movie haha...Vietnamese couples everywhere! The plus side was that the movie theatre seats were the most comfortable I have ever had the joy of sitting in, and Ihad the most prime seat in the house, and no one sitting in front of me. And I enjoyed the movie, and had been looking forward to watching it for a long time. So...a successful night. I dont think I've ever watched a movie in theatres by myself before!
The only "normal" thing left to do, that I meant to accomplish there and didnt, is get a haircut! I am still too afraid to allow someone who doesn't speak my language to take the shears to my head. Its a situation that is quickly getting out of control, however. Between the humidity and just the sheer quanitity of hair that is accumulating on my head, I'm beginning to look like a crazy person. The bright tourist pants probably dont help.
Even though these "normal" activites still were different than they would be at home, it was strangely comforting to just go about the everyday things, rather than do tourist stuff. But now I'm back at it...spent a day in Hué exploring the historic citadel, and today I have arrived via tourist bus in Phong Nha, to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a touristy tour...but I think it will be cool, so I hope its worth it! We will see...
Da Nang is a big-ish city about an hour from Hoi An, and its definitely a little more off the beaten track. There are some tourists that stay there and commute into Hoi An to avoid the higher accommodation and food prices in the Old Town, but walking around the city you definitely feel like you stick out as a white person! I got a lot of stares and occasionally a child would point at me!
I had to do some t-shirt shopping since I didnt pack very many and a few have been ruined along the course of the backpacking adventures. This was also an adventure. For one thing, Vietnamese women are TINY. At home I generally fit a size small or medium shirt, but here...I am a Large or XL! And sometimes they dont even carry those sizes! The upside is that clothing here is so much cheaper...I got 2 good quality shirts that I like for 50,000 VND each, which is roughly between $3-4 CAD.
The other thing was that I would walk into a store and the staff would just look at me and break into a shocked smile, like as if a clown had just burst in with noisemakers and a dance routine. Then they would drop everything and try to suggest things for me to wear- usually stuff I would not be caught dead in, and usually way too small. I think both of us were a little bewildered as to how to proceed. Eventually we would both give up, but it was quite sweet. When I did actually buy something, the one salesgirl who had followed me around told me in broken English that my purchase was very pretty.
Ordering food at a restraurant was an interesting experience! With no English translation, no English-speaking staff, and few photos to go on, I literally just pointed at something within my price range and hoped for the best! It turned out to be Ban Xeo, which is rice paper pancakes, fried omelets, and veggies served with peanut dip- the same dish I ate at Friendsgiving! Delicious.
I repeated the point-and-wait-for-a-surprise routine each time I ate out. Since I loved most Vietnamese food, this was generally quite successful.
On my last night in Da Nang I was feeling a bit nostaligc for home, and wanted to do something that felt normal. So I went to the movie theatre, and I watched The Hunger Games....yes, it was in English, with Vietnamese subtitles! I was the only white person in the entire mall/cinema, and definitely got a lot of curious stares and points. I was also the only solo female, and it turned out to be a date movie haha...Vietnamese couples everywhere! The plus side was that the movie theatre seats were the most comfortable I have ever had the joy of sitting in, and Ihad the most prime seat in the house, and no one sitting in front of me. And I enjoyed the movie, and had been looking forward to watching it for a long time. So...a successful night. I dont think I've ever watched a movie in theatres by myself before!
The only "normal" thing left to do, that I meant to accomplish there and didnt, is get a haircut! I am still too afraid to allow someone who doesn't speak my language to take the shears to my head. Its a situation that is quickly getting out of control, however. Between the humidity and just the sheer quanitity of hair that is accumulating on my head, I'm beginning to look like a crazy person. The bright tourist pants probably dont help.
Even though these "normal" activites still were different than they would be at home, it was strangely comforting to just go about the everyday things, rather than do tourist stuff. But now I'm back at it...spent a day in Hué exploring the historic citadel, and today I have arrived via tourist bus in Phong Nha, to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a touristy tour...but I think it will be cool, so I hope its worth it! We will see...
Thursday, 26 November 2015
Friendsgiving
Yesterday was American Thanksgiving, and I got invited to a travelers' get-together organized by a couple American girls from another hostel. The girl that invited me is British, and is staying at the same guesthouse I am, and only randomly met one of these other girls by chance. She wanted to take part and asked me if I'd like to go. This is how the world of backpackers social lives works!
In the end there were about 10-12 of us, and I think only 3 were American! There were several other Canadians (Hello, Canmore AB!), a bunch of Europeans. We met at the Central Market and then went a local restaurant which fed us a DELICIOUS all-you-can-eat dinner of assemble-your-own rice wraps with greens, BBQed pork, egg omelets, spring rolls, and mouthwatering peanut sauce. I was a happy, happy camper.
The best part, though, was the massive collection of strangers (most people only knew one other person at the beginning of the meal) who all sat down together and enjoyed each others company for several hours! Traveling really brings people together....its funny how you can just have that one thing in common, and soon you feel like you've been friends forever!
I have been enjoying my new British friend's company since my first evening in Hoi An (we spent all day together yesterday), and I met another girl at this dinner from California who was really cool, and the three of us just got along so well- what a treat! I get such a boost when I find friends along the way, because I actually don't usually like hanging out by myself!!
As per Thanksgiving tradition, we went around the table saying something we were thankful for. Health, safety, and new travel friends featured heavily, and I too am thankful for these things. But for myself, I said I was thankful for being lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel.
Having met so many local women my age has made me aware of the privileges of my circumstances. Having been born into the advantages that are innate to being a middle-class Canadian have enabled me to be financially independent, and enabled me to travel in so many more subtle ways (different expectations of women, education, opportunity, independence, even support and encouragement from peers, etc). Many women around the world do not have these priviledges. I spoke with a tailor yesterday who is my age...she learned the trade from her mother and has worked since age 18, long hours, no days off, and she is also raising a family. She has never had the opportunity or means to travel, and probably never will.
I feel incredibly lucky to have the life that I do, and I never want to take it for granted. I am trying to make the most of these next few months before I buckle down to work hard at my job and my future schooling, and I hope that one day I can put my education and privileges to work to improve the lives of women around the world...in what capacity this will be, I have no idea...but that is the dream that is taking shape :)
(Unfortunately my friend A. and I are cut out of the photo...we are the 2 closest to the camera!)
In the end there were about 10-12 of us, and I think only 3 were American! There were several other Canadians (Hello, Canmore AB!), a bunch of Europeans. We met at the Central Market and then went a local restaurant which fed us a DELICIOUS all-you-can-eat dinner of assemble-your-own rice wraps with greens, BBQed pork, egg omelets, spring rolls, and mouthwatering peanut sauce. I was a happy, happy camper.
The best part, though, was the massive collection of strangers (most people only knew one other person at the beginning of the meal) who all sat down together and enjoyed each others company for several hours! Traveling really brings people together....its funny how you can just have that one thing in common, and soon you feel like you've been friends forever!
I have been enjoying my new British friend's company since my first evening in Hoi An (we spent all day together yesterday), and I met another girl at this dinner from California who was really cool, and the three of us just got along so well- what a treat! I get such a boost when I find friends along the way, because I actually don't usually like hanging out by myself!!
As per Thanksgiving tradition, we went around the table saying something we were thankful for. Health, safety, and new travel friends featured heavily, and I too am thankful for these things. But for myself, I said I was thankful for being lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel.
Having met so many local women my age has made me aware of the privileges of my circumstances. Having been born into the advantages that are innate to being a middle-class Canadian have enabled me to be financially independent, and enabled me to travel in so many more subtle ways (different expectations of women, education, opportunity, independence, even support and encouragement from peers, etc). Many women around the world do not have these priviledges. I spoke with a tailor yesterday who is my age...she learned the trade from her mother and has worked since age 18, long hours, no days off, and she is also raising a family. She has never had the opportunity or means to travel, and probably never will.
I feel incredibly lucky to have the life that I do, and I never want to take it for granted. I am trying to make the most of these next few months before I buckle down to work hard at my job and my future schooling, and I hope that one day I can put my education and privileges to work to improve the lives of women around the world...in what capacity this will be, I have no idea...but that is the dream that is taking shape :)
(Unfortunately my friend A. and I are cut out of the photo...we are the 2 closest to the camera!)
Friday, 13 November 2015
Farewell, Cambodia!
I've been wandering through the land of all things Khmer for 2 weeks now! Starting in Siem Reap for a sunrise at Angkor Wat (of course), I had some adventures taking a "direct" bus to Kampong Cham for one night as a pit stop on my way to the riverside town of Kratie to see the rare Irrawaddy dolphins, and then moved on to the mountains and jungles of the Eastern border in Sen Monorom. After some time there enjoying the cooler climate and green space, I finished up my last couple days here in the hustling, bustling capital city of Phnom Pehn.
I'm sure other travelers will chastise me for passing up the entire South coast, but in my defense the next 2 week's weather forecast is rain, rain, rain...and I will get plenty of beach time elsewhere, I'm sure.
Some highlights from Cambodia include:
-Angkor Wat & Ta Prohm temples: so beautiful and a dream come true.
-Accidentally missing a turn on our way back from Angkor Wat, and ending up cycling madly though the insane trafffic on Siem Reap's main street. Adrenaline rush!
-Meeting a very kind and helpful Cambodian teacher on the bus to Kampong Cham, and chatting with him about all things Cambodia.
-Trying all sorts of delicious foods, like Amok, Banana Flower Salad, spicy stir-fried frog, random street foods, fruit shakes, curries, and a traditional stew made inside a bamboo stalk over a fire!
-Riding on the back of a motorbike taxi through tiny villages- beautiful scenery, and so much fun! Now I want a motorbike :)
-Meeting some elephants at a wildlife sanctuary in Sen Monorom! They were amazing, and I feel so lucky to have been able to get up close and personal with them!
-Visiting the Daughters of Cambodia Visitor Center in Phnom Pehn, a really awesome NGO which enables girls to leave the sex trade and regain control and dignity in their lives! It was really cool, and I spent a long time there, getting my feet pampered in their spa, eating and drinking delicious things in their cafe, and making a few purchases of their handmade goods in the shop!
-And of course, my very favorite thing about traveling (ok, maybe tied with the food...): I have met some seriously wonderful people and made friends from all over the world. Its crazy that you can just spend a few hours or days with someone and connect so well, because you have a common interest and love of traveling. But this is the thing I look forward to most, and that really makes traveling the best ever. And I just realized I need to start taking more photos of these people! haha :)
On that note, I'm looking into "couchsurfing: round 2" for my stay in Ho Chi Minh City...hoping somethings works out!
So ya...onward to Vietnam tomorrow morning! Wahoo!
I'm sure other travelers will chastise me for passing up the entire South coast, but in my defense the next 2 week's weather forecast is rain, rain, rain...and I will get plenty of beach time elsewhere, I'm sure.
Some highlights from Cambodia include:
-Angkor Wat & Ta Prohm temples: so beautiful and a dream come true.
-Accidentally missing a turn on our way back from Angkor Wat, and ending up cycling madly though the insane trafffic on Siem Reap's main street. Adrenaline rush!
-Meeting a very kind and helpful Cambodian teacher on the bus to Kampong Cham, and chatting with him about all things Cambodia.
-Trying all sorts of delicious foods, like Amok, Banana Flower Salad, spicy stir-fried frog, random street foods, fruit shakes, curries, and a traditional stew made inside a bamboo stalk over a fire!
-Riding on the back of a motorbike taxi through tiny villages- beautiful scenery, and so much fun! Now I want a motorbike :)
-Meeting some elephants at a wildlife sanctuary in Sen Monorom! They were amazing, and I feel so lucky to have been able to get up close and personal with them!
-Visiting the Daughters of Cambodia Visitor Center in Phnom Pehn, a really awesome NGO which enables girls to leave the sex trade and regain control and dignity in their lives! It was really cool, and I spent a long time there, getting my feet pampered in their spa, eating and drinking delicious things in their cafe, and making a few purchases of their handmade goods in the shop!
-And of course, my very favorite thing about traveling (ok, maybe tied with the food...): I have met some seriously wonderful people and made friends from all over the world. Its crazy that you can just spend a few hours or days with someone and connect so well, because you have a common interest and love of traveling. But this is the thing I look forward to most, and that really makes traveling the best ever. And I just realized I need to start taking more photos of these people! haha :)
On that note, I'm looking into "couchsurfing: round 2" for my stay in Ho Chi Minh City...hoping somethings works out!
So ya...onward to Vietnam tomorrow morning! Wahoo!
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
Weekend Wonders
Where has the time gone??
I'm on my last week of volunteering/staying in Bangkok, and preparing to strike out on my own come Saturday. I can't believe how fast the last 3 weeks have flown by!
I've been much busier since the two other volunteers arrived, which has been nice. We have gone out exploring on a few nights, and spent our long weekend (last Friday was a holiday here...what the occason was is still a mystery) about an hours drive outside Bangkok (read: 2 hours for the whole trip, because it takes an hour to get anywhere in the city) at the historic UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ayutthaya. This was a good warm-up to starting the backpacking portion of my trip :)
I stayed in the cheapest room I could find, which was about 200 Thai Baht ($7.45 CAD). It was a private room, with a shared bathroom. Creaky floorboards, opaque plastic windows, and a small fan sitting on a plastic chair serving as the A/C lent it a rustic charm. The bed was big, fairly comfortable, and clean, so I was satisfied. The bathroom was sketchy as heck, and I spent very limited time there! haha!
I ate the street food served piping hot from the little pushcarts on the corner- delicious! - and drank SO much water, iced drinks, and coke...anything cold. It was ridiculously hot outside. As soon as I took a drink out of the cooler, it began to sweat almost as much as I was, and in a matter of minutes it's lukewarm, and then just plain warm and gross. So I guzzle while its chilly.
And heaven knows I needed hydration. Most people rent bikes or hire tuk tuks to get around Ayutthaya, but one of our party was nervous about riding a bike and tuk tuks get expensive fast, so we decided to walk! And since I was detirmined to get to a certain temple at the far reaches of the town, I continued walking long after the other girls turned back. It was an adventure, as my free tourist map was fairly useless, and I had to stop to ask for directions several times. But it was good. And a nice Thai lady on a motorbike saw me tootling along sweating up a storm, and stopped to offer me a free ride to the temple! I took her up on it, and got my first motorbike ride- what a thrill! I loved it! Once I'm out of Bangkok I think this will become a more regular occurance :)
I visited 3 temples in total, and they were all very beautiful. Wat Phra Mahathat was of special interest to me because it is the location of the intriguing Buddha head that is tangled up in tree roots. Its an image I've seen a few times, and its always appealed to me, so I wanted to see it for myself.
I guess I had never seen a picture with it next to a real person, to get the scale of it. For some reason I imagined it was this massive boulder of a sculture, locked in roots the thickness of a giant's arm. I was slightly taken aback to discover that in fact, the Buddha head is about the same size as mine, if not smaller, and could easily be missed if not for the crowd of tourists snapping selfies with it.
I was a little disappointed, but then realized how ridiculous my expectations were, and snapped my photo. I like it.
Next we visited Wat Pha Si Sanphet, which was cool, but very crowded with tourists, and also caters to the Elephant-riding crowd, which made me sad and a little peeved. I get that its cool and exciting to ride an elephant, but that doesn't make it ok. Especially when you can clearly see that they are being mistreated, ie: scars and marks on their bodies from the hooks the handlers use to control them.
After that point, my friends and I parted ways for the afternoon and I carried on to Wat Chai Wattanaram, which was my favorite! It was a bit further out = less crowded, and very well preserved. While not very large, I spent a fair amount of time wandering and taking photos, cuz that's how I roll. I even took a selfie! Gasp!
I finished the day with a quick trip to the local floating market, which I'm sure lacked authenticity, but was fun nonetheless. Again, not what I expected, but it was interesting to look around.
On Sunday, back in Bangkok, I visited the Jim Thompson House (pretty, if not really as interesting as I'd hoped), and took a Thai cooking class! We learned about some of the key ingredients while shopping at a local market, prepared each dish separately, cooked, and ate! It was fantastic and we had a lovely chef to guide us. I walked out with a small recipe book I am very excited to use!
Now, I am back to work at the Fatima Center for the rest of the week, and then I carry on to Siem Reap, Cambodia on Saturday! Wish me luck at the hectic Poiphet border crossing!
As always, more photos & anecdotes can be found on my instagram, jllkc79, or #jillgoesbackpacking.
I'm on my last week of volunteering/staying in Bangkok, and preparing to strike out on my own come Saturday. I can't believe how fast the last 3 weeks have flown by!
I've been much busier since the two other volunteers arrived, which has been nice. We have gone out exploring on a few nights, and spent our long weekend (last Friday was a holiday here...what the occason was is still a mystery) about an hours drive outside Bangkok (read: 2 hours for the whole trip, because it takes an hour to get anywhere in the city) at the historic UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ayutthaya. This was a good warm-up to starting the backpacking portion of my trip :)
 |
| Checking out some ruins at sunset on my first night in Ayutthaya |
I stayed in the cheapest room I could find, which was about 200 Thai Baht ($7.45 CAD). It was a private room, with a shared bathroom. Creaky floorboards, opaque plastic windows, and a small fan sitting on a plastic chair serving as the A/C lent it a rustic charm. The bed was big, fairly comfortable, and clean, so I was satisfied. The bathroom was sketchy as heck, and I spent very limited time there! haha!
I ate the street food served piping hot from the little pushcarts on the corner- delicious! - and drank SO much water, iced drinks, and coke...anything cold. It was ridiculously hot outside. As soon as I took a drink out of the cooler, it began to sweat almost as much as I was, and in a matter of minutes it's lukewarm, and then just plain warm and gross. So I guzzle while its chilly.
And heaven knows I needed hydration. Most people rent bikes or hire tuk tuks to get around Ayutthaya, but one of our party was nervous about riding a bike and tuk tuks get expensive fast, so we decided to walk! And since I was detirmined to get to a certain temple at the far reaches of the town, I continued walking long after the other girls turned back. It was an adventure, as my free tourist map was fairly useless, and I had to stop to ask for directions several times. But it was good. And a nice Thai lady on a motorbike saw me tootling along sweating up a storm, and stopped to offer me a free ride to the temple! I took her up on it, and got my first motorbike ride- what a thrill! I loved it! Once I'm out of Bangkok I think this will become a more regular occurance :)
I visited 3 temples in total, and they were all very beautiful. Wat Phra Mahathat was of special interest to me because it is the location of the intriguing Buddha head that is tangled up in tree roots. Its an image I've seen a few times, and its always appealed to me, so I wanted to see it for myself.
I guess I had never seen a picture with it next to a real person, to get the scale of it. For some reason I imagined it was this massive boulder of a sculture, locked in roots the thickness of a giant's arm. I was slightly taken aback to discover that in fact, the Buddha head is about the same size as mine, if not smaller, and could easily be missed if not for the crowd of tourists snapping selfies with it.
I was a little disappointed, but then realized how ridiculous my expectations were, and snapped my photo. I like it.
Next we visited Wat Pha Si Sanphet, which was cool, but very crowded with tourists, and also caters to the Elephant-riding crowd, which made me sad and a little peeved. I get that its cool and exciting to ride an elephant, but that doesn't make it ok. Especially when you can clearly see that they are being mistreated, ie: scars and marks on their bodies from the hooks the handlers use to control them.
 |
| Despite sunscreen usage, I burnt to a crisp. Thanks to frequent application of Burt's Bees After Sun lotion, it turned to a tan. Hooray! |
I finished the day with a quick trip to the local floating market, which I'm sure lacked authenticity, but was fun nonetheless. Again, not what I expected, but it was interesting to look around.
On Sunday, back in Bangkok, I visited the Jim Thompson House (pretty, if not really as interesting as I'd hoped), and took a Thai cooking class! We learned about some of the key ingredients while shopping at a local market, prepared each dish separately, cooked, and ate! It was fantastic and we had a lovely chef to guide us. I walked out with a small recipe book I am very excited to use!
Now, I am back to work at the Fatima Center for the rest of the week, and then I carry on to Siem Reap, Cambodia on Saturday! Wish me luck at the hectic Poiphet border crossing!
As always, more photos & anecdotes can be found on my instagram, jllkc79, or #jillgoesbackpacking.
Sunday, 4 October 2015
The Big Bangkok
The weekend is nearly over...I begin my volunteer placement tomorrow! What have I been up to in the meantime?
1. Thai Language Lessons
It was less than a year ago I started my Spanish lessons with Proyecto Peru in Cusco...what the heck makes me think my brain is capable of learning another language now?? Well, its just part of the curriculum for one thing, but I also really enjoy it. Yes, its a struggle, and I tend to forget things immediately after hearing them, but learning a language really does make a huge impact on being able to absorb a culture and travel experience. Thai is fascinating, because it is a tonal language...one word can have several meanings depending on intonation. I struggled to get my "maa" sound right in order to say "I am from Canada", instead mistakenly saying "my dog is from Canada". The trouble is it all sounds the same to me...Its going to be interesting once I start braving the streets with my new-found vocab!
Fun fact: I blurted out "Gracias!" to my server at the restaurant. Apparently my brain has registered I'm in a foreign country, it just hasn't realized that Spanish is of no use here.
2. Tasting Thai Food
I'm sure you are all well aware of my love of food. Its one of the best reasons to travel! Yesterday the staff took me to a fancy Thai buffet to sample the country's cusine...it was wonderful! I really tried not to eat too much, but it seemed like there was always one more thing to try! How can one resist the tastebud-tempting flavors of coconut, ginger, lemongrass, sweet basil, lime, peanut, spicy chilies, and garlic? What is not to love? I've even gotten adventurous with seafood, sampling squid, mussels, prawns, and various fish. I still don't love it, but I'm giving it a fair chance.
I also tried some interesting beverages...there was a sweet coffee-like iced drink that I really liked, and today my new friends handed me a takeaway cup filled with ominously black liquid and weird jello-y tapioca filling. It wasn't terrible, and it was nice to sip on something cold, but I can't say I'm a fan.
The sweets have been interesting. I tried a warm vanilla-flavored soup with tapioca balls in it (also not a fave), sweetened baked pumpkin covered in a warm cinnamon-spiced coconut milk sauce which was surprisingly delicious, crispy sugar wafers filled with marshmallow and sweetened, deep-fried slivers of egg yolk, and a coconut macaroon-type square. Its nice that most things are prepared with a rice base so I don't have to worry about the gluten issue too much.
Fun fact: the staff were convinced I had told them I was allergic to "weed", not "wheat". It was a pretty hilarious moment when this misunderstanding came to light.
3. City Sight-seeing
Yesterday we visited the Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram Temple (I despair of ever being able to pronounce that), which was really beautiful. We even got really lucky, because it was the last day of a festival there, so it was an extra unique experience!
The 3 saff here at FFA are all locals, and practicing Buddhists (at some level, anyway), so they took part in some interesting rituals, including buying a beautiful bamboo "giftbasket" filled with fruit, rice, and water, attaching banknote, and then writing a prayer on a piece of paper to deceased family members. This prayer and basket are intended as offerings to the family member, and are given to a monk, who reads the prayer on behalf of the the giver, and takes the basket (which is then resold to the next person).
The other ritual was the purchase of some river snakes in a plastic bag, which are released back into the river after reading a specific prayer. The snakes are symbolic of good luck. You can also purchase small turtles on behalf of deceased family, or fish for protection against evil.
The festival also brought food vendors. Since we had just eaten, the most I tried was a free sample of a pork skin puff. Like a pork-flavored styrofoam peanut. Yum.
Today we did a different kind of sight-seeing...we visited some huge shopping malls! The Siam Paragon was massive, high-end, and elaborately designed. We quickly moved on to the smaller, cheaper nearby mall where I purchased some basic shoes that will be appropriate attire for my volunteer placement. I got my first glimpse of typical Thai tourist souveniers, and maybe its a good thing that I have no room in my backpack because I instantly wanted to garb myself in nothing but those infinitely comfortable-looking pants and dresses.
Fun Fact: both Cusco and here in Bangkok, the locals are so proud of their shopping malls and can't wait to show them off. Generally speaking, I try to avoid malls, and they are definitely not something I seek out when I want to experience a new country and culture. No matter where you go, malls all seem pretty much the same.
4. Sweating profusely
It is so hot here. So. Hot. Its like the entire city is a low-setting sauna...sweaty and humid. When I got off the plane and took my first breath of local un-air-conditioned oxygen, it felt like trying to inhale something solid. The heat is like a steaming wool blanket enveloping you at all times.
I am dying. And sticky. And my hair has gone completely feral.
Fun fact: the staff have been complaining of how cold it is, and they are wearing scarves and sweaters. All I want is to stand in the cold shower all day.
5. Getting Over Jetlag
My internal clock is slowly readjusting, but I've still been waking up around 3-4am, and feeling exceptionally weary at 6:30pm. Its going to take time. Jumping ahead 14 hours wreaks a little bit of havoc on a person.
Well, that's all for now! I'll check back after my first day of volunteering :)
1. Thai Language Lessons
It was less than a year ago I started my Spanish lessons with Proyecto Peru in Cusco...what the heck makes me think my brain is capable of learning another language now?? Well, its just part of the curriculum for one thing, but I also really enjoy it. Yes, its a struggle, and I tend to forget things immediately after hearing them, but learning a language really does make a huge impact on being able to absorb a culture and travel experience. Thai is fascinating, because it is a tonal language...one word can have several meanings depending on intonation. I struggled to get my "maa" sound right in order to say "I am from Canada", instead mistakenly saying "my dog is from Canada". The trouble is it all sounds the same to me...Its going to be interesting once I start braving the streets with my new-found vocab!
Fun fact: I blurted out "Gracias!" to my server at the restaurant. Apparently my brain has registered I'm in a foreign country, it just hasn't realized that Spanish is of no use here.
2. Tasting Thai Food
I'm sure you are all well aware of my love of food. Its one of the best reasons to travel! Yesterday the staff took me to a fancy Thai buffet to sample the country's cusine...it was wonderful! I really tried not to eat too much, but it seemed like there was always one more thing to try! How can one resist the tastebud-tempting flavors of coconut, ginger, lemongrass, sweet basil, lime, peanut, spicy chilies, and garlic? What is not to love? I've even gotten adventurous with seafood, sampling squid, mussels, prawns, and various fish. I still don't love it, but I'm giving it a fair chance.
I also tried some interesting beverages...there was a sweet coffee-like iced drink that I really liked, and today my new friends handed me a takeaway cup filled with ominously black liquid and weird jello-y tapioca filling. It wasn't terrible, and it was nice to sip on something cold, but I can't say I'm a fan.
The sweets have been interesting. I tried a warm vanilla-flavored soup with tapioca balls in it (also not a fave), sweetened baked pumpkin covered in a warm cinnamon-spiced coconut milk sauce which was surprisingly delicious, crispy sugar wafers filled with marshmallow and sweetened, deep-fried slivers of egg yolk, and a coconut macaroon-type square. Its nice that most things are prepared with a rice base so I don't have to worry about the gluten issue too much.
Fun fact: the staff were convinced I had told them I was allergic to "weed", not "wheat". It was a pretty hilarious moment when this misunderstanding came to light.
3. City Sight-seeing
Yesterday we visited the Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram Temple (I despair of ever being able to pronounce that), which was really beautiful. We even got really lucky, because it was the last day of a festival there, so it was an extra unique experience!
The 3 saff here at FFA are all locals, and practicing Buddhists (at some level, anyway), so they took part in some interesting rituals, including buying a beautiful bamboo "giftbasket" filled with fruit, rice, and water, attaching banknote, and then writing a prayer on a piece of paper to deceased family members. This prayer and basket are intended as offerings to the family member, and are given to a monk, who reads the prayer on behalf of the the giver, and takes the basket (which is then resold to the next person).
The other ritual was the purchase of some river snakes in a plastic bag, which are released back into the river after reading a specific prayer. The snakes are symbolic of good luck. You can also purchase small turtles on behalf of deceased family, or fish for protection against evil.
The festival also brought food vendors. Since we had just eaten, the most I tried was a free sample of a pork skin puff. Like a pork-flavored styrofoam peanut. Yum.
Today we did a different kind of sight-seeing...we visited some huge shopping malls! The Siam Paragon was massive, high-end, and elaborately designed. We quickly moved on to the smaller, cheaper nearby mall where I purchased some basic shoes that will be appropriate attire for my volunteer placement. I got my first glimpse of typical Thai tourist souveniers, and maybe its a good thing that I have no room in my backpack because I instantly wanted to garb myself in nothing but those infinitely comfortable-looking pants and dresses.
Fun Fact: both Cusco and here in Bangkok, the locals are so proud of their shopping malls and can't wait to show them off. Generally speaking, I try to avoid malls, and they are definitely not something I seek out when I want to experience a new country and culture. No matter where you go, malls all seem pretty much the same.
4. Sweating profusely
It is so hot here. So. Hot. Its like the entire city is a low-setting sauna...sweaty and humid. When I got off the plane and took my first breath of local un-air-conditioned oxygen, it felt like trying to inhale something solid. The heat is like a steaming wool blanket enveloping you at all times.
I am dying. And sticky. And my hair has gone completely feral.
Fun fact: the staff have been complaining of how cold it is, and they are wearing scarves and sweaters. All I want is to stand in the cold shower all day.
5. Getting Over Jetlag
My internal clock is slowly readjusting, but I've still been waking up around 3-4am, and feeling exceptionally weary at 6:30pm. Its going to take time. Jumping ahead 14 hours wreaks a little bit of havoc on a person.
Well, that's all for now! I'll check back after my first day of volunteering :)
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
8 Weeks of Tropical Living
So, what the heck am I doing in Venezuela?
I stumbled across Foundacion Aldeas de Paz (Peace Villages Foundation) website while googling volunteer opportunities in South America, and it appealed to me because it has an NGO Administration Internship program. Since I've been studying Sociology, I've been trying to figure out a potential career direction within that field, and this seemed like a cool way to explore one aspect. They also offer free Spanish classes, and it's in friggen Venezuela for Pete's sake! That sounded like an adventure to me!
So far, it's been a pretty neat-o experience, though off to a slow start. As it turns out, the social and political climate is kind of crappy in Venezuela right now, which makes it a sort of unappealing place for potential volunteers. This fact combined with some other drama that occurred in the previous months, means that I have arrived at a time when there are literally no other volunteers here! There are 2 guys on staff that are really nice, but I was expecting there to be a big community here and instead its just the three of us! The founder is not here either, as he is currently working on a project in the Dominican Republic. Since I¨m working in the office, its ok. I´ve been going through our old listings on different volunteer agency websites updating information, and doing some maintenance for the guesthouse. I think I will be able to keep busy, but it can get pretty quiet over here sometimes, especially since its a 2km walk to the town, which is not recommended to do alone.
So, its not really what I was expecting as far as meeting people, but on the plus side I´m hoping my Spanish will improve!
Some highlights and memorable moments include:
-the lovely warm weather! No alapca sweaters necessary!
-beautiful mountains and jungle
-delicious fresh fruit, including mangos from a tree on the grounds, and weird bananas we chopped down and then deep-fried with seasoning salt and garlic....sooo delicious!
-driving 20 minutes to cross the border into Brazil! We bought things like fresh milk, laundry soap, and chocolate...you literally can't buy these in Venezuela, they are just not available!
-an abundance of creepy crawlies, including a frog that jumped out of the toilet bowl after I flushed (causing confusion and outright terror/horror), a black moth the size of my hand, a cockroach under the cuttingboard, and my new roommate Oliver, a lizard, who watches over me while I sleep.
-Falling asleep to the sound of crickets and frogs, and waking up to the birds and monkeys.
-homemade arepas and empanadas...easy to make, and so tasty!
-eating a red ant in a spicy sauce...apparently this is a Venezuelan snack, but I will pass on it next time...
-watching a futbol game in town, and snapping some photos of the Carneval parade
It's been a pretty chill week for me, which has been kind of a nice way to adapt to a new surroundings. Cusco was kind of a warm-up to the real culture shock that comes with Venezuela. Things here are just completely different than at home, so its good that I´ve had time to get used to some of the different things about South America before plunging straight into this crazy place.
Obviously, one thing to get used to is the completely different concept of time. I simply accept that things will happen approximately an hour after they are scheduled to occur. Sometimes its more like 2 hours. Everything is done at a more leisurely pace, there is no rush. Everything takes a long time. For example, I was supposed to have a planning meeting when I arrived, but since I got there late in the week, we decided to do it "on Monday". Monday comes, and we plan for 2pm. At 2, it sounds like someone will be late, so we reschedule for 5. At 6pm, I realize its not going to happen, so we reschedule for 8am the next morning. The next morning at 8am, we are eating breakfast, so we finally get around to starting the meeting at 9am, and then one of the guys is distracted by the uneven table leg, so that has to get fixed before we can start...you get the idea. Things get done, but at a verrrry different pace. I´m actually embracing it, though I know its going to be rough when I throw myself back into a treeplanting camp and have to have meals ready on time! haha...
Getting used to the aforementioned creepy-crawlies takes a bit of effort. At least there haven´t been any spiders...yet.
There are a lot less tourists here in Santa Elena than in Cusco, so being white and speaking English makes me stand out even more than before. While in Peru I stood out as a tourist, here I´m more of a novelty. South American culture is very "macho", so guys tend to catcall and whistle at women a lot, and be very persistent when showing interest in girls. On my first morning here I joined one of the guys on staff to the morning market to do the grocery shopping, and I was quite surprised to find my blue eyes attracted a lot of attention from guys in the village...this is not something I am used to or very comfortable with! I am relieved that I decided to get rid of the platinum blonde hair before traveling. Its going to be an adjustment for me to get used to this part of the culture.
Things I am looking forward to:
I am planning on doing two different treks while I´m here, which I´ve heard are really, really good. Details to come (and maybe eventually photos!)
I am also putting some pressure on the guys to do some exploring on the weekends, because I want to see more of the country and get off the property once in a while! We´ll see how it goes :)
Until next time...
I stumbled across Foundacion Aldeas de Paz (Peace Villages Foundation) website while googling volunteer opportunities in South America, and it appealed to me because it has an NGO Administration Internship program. Since I've been studying Sociology, I've been trying to figure out a potential career direction within that field, and this seemed like a cool way to explore one aspect. They also offer free Spanish classes, and it's in friggen Venezuela for Pete's sake! That sounded like an adventure to me!
So far, it's been a pretty neat-o experience, though off to a slow start. As it turns out, the social and political climate is kind of crappy in Venezuela right now, which makes it a sort of unappealing place for potential volunteers. This fact combined with some other drama that occurred in the previous months, means that I have arrived at a time when there are literally no other volunteers here! There are 2 guys on staff that are really nice, but I was expecting there to be a big community here and instead its just the three of us! The founder is not here either, as he is currently working on a project in the Dominican Republic. Since I¨m working in the office, its ok. I´ve been going through our old listings on different volunteer agency websites updating information, and doing some maintenance for the guesthouse. I think I will be able to keep busy, but it can get pretty quiet over here sometimes, especially since its a 2km walk to the town, which is not recommended to do alone.
So, its not really what I was expecting as far as meeting people, but on the plus side I´m hoping my Spanish will improve!
Some highlights and memorable moments include:
-the lovely warm weather! No alapca sweaters necessary!
-beautiful mountains and jungle
-delicious fresh fruit, including mangos from a tree on the grounds, and weird bananas we chopped down and then deep-fried with seasoning salt and garlic....sooo delicious!
-driving 20 minutes to cross the border into Brazil! We bought things like fresh milk, laundry soap, and chocolate...you literally can't buy these in Venezuela, they are just not available!
-an abundance of creepy crawlies, including a frog that jumped out of the toilet bowl after I flushed (causing confusion and outright terror/horror), a black moth the size of my hand, a cockroach under the cuttingboard, and my new roommate Oliver, a lizard, who watches over me while I sleep.
-Falling asleep to the sound of crickets and frogs, and waking up to the birds and monkeys.
-homemade arepas and empanadas...easy to make, and so tasty!
-eating a red ant in a spicy sauce...apparently this is a Venezuelan snack, but I will pass on it next time...
-watching a futbol game in town, and snapping some photos of the Carneval parade
It's been a pretty chill week for me, which has been kind of a nice way to adapt to a new surroundings. Cusco was kind of a warm-up to the real culture shock that comes with Venezuela. Things here are just completely different than at home, so its good that I´ve had time to get used to some of the different things about South America before plunging straight into this crazy place.
Obviously, one thing to get used to is the completely different concept of time. I simply accept that things will happen approximately an hour after they are scheduled to occur. Sometimes its more like 2 hours. Everything is done at a more leisurely pace, there is no rush. Everything takes a long time. For example, I was supposed to have a planning meeting when I arrived, but since I got there late in the week, we decided to do it "on Monday". Monday comes, and we plan for 2pm. At 2, it sounds like someone will be late, so we reschedule for 5. At 6pm, I realize its not going to happen, so we reschedule for 8am the next morning. The next morning at 8am, we are eating breakfast, so we finally get around to starting the meeting at 9am, and then one of the guys is distracted by the uneven table leg, so that has to get fixed before we can start...you get the idea. Things get done, but at a verrrry different pace. I´m actually embracing it, though I know its going to be rough when I throw myself back into a treeplanting camp and have to have meals ready on time! haha...
Getting used to the aforementioned creepy-crawlies takes a bit of effort. At least there haven´t been any spiders...yet.
There are a lot less tourists here in Santa Elena than in Cusco, so being white and speaking English makes me stand out even more than before. While in Peru I stood out as a tourist, here I´m more of a novelty. South American culture is very "macho", so guys tend to catcall and whistle at women a lot, and be very persistent when showing interest in girls. On my first morning here I joined one of the guys on staff to the morning market to do the grocery shopping, and I was quite surprised to find my blue eyes attracted a lot of attention from guys in the village...this is not something I am used to or very comfortable with! I am relieved that I decided to get rid of the platinum blonde hair before traveling. Its going to be an adjustment for me to get used to this part of the culture.
Things I am looking forward to:
I am planning on doing two different treks while I´m here, which I´ve heard are really, really good. Details to come (and maybe eventually photos!)
I am also putting some pressure on the guys to do some exploring on the weekends, because I want to see more of the country and get off the property once in a while! We´ll see how it goes :)
Until next time...
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Only One Week Left in Peru...
Greetings, friends!
Despite the lack of blog updates, I am in fact still alive! Since I started volunteering after my Inca Trail trek my days have been very full of activity and time to write has been limited, to say the least.
Now I find myself once more at the end of a full and delightful day, with an early start awaiting me tomorrow...so I will keep this brief.
What have I been up to?
Well, I finally completed my Spanish lessons...I clocked approx. 100 hours, though that might be a bit of a stretch if you only count classtime...there were many "field trips" which was usually practicing conversation in a cafe, or browsing a market. Overall, I really enjoyed my classes at Proyecto Peru, and I know I learned a lot! Now I just need to do some studying to solidify what I've learned into my brain! The irregular verbs are the bane of my existence!
As previously mentioned, I've also been volunteering at an orphanage for girls. This was definitely a placement that was outside my comfort zone, but it has been a neat experience. I think it probably deserves a Blog post if it's own, so I won't say too much right now. This week is my last with them...In fact I leave Cusco a week from Tuesday! So crazy how fast time flies!
Last weekend I went with 3 other girls from the school to do a tour of Lake Titticaca, which was really alot of fun! We left late Friday night on a sleeper bus, complete with big comfortable reclining chairs, and arrived in the lakeside town of Puno at about 5am. From there we joined the rest of the tour group and hopped on a boat to visit the Uros' man-made "floating islands" (really incredible!), as well as a much largeer regular sort of island where we climbed some mountains/big hills, dressed in traditional clothing for a fiesta, and lodged with a local family for the night. The next day we visited another island after a bumpy ride on the choppy early-morning water, climbed another hill, ate fried trout for lunch, and then clambered down over 500 stairs to reach the Harbour to get back on the boat.
It took a couple hours to get back into Puno where we browsed some shops and bummed around in a cafe for a while. At an appropriate hour we visited a delightful restaurant in the Plaza which served me a delicious ceviche (fresh fish marinaded in lime juice, and slathered in some kind of cool, herby sauce...not cooked, btw! I'm getting more adventurous with seafood), and then back to the cafe for hot drinks. I had the opportunity there to Skype my family for the first time since I left at the end of December, which was really nice.
We departed Puno on another night bus, arriving back in Cusco in the week hours of the morning on The Monday. We tried to sleep once back at home with limited success! That was a rough day for Spanish lessons!
This weekend was much more chill. Yesterday my friend and I slept in after a late (fun) Friday night, and then spent the afternoon haggling in the markets, trying to get some souvenir shopping out of the way. A mouthwatering meal at "Korma Sutra" curry house, and a fruity pisco cocktail at the Pisco Museum with some friends completed the day.
Today we visited some little-known, untouristed ruins about an hours walk from our homestay. It was a gorgeous sunny day, a steep climb, and a refreshing break from the bustling busy city and tourist crowds. Afterwards we made ourselves some lunch (avocados here are just infinity x better than at home....it's not fair), chilled out, and went to the "cine" to watch "unbreakable"...In English, with Spanish subtitles :)
Tomorrow the plan includes volunteering, getting my mullet cut off, (yes, one of the many perils of the pixie cut is growing it out often results in a horrific mullet), doing laundry, and visiting the Inka Museum! Not sure what the rest of the week will hold, but I'm organizing a group to visit some sights in the sacred valley next Saturday! Hopefully I'll have time to put up another post soon!
Adios for now!
Despite the lack of blog updates, I am in fact still alive! Since I started volunteering after my Inca Trail trek my days have been very full of activity and time to write has been limited, to say the least.
Now I find myself once more at the end of a full and delightful day, with an early start awaiting me tomorrow...so I will keep this brief.
What have I been up to?
Well, I finally completed my Spanish lessons...I clocked approx. 100 hours, though that might be a bit of a stretch if you only count classtime...there were many "field trips" which was usually practicing conversation in a cafe, or browsing a market. Overall, I really enjoyed my classes at Proyecto Peru, and I know I learned a lot! Now I just need to do some studying to solidify what I've learned into my brain! The irregular verbs are the bane of my existence!
As previously mentioned, I've also been volunteering at an orphanage for girls. This was definitely a placement that was outside my comfort zone, but it has been a neat experience. I think it probably deserves a Blog post if it's own, so I won't say too much right now. This week is my last with them...In fact I leave Cusco a week from Tuesday! So crazy how fast time flies!
Last weekend I went with 3 other girls from the school to do a tour of Lake Titticaca, which was really alot of fun! We left late Friday night on a sleeper bus, complete with big comfortable reclining chairs, and arrived in the lakeside town of Puno at about 5am. From there we joined the rest of the tour group and hopped on a boat to visit the Uros' man-made "floating islands" (really incredible!), as well as a much largeer regular sort of island where we climbed some mountains/big hills, dressed in traditional clothing for a fiesta, and lodged with a local family for the night. The next day we visited another island after a bumpy ride on the choppy early-morning water, climbed another hill, ate fried trout for lunch, and then clambered down over 500 stairs to reach the Harbour to get back on the boat.
It took a couple hours to get back into Puno where we browsed some shops and bummed around in a cafe for a while. At an appropriate hour we visited a delightful restaurant in the Plaza which served me a delicious ceviche (fresh fish marinaded in lime juice, and slathered in some kind of cool, herby sauce...not cooked, btw! I'm getting more adventurous with seafood), and then back to the cafe for hot drinks. I had the opportunity there to Skype my family for the first time since I left at the end of December, which was really nice.
We departed Puno on another night bus, arriving back in Cusco in the week hours of the morning on The Monday. We tried to sleep once back at home with limited success! That was a rough day for Spanish lessons!
This weekend was much more chill. Yesterday my friend and I slept in after a late (fun) Friday night, and then spent the afternoon haggling in the markets, trying to get some souvenir shopping out of the way. A mouthwatering meal at "Korma Sutra" curry house, and a fruity pisco cocktail at the Pisco Museum with some friends completed the day.
Today we visited some little-known, untouristed ruins about an hours walk from our homestay. It was a gorgeous sunny day, a steep climb, and a refreshing break from the bustling busy city and tourist crowds. Afterwards we made ourselves some lunch (avocados here are just infinity x better than at home....it's not fair), chilled out, and went to the "cine" to watch "unbreakable"...In English, with Spanish subtitles :)
Tomorrow the plan includes volunteering, getting my mullet cut off, (yes, one of the many perils of the pixie cut is growing it out often results in a horrific mullet), doing laundry, and visiting the Inka Museum! Not sure what the rest of the week will hold, but I'm organizing a group to visit some sights in the sacred valley next Saturday! Hopefully I'll have time to put up another post soon!
Adios for now!
Friday, 2 January 2015
Saturday, 20 December 2014
Newfie Land
From North Sydney, Nova Scotia, we drove the trusty Grand Prix onto the ferry for a very expensive 5 hour crossing to Port Au Basques, Newfoundland.
In Corner Brook we stopped at the Crown & Moose pub for dinner. Though I've always been resistant to seafood, I decided that it was important to try the local cuisine: Classic fish n chips made gluten free without the battering of the fish..haha. But it was delicious! I was impressed with everything but the mushy discolored veggies. We learned that fresh veggies are really not all that fresh in Newfoundland, and they can be pretty expensive too!
Gros Morne National Park promised an epic hike, but delivered an easy boardwalk.
It was still beautiful!
We had a beautiful day for photos and exploring the outdoors!
For a hefty price (we were not willing to pay) you can ride the ferry out to the cliffs for an amazing view.
It was the picture-perfect Newfoundland site, so we were really embarrassingly touristy and jumped out of the car from some photo ops.
Next stop was a pull-out on our way to Rocky Harbour. We walked down to the beach to explore and dip our toes in the Atlantic!
These red chairs were everywhere!
We stopped in Rocky Harbour for a bite to eat. It was a little more touristy, but still cute.
We headed in the direction of Gander that evening, stopping along the highway at sunset.
Fly fishers were out enjoying the beautiful weather.
Fly fishers were out enjoying the beautiful weather.
Katharina and Mal both had fancy schmancy cameras and a good eye for photography.
This beautiful beach was so calm and peaceful in the morning.
A community dock.
Rugged Newfoundland scenery along the highway on the way to St. John's.
It was so fun to see the "Jellybean Houses" downtown St. John's!
They really reminded me of Ireland, though you'd never see an SUV there ;)
This house was unreal ugly...but awesome!
We spent quite a lot of time in the downtown center, browsing the shops, eating, and sight-seeing.
In the evening we decided to hit up the (in)famous George Street...a tiny section tucked away in a far corner of the city dedicated entirely to bars and clubs!
We decided it was imperative to our Canadian experience to be officially "Screeched In", so we popped into O' Reilly's Irish pub for a couple of drinks and asked one of the servers to perform the ceremony for us! What is involved, you ask? In order for it to be official you need a Newfie to preside over the following: you must kiss a cod fish, recite the Newfie's creed, and take a shot of Screech rum. The order of events may vary.
This horrifying specimen had been frozen specifically to render this service to ridiculous tourists such as myself. I had flashbacks to the revolting tradition of kissing the Blarney stone.
The Newfie's Creed goes something like this...you are asked, "Are ye a Screecher?" and you must answer,
"'Deed I is, me ol' cock! And long may yer big jib draw!"
Simple, right? WRONG. At the time it was quite difficult to remember and say. Hmmm...
However, three of us completed the ceremony and I have the certificate to prove it!
We're honorary Newfies!
We're honorary Newfies!
To celebrate our accomplishments we wandered to the Karaoke Kops, where Mal impressed the staff with her rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", and we all enjoyed a few duets from Kat and Mal. I almost, almost considered busting out some Backstreet Boys "I Want it That Way", but even Screech rum has its limits.
The best part of the evening definitely came in the form of gluten-free pulled pork poutine from Smoke's Poutinerie. Ever since I missed out on the Montreal Poutine experience, I had been craving some good ol' fries, gravy, and cheese curds. Smoke's Triple Pork Poutine was even better than I could ever have imagined! I unabashedly admit to devouring the entire portion.
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