Saturday, October 19, 2013

Two Weeks in Nepal

This is going to be a short post although it deserves to be long considering how much I loved the country. I was not planning on visiting Nepal but my good friend Nicole Meyers  had time to travel South/Southeast Asia so  we decided to meet here for a week.  My one week plan turned into two weeks when I discovered that I needed to stay in Nepal longer in order to get my Indian passport.  This ended up being a blessing in disguise because I wish I stayed even longer.


My one week with Nicole was so much fun. We had the exact same attitude about the trip which allowed us to immerse ourselves into the culture rather than just stick on the tourist trail.  The highlights to me were the festivals.  There is a joke that Nepal has more festivals than they do days in a year.  We were lucky enough to be there for two exciting festivals.  The first one was in a village called Bhaktapur where both Hindus and Buddhists were celebrating the "5 Buddhas."  There was a parade of people with 5 people dressed up in large Buddha costumes and villagers throwing rice and donating other treats. A few older women were so excited to see us participate that they had us sit with them and watch the procession go by.



The second festival was throughout all of Nepal and was called the "Women's festival".  This involved women dancing throughout the streets, fasting and going to the temple to pray for their husbands and sons (ironic).  We were in a village called Bandipur during one day of this festival and were lucky enough to be invited to one of the next door village's night ceremony.  The young girls dancing grabbed our hands and invited us to dance with them which was so much fun. A few days later in Kathmandu we went to the most sacred Hindu temple called Pashupatinath and watched thousands of women line up in beautiful red Saris to pray for their men.



Nicole and I did so many more things in that one week but I am behind on my blog posts and have limited amount of wifi so I will have to finish writing more about it later.

My second week in Nepal by myself was also amazing.  I had to spend a few days applying for my visa to India but I was able to do a 3 day hike around Kathmandu valley to a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery called Namo Buddha where I stayed for two nights.  The hike was just myself and a guide that I hired who I got along with really well.  The only downside to the hike was that all of the "view points" were completely cloudy so I could not see any of the Himalayan Mountain ranges.  My time at Namo Buddha was peaceful and wonderful.  The temple was quite modern but it was on a hill where you can get 360 degree view.  I was also able to eat all of my meals with the monks.  The highlight for me was on the second to last morning when I woke up for sunrise and was able to see a clear view of the Himilayan Mountains.  It was a magical moment and a perfect ending to my time in Nepal.




I think out of all of the countries I've visited on this trip Nepal is the one that I have the strongest desire to go back to.  I met so many people who were doing long treks to either the Everest base camp or the Annapurna range and I've decided that doing one of these treks is now on my bucket list.  Additionally, I think that Nepal was the perfect transition into India. There are many cultural similarities to India along with many Indians living there, but the people are calmer and everything is less intense.  

Two Weeks in Thailand with Mom!

The ten days with my Mom were unbelievable.  It was perfect timing, perfect weather, perfect places and just overall perfect mother-daughter bonding.  She took a veryyy long flight especially for just 10 days in Thailand but I think it was well worth it (and she surprisingly wasn't that jet lagged).  Seeing my Mom at the airport in Thailand was one of the greatest feelings.

After one night in Bangkok we took a flight to a beautiful island off of the east coast of Thailand called Ko Samui.  We spent one week at a resort called Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary which is pretty much closest thingto heaven on earth. We spent the week relaxing on the beautiful beach, enjoying the amazing view from our room, meditating, practicing yoga, eating delicious healthy food, getting massages and enjoying each others' company.  The staff were overwhelmingly kind and helpful and it was really tempting to spend the entire two weeks there-- we did not want to leave.  We only left the resort two times to do my laundry and get a really cheap Thai massage.  I really do still dream about this place. It was a huge change from the backpacking lifestyle I'd been living and I loved every second of it.





The next three days we spent at Khao Sok National Park in Southern Thailand.  I had loved it so much there when I went with Andrew and I thought it would be a great place to take my Mom.  The first night we stayed in a tree house in the jungle,saw monkeys swinging from the trees outside our place.  The next day we took a long tail boat to floating raft houses (different than the ones I stayed at last time).  We swam in the strikingly blue lake, went on a nature walk to a cave admired the beautiful natural scenery.






Our last day we spent in Bangkok.  I think my Mom must give off positive energy because people were particularly nice and friendly to us.  We visited the grand palace and other temples and took a boat ride through Bangkok's canals.  Overall the ten days were amazing although I think that no matter what we did we would have had a great time just being together.  It was a perfect mix of relaxation, nature and cultural.  It was sad to say goodbye to my Mom but I was also excited for the adventures ahead.



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Two Weeks in Myanmar

I can't explain how I was feeling the few days leading up to my first trip as a solo traveler but I will never forget those days and those feelings as long as I live.  This second half of my trip will be more of a challenge but I hope that it will make it that much more rewarding. 

Two Nights in Yangon
I spent two days in Bangkok planning the next two weeks in Myanmar, getting my visa and catching up on some things I'd been putting off (like blog posts).  I then boarded the plane to Myanmar which only took 1.5 hours but is the only way to get into the country.  I arrived in the airport and the guesthouse I was staying at had a driver waiting for me.  The guesthouses in Myanmar are pretty expensive compared to other countries since tourism is still somewhat new.  Ready to explore the city I grabbed my lonely planet and set off for a recommended Tea Shop around the corner.  Absolutely clueless I sat down and watched as a young boy placed several dishes of samosas, pastries and buns in front of me.  I ordered the traditional dish called Mohinga and drank some tea and then set off for the "Lonely Planet Walking Tour" suggested in the guidebook.  I walked around the city for about 2 and a half hours and maybe saw 3 other westerners total.  This is VERY different from my experiences in the other Southeastern countries where many cities are based on tourism.  The tour took me through the center of town where I saw interesting things such as the Sule Pagoda, the Indian district and the only synagogue in Myanmar which apparently serves the 45 Jews in the country.  One thing I found interesting when walking around the city was how diverse it is.  I couldn't tell what a "Burmese" person looks like because some people look Indian, some looked Chinese and some looked like a mix of both.



Around 5:00pm I went to the must-see in Yangon: Shwedagon Pagoda. It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for the Burmese and I think the most magnificent. It was fabulous to be there at sunset because I got to see it in the daylight and then lit up at nightime.  I could have stayed there for hours admiring the beauty and watching both ordinary Burmese citizens and devout monks pray and meditate.  It was a very serene place.



The next morning I walked to the ferry station to take a boat across the Yangon river to the countryside of Dalah.  While at the ferry station two young girls approached me and asked if they could show me around Dalah which they said is where they lived.  Since I was by myself I decided to take them up on their offer. One of the girls was 18 and she claimed her chosen English name was Jessica and the other girl was named Katy and only 14.  Both spoke excellent English and were extremely helpful and friendly.  When we got to Dalah we found a rickshaw driver to take us around (I think that Katy had a crush on him).  It was pretty expensive to hire the rickshaw driver for 1.5 hours and with all three of us on it it went pretty slow but it was still a great experience.  We first stopped at a local market where the girls put Thanaka, a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark. Most people wear some form of this because it is good for their skin and it is viewed as beautiful. The girls told me I have a "Myanmar face" and I think I tricked some people into thinking I was a local as I walked through the city later that day.  After touring around Dalah for a bit longer we took the ferry back because it started to rain.  It was a little uncomfortable tipping the girls because I think they felt I didn't tip them enough while I felt I had already paid too much for a 2 hour experience. I walked around people watching and ended the day with a dinner in the Chinese district.  Can't beat a whole grilled fish for $1.50!



The next day I walked to Kandawgi Lake and walked around the whole thing which took much longer than I expected.  There were some very nice restaurants around the lake and it was very well kept.  Since it was a Sunday I was lucky enough to see teenagers and young adults coupled up with umbrellas over their heads.  There were literally hundreds of couples surrounding the whole lake.  I had to head back to the guesthouse around three to get ready to take the night bus to a small town called Kalaw.


The two and a half days in Yangon were full of highs and lows.  Most of the time felt exhilarating and liberating but there were moments when I felt lonely and clueless.  Looking back I needed these first two days to just spend time with myself.  I had time to be aware of my feelings and accept them.  Being in a country full of Buddhism made this time of my life even more magical and allowed me to reflect on this new chapter of my travels.  These few challenging day also made the rest of my trip in Myanmar feel easy :)

Three Day Trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake
I was told by a friend who had just traveled in Myanmar by himself that the the easiest and fastest way to meet people is to sign up for a trek so I decided that would be my next move.  A very popular trek is a three day, two night trek from a small town called Kalaw to the very popular Inle Lake.  The night bus was an interesting experience because it dropped me off at Kalaw at 3:00am!  Thank god a couple was getting off at the same stop and had booked a guesthouse already so I followed them there and booked a room for the night.  I then woke up early and booked the trek through the guesthouse.  The first day there were 5 of us on the trek-- a Belgian couple, a French guy and a Spanish guy... it was a great group.  Our guide named Paul was a Nepalese guy who was so knowledgeable outgoing and very very funny.  Everything he said sounded like he was yelling but he knew how to speak all of the tribal languages which was very helpful as we passed through several different villages (who all speak different languages). The first day of trekking was not too difficult, had amazing views and gave us a really good glimpse of the countryside.  We spent the first night in a small village and the five of us ended the night with a bottle of whiskey.  The second day the two guys headed back to Kalaw and 5 other people met up with us for the rest of the trek. The second day was the hardest and longest.  It rained for a little but we got very lucky with the weather.  We spent the night at Buddhist monastery and were lucky enough to be there for the monastery's 56th birthday.  All night they prepared food for the next day (which was kind of annoying because it was very loud) but in the morning the whole village came to the monastery to celebrate.  All of the villagers took off work that day and we passed several people starting off the morning with some beer and rice wine. The last day wasn't too long or difficult of a hike but myself and the Belgian couple were starting to get very tired since we were the only three who actually did the complete trek. It was such a relief to finally reach Inle Lake.  I have done a decent amount of trekking while traveling but this was the first time I was actually trekking to a destination rather than in a loop-- it was a total of over 30 miles and felt very rewarding.




Three Nights in Inle Lake
Inle lake is the second largest lake in Myanmar and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.  It is famous for the exotic fishing styles, stilted houses and the floating gardens that are unfortunately compromising the sustainability of the lake. Our teek ended right at an entry point to Inle Lake so we all squished into a small boat and enjoyed the 1 hour ride to Nyaung Shwe, the popular section for tourists. I found a guesthouse, took a much needed long hot shower and then met the Belgian couple for some beers and pizza (we needed a break from Myanmar food).


The next day the Belgian couple and I deceived to explore the perimeter of the lake on bicycle. We cycled for about 5 hours passing local villages, many schools and some pagodas/temples. Our first main stop was a temple that apparently had the best view of the lake. After a tiring climb up many stairs we arrived at the top of the temple which had only mediocre views. We then had some lunch and hired a boat to take us and our bikes across the lake (the lake was too large to ride around the whole thing). We ended or bike ride at a winery (don't worry I didn't have any wine and there were no trains nearby). The winery had amazing views of the surrounds landscape and was very well run. The Belgian couple did a tiny wine tasting and I ordered some cheese and took a small bottle of wine to go (I've learned my lesson). The whole bike ride took about 5 hours and we got pretty lucky with the weather.




After getting back to town I ran into the French guy and Spansih guy that were on the first day of the trek. The three of us enjoyed the wine that I bought and then went to the small night market where there was delicious Shan noodles and skewers of different fish, meats an vegetables.


The last full day in Inle lake the five of us took a 7 hour boat tour of the lake-- a must do when visiting the area. The lake is so expansive that we weren't even able to go to all the way to the south end. Unfortunately our boat driver didn't speak an ounce of English and was not the most skilled driver but it was still enjoyable. The highlights were the floating gardens and the narrow canals which our driver was definitely uneasy about. We made a few stops where were able to see some ancient temples and amazing ruins which of course meant many tourist vendors.




Three Nights in Bagan
I took an early bus to Bagan and arrived around 5:00 pm. I decided to stay at an inexpensive yet popular guesthouse because I heard that it was a great place to meet fellow backpackers. This turned out to be a great decision because I met some wonderful people and was never alone my entire stay in Bagan.

Bagan, similar to Inle Lake, is one of the more touristy destinations of Myanmar.  There are not many Burmese who actually live in the center of Bagan (called Old Bagan), and the city's economy  is very much based around tourism. But this is understandable, because Bagan is a city that one cannot miss when visiting Myanmar.  During the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000  Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day. It's magnificence is compared to the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia. 

My first full day I spent with a really nice couple named Revy and Quentin (they have been travelling on and off for 6 years!).  We rented bicycles and leisurely explored the many temples and pagodas.  The larger temples were breathtaking but came with many tourists and.  My favorite temples were the smaller, quieter ones which often had secret  staircases which you could take to the roofs where you could get a better view of everything.  There is a very popular temple that hoards of tourists climb on for sunset, but we were able to find a temple a little further back which I think had an even better view and MUCH more privacy.  I sat on the very top step of the temple and while the sun set and felt like the queen of Bagan. 




The next day a bunch of us from the guesthouse decided to take aboat ride to a temple across a river which was high on a mountain and overlooked the entire city of Bagan.  The hike was pretty difficult because it was an hour of climbing stairs during the hotttest part of the day but the view at the top made it pretty worth it. On the boat ride back we stopped at a village in the middle of the river and were invited into a women's house for some snacks.  She spoke no English but had the most contagious laugh and smile.




After getting back to the mainland I realized that I lost my bike key during the hike to the temple.  Not wanting to retrace my steps I paid two local men a total of $2 to return my bicycle to my guesthouse (they carried it while on a motorbike).  This was a moment when I realized how amazing the people in Myanmar really are. It is the only place I have been where I did not question the integrity of these men.  I had no doubt in my mind that I could give them the money and the bike and that they would no doubt deliver my bike.


One Night in Pokoku
Instead of going straight from Bagan to Mandalay I decided it would be nice to stop at a random town in between the two cities to see a "less touristic" region. Revy and Quinten also decided to join we since they were on their way to Mandalay as well.  We spend the night in a city called Pokoku and a lovely guesthouse/home stay.  There were NO other tourists in this city and we received stares of curiosity and excitement from everyone on the streets.  The owner of the guesthouse made us a delicious homemade meal and we spent the day walking around and relazing  In the morning, the owner of the guesthouse put Thanaka on our faces and we received even more smiles and stares than before.


Three Nights in Mandalay
Myself, Revy and Quinten took a short bus ride to Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. We decided to stay at the cheapest guesthouse we could find which creepily reminded me of the hostel that Leonardo Dicaprio stayed at in the movie The Beach.  We spent the first day exploring the city on foot and eating some delicious food.

The next day we spent touring the city in a taxi.  Our taxi driver was extremely nice and helpful and loved talking to us about Buddhism which I was very happy to learn about. The highlights of the tour were watching the monks line up for lunch (although there were way too many obnoxious tourists there) and the U Bein bridge which is the lorgest teak bridge in the world.




Revy and Quinten left Mandalay the next but I luckily met some other nice tourists at my guesthouse to spend my last day with.  We were told by some locals that there was a "must see" festival going on about an hour and a half away from the city center.  Four of us hoped on one of the local buses (which was a fully packed pickup truck) and took the journey to the festival. We didn't know if we went at the wrong time, went to the wrong place, or just had the wrong expectations because the festival seemed more like a cheesy carnival.  It just seemed like tons of vendors selling cheap clothing, children toys and tonssss of sweets.  There was a Ferris wheel in the center where more people were climbing on and around the seats rather than sitting in them.  We also witnessed a man scam a whole group of people into thinking that he was going to do a magic trick when in reality he was just trying to take there money.




Myanmar Recap
My two weeks in Myanmar have definitely been  a highlight of my trip. The country is developing so rapidly that I do not think it will be the same a year from now.  The people are not yet annoyed by tourists-- they ares so excited that we are interested in coming to their country.  Myanmar feels untouched by western influence and the Buddhist culture creates a safe and magical atmosphere.  The people are really what makes the country so amazing and I really hope to visit again.