Vang Vieng

Arriving in Vang Vieng feeling exhausted and ready to pass out-we take a tuk tuk to the center and I take the tuk tuk to my guesthouse of choice, The Otherside guest house.  I read about it on www.travelfish.org, which is a great sight dedicated to Southeast Asia traveling.  I get to the restaurant and am picked up by a nice kid on a bike who says he will take me to the bungalows.  We go over two wooden bridges to “The Other Side” and it is perfect.  We get off the bike and Shy says, “Welcome to my bungalow, I hope you enjoy.”  A bunch of bungalows with your own private bathroom and cabana outside for again 30, 000 kip per night, which is $3.50 USD.   

Vang Vieng is known for its tubing and partying. A bunch of backpackers stop here and go tubing while getting drunk going down the river.  Heaps and heaps of Australians,German, French, and more.   They play Friends, Family guy, and Simpsons episodes in the restaurant and have couch areas to sit in while you eat pizza and drink beer.  This is the complete opposite of what I am looking for, but it is popular destination and on my travel route south.   And again, one does not have to participate in these activities.  By staying away from the tourists and  renting a bike you enjoy the simple beauty and explore the villages outside. 

What does Vang Vieng offer?

It has beautiful scenery with mountains and hills ,the people are lovely-not so pushy like Luang Prabang, kayaking, trekking, and caving as well.  It is expensive and annoying to do the tours, but they have an awesome package to do caving, trekking, cliff jumping, and kayaking all in one. I love the outdoors sports, but am always budgeting everything I spend.  Most things can be done on your own, but sometimes it is just easier when the planning/itinerary is all set up and done for you.

Biking through the hay with the cows, pigs, and roosters into caves. The scenery just gets more and more beautiful throughout the day.  Leaving Vieng Vang, another gorgeous bus ride leaving at 5pm perfect sunset time. Cows kept getting in the way of the bus while we passed through villages. 

Real people doing REAL things: bathing, cutting wood, chopping up meat, riding bicycles, transporting goods, a birthday party with a family all standing around a cake.  The bus is bittersweet.  You see the most amazing sunset and REAL moments, but it is super rocky as the roads are horrible.  It is worth it to open up your eyes and look out the window and see right into people’s lives.  Going through the villages whether with bus, foot, or bike is one of my most favorite things.  I would really like to stay overnight with a family, which my friend went trekking with guide for $15 a day.  We will see if that happens this trip-if not this trip in Laos next time....

                                            When there is a will, there is always a way

Drive from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng

 was not even prepared for the beautifully scenic drive sitting front seat in a mini van.  The whole thing was breath taking. I was trying to ask what mountain it was and how high up we were, but it was difficulty communicating with the driver.  He was quite adorable though-simply happy.  He stopped on the side of the road to get a bunch of bananas.  He was sitting and eating the bananas as he looked out his window to the beauty beneath him.   

I sat with my IPOD playing Coldplay, Dave Matthews, and some good roadside beats.  We just kept going up higher and higher into the hills passing villages and many Kodak moments.  Children laughing and always doing something cute as you pass by them.  We passed by a family party and I wanted to stop and join the fun.

The sun began to set at 5:00pm and I just sat and watched the most beautiful sunset I think I have ever seen.  The sun was setting so deep in the mountains  and it looked just like a post card.  At that moment, I felt so blessed to BE ALIVE.  Chills ran down my spine as I felt his spirit present with me as I spent an intimate moment with nature-the sun, the mountains, the wind and the trees.

As I looked at the many villages of people, living simply happy in hills away from big cities and away from materialism., I thought to myself “ I want to be poor.”  It was an interesting moment for me because I was not sure where that thought came from.  When I thought about it, I realized it came from what I saw in front of me from the beginning of this trip.  People who do not have much, but they are happy as could be.  These people maybe financially poor, but in their spirits, hopes, and life they are wealthy beyond belief.  They do not have the fanciest toys, foods, cars, or electronics, but they are able to live in a real way.  A real way that creates real values of love, unity, strength, and compassion. On the sides of these mountains,    I saw many kids and adults carrying big sacks and bags up the hills.  They have such real labor that they have to complete and I have never heard them complain about it.  Granted I do not speak Laos- my point should be understood.

The only negative part to that drive and to basically any drive in Laos is the ROADS.  The roads in Laos are the worst I have seen. They are constantly curving with huge pot holes and random breaks in the road.  After you drive for a few hours, you feel like you have been beat up from the road especially when sitting in the front or back of a bus/van/car.   I was thinking I would have loved to take a motor bike, but I do not think I could handle the roads.  I give props to the driver for weaving back and forth from side to side and dodging cars to get us there on time.  I wish that simply happy man well in his life. 

Motor biking, Elephant Trekking, and Caving Adventures with my French Buddy

The great thing about staying in guesthouses or hostels, you meet many different people all the time.  The girl I met, Manuel, was from France and has been traveling for the past couple years.  She basically does what a lot of travel addicts do, which is go work for a bit, save up some money, and go travel.  They follow this routine for years and it works for them.  We wanted to do the same things without taking an expensive, touristy tour so we went by the best way-motor bike.

After some difficulty getting a good price on an automatic bike, we had to do manuel, which meant that I had to learn how to drive a manuel bike.  Manuel had experience driving manuel(ha) bikes so she did not mind doing the driving. 

Off we went driving to the Pekou Caves, which are 40 plus kilometers away.  Again, the drive was gorgeous. Locals on bikes stopped and asked us where we are from and we exchanged smiles and laughs.  We passed through the villages and stopped at the Whiskey Village where they make Lao Lao( a rice based whiskey), which is popular and so is the Beer Lao.  I saw an Owl tied up to a bench(random, but beautiful.) We got to the caves and there were many tourists buzz kill!  Inside were thousands of Buddhist statues that had been there for thousands of years.  It was pretty going up to upper part of the cave because less people were up there.  Inside the cave, it was so peaceful, dark like midnight, and not a sound inside.  I initiated and lead a meditation session for us and it was quite nice.  The drive and boat ride was very beautiful and I appreciated it.  I wanted to have some more serious caves, which are all over Laos so many more to see.

We drove back to the Southern side of town passing many kids on the street shouting Sawadee and smiling and soaking up the sun.  Did I mention already how much I love the motor bike?  It was bit bumpy and rocky getting there and we were getting antsy as we wanted to see the elephants.  I made up my song from Pink Martini, “Donde estas, donde estas elephantes, que paso que paso elephantes, te busque te busque elephantes.” With each turn on the road, I wanted to see them around the corner.  A few miles and still no elephants. 

We arrive at Elephant Village where they have the elephants hidden.  It is a beautiful place with pristine views horses, monkeys, and bird on the premises, but still no elephants.   We sit and take in the view while eating some bananas-feeling like a monkey eating all those bananas all the time.  We get directions to the Tae  Sak waterfall to go to a different more affordable elephant camp.  It is about 4pm and we rush over there with concern that we may not see any elephants if we do not hurry up.  We hop on the boat and  arrive to the other side with the waterfall and two beautiful elephants awaiting us. It was perfect as no tourists were there just the mamouts.  We make a deal for $120,000 kip  per elephant for an hour.  We were shooting for $100,000, but  his final was $120,000.  We did not even care at that point as we wanted to enjoy the elephants. 

We each had our own elephant and mine was 48 years old and her name was Pong.  Manuel had the younger elephant who was 27 I believe.  The instructor was explaining  stop “Hei” and go “Pie.”  His facial expressions were so happy as he was sitting and talking about the elephants.  As my elephant came first, I realized it did not have any straps or harness to hold onto and I was a bit scared.  The one elephant I ever went on was at the Orange County fair in California.  I went on for about five minutes and rode around in a circle, which my boyfriend was taking pictures. 

I hopped on with my mamout behind me who was very friendly and pulled me into place throughout our ride through the trees.  When I first hopped on Pong, I was exstatiic.  My friend Manuel kept saying, “You look so happy.” I was exstatic to finally be riding an elephant in my destination of Southeast asia.  Pong was quite the beautiful elephant and my favorite part was her ears and her trunk.  As we were riding through, my legs were touching the backs of her ears.  She kept stopping to eat and Mr.Mamout would tell her “Pie,” but most of the time she kept eating.  The mamouts were pretty nice to the elephants.  They did not have any sort of whip or harmful tool to get them to move.  And they kept petting the elephants. 

We were on for about 40 minutes while the sun was starting to set.  It was time for a bath for my elephant and of course I requested joining in on this activity.  Manuel was suppose to go on the same elephant with me, but she decided to stay back and watch.  So it was just me taking Pong down into the water.  It is crazy how steep the hills was and while you feel like you are going to fall, but you are on a 10,000 pound mammal
               Before........

The mamout hopped on the back at the bottom and off we went into the water slowly.  The elephant raises her trunk lifting me up into the air. With my body just above water and Pong fully into the water, the instructor shouts, “Keep holding the ears.” Pong begins to twist her trunk and I get pulled into the water.  I manage to hold onto her ears for about 20 seconds until I get thrown off and am pulled by the stream away from my dear pong.  I get back onto land and then jump back into the water to hop back on.  The mamout is pulling me up and I finally manage to get back up and hold on tight to the ears. 
                                                                      After.....

She does some minor twists and turns, but I keep balanced and stay on.  We take her back up the hill while the instructor is shooting all kinds of pictures with my camera.  I am so thankfull for him taking pictures and being so nice.  I actually feel bad for making a deal with him, but it was the price we heard from the locals and other people. 

Getting out I am completely soaked and it is mid sunset, which means time to get back on the motor bike because riding in the dark in Laos is not so fun.  I hop on the bike wearing wet pants and jacket with nothing underneath-I am basically asking to get sick, but who cares it was totally worth it. 

    Noone said it would be easy, but it is always worth it        

How much money??

1 USD= $8,000 KIP CURRENCY OF LAOS

I went to exchange my $100 travelers check to get Laos currency.  The Laos currency is $8,000 kip per $1 US dollar.  So I received 800,000 kip for $100. It is not like things cost 1000 kip. Everything is 10,000 or above and they are very aware of the exchange rate, but it is amazing how far the US dollar can take you.  Things in Laos are more expensive than Thailand about $1-$2.00 per dish of food.  $1 for a can of soda $1.50 for a baguette, $3-$54 for an authentic Lao meal. 

This seems cheap, but when you are traveling in Southeast asia and you start off paying less, you try to stay in that same bracket. This will be explained later in another post. 

Champasak Vilages and Temples

The real people of Laos are scattered all over, especially in the villages.  The villages across the Mekong river were amazing.  A farmer with his cows, kids walking what looked like miles to school, woman sewing bags and shirts,  and a man chopping up fresh beef.  It is real people doing real things do live.  It was nice talking and getting to know the locals.  I met a boy going to college in Luang Prabang, a guy who works in the finance building in Champasak, a mother with her baby, a father at the school, and a woman making ice pops for the kids.  It was interesting because I would not think a financial office would be in such a rural area, but I guess it was located there for a specific reason.

Taking my own off track hiking trail through the temples to the top, I ended up getting lost somehow and ended up with a hut and a bunch of cows-thankfully cows do not attack.  That would be scarey.  I was shouting Sabadee-hello to see if anyone could hear me.  I just kept running around trying to get out.  The thing is with Laos when the sun sets, it gets pitched black outside and there are absolutely no street lights.  So I was getting scared like a kid because I did not want to be stuck with the no lights and nowhere to go. 

I eventually stumbled upon a few monks starting a fire and performing ritual rites.  They pointed me back out to the Mekong River where the trail was and I was so thankful to see them.  I ended up at the top of the temple that I actually wanted to check out (another interesting way of my higher power leading me).  I stopped by the school and spent some time their with the kids and smiling with the parents. The kids were playing a game with a bean bag while blowing bubbles with some incredible gum.  The bubbles would stay big for a few minutes.  The lady outside was making popsicles for them by freezing soda.  These boys were playing and swinging like monkeys on the back of a tuk tuk.  A few girls all placed their hands out asking me for money.  A little boy kept following me and smiling and when leaving he brought me to his two little friends and we were practicing ninga kicks and playing around. They were so cute-I didn’t want to leave them.  I was thinking that I could be like Angelina Jolie and just adopt a bunch of kids from around the world ha!

 A Chicken and Avocado French baguette and the sunset while sitting in a hammock rocking around.  Around 7 pm, I went to have another meal of some Lao BBQ with a friend from my guest house as well and that was more than enough food.  It was hard because they could not really tell you what was what so I just focused on eating the seafood-it was delicious I must say! We ended up at the cutest bakery after enjoying some Lao Coffee- Joma Bakery. Lao coffee is good! Like Costa Rica coffee I enjoyed!

Joma Bakery is an Americanized Bakery, but has great selections of desserts and pies.  They even have a Thanksgiving sandwich. Sometimes those American traditions are nice to see when you are abroad-reminding you of home....

Donating Blood at Lao Red Cross

I found my destination of The Lao Red Cross where I wanted to stop and donate blood.  The little Laoatian nurses were so sweet, especially one named Pan.  She kept patting my shoulder and asking if I was okay. 

Like a little kid, I always enjoy the little juice boxes you get when donating.   I love the apple juice and animal crackers you get in the US.  In Lao, they give you a strawberry yogurt drink with a sponge cake.   They laid me down on a comfortable bed and three of them stood around me while I gave blood.  They kept smiling at me and made me feel so appreciated.  I asked if any tourists come in here to donate and they said, “No.” It is quite unfortunate because Laos is in need of blood donors.  I guess everywhere kind of is.  I received a cute little shirt for donating and a “Khop Jai” Thank you and off I went with my next move to be volunteering with school kids to teach English for a few hours. 

Volunteering Country to Country with Difficulty Going on to the Next....

My goal on this trip and in life is to be of service to others.

I have been volunteering for 10 years and working in social service for 5 years.  Since a young child, I have always had thoughts of going to India and giving my full self to the people.  I have done my fair share of engaging in superficial things that do not matter and rather it is important to extend my being and heart to the fullest. Working in social service is great, but I can always do more and that more comes in internationally. 

I am not by any means Mother Teresa, but I aspire to be someone like her by helping, educating, and inspiring others whether through a volunteer duty, a daily interaction, or a simple smile.  Her story and way of living is inspiring and helps remind me of how beautiful a person can really be, especially when connected with their higher power.

A Thai buddy from the flood had a shirt that said The Beauty of Giving.  There is unbeliavable beauty to giving and a sense of satisfaction in doing good.  Thanks to my mother for her spirt and love for people and my father(a doctor) who constantly helped others and had various initiatives and proposals to improve poverty in India while having a sense of humor and amazing heart.

It has been difficult going from one place to the next and not staying.  My volunteering in Bangkok could have went until the end of the year or until the flood ended and I feel a sense of loss and regret for not staying and continuing on the project.  In Laos, volunteering at the Sunshine school was available daily and a couple projects were in the works.  In Cambodia, Angkor Children's hospital always needs volunteers and would love to stay on. 

Priscilla can only be one place at one time and these decisions to stay and go are difficult.  Along with writing in my head all day long and not being able to keep up with it. 

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself     to  it. ~Buddha

Luang Prabang

After doing some www.travelfish.org research on volunteering and things to do I went off to rent a bicycle.  I rented a bike for $1 USD and went off happily to explore the village.   I was amazed at the beauty I saw in such poor conditions.  The kids were so cute as I stopped to dance with them and took some fun video.  The kids were also coming out of school leaving on their motor bikes.  It always amazes me how many people they can fit on a motor bike-the most I have seen is 6 people on one bike with the baby on the motorbike handle bars. 

The next destination was Phom Soi temple for sunset.  You go up the stairs with many Buddha statues and temples to arrive at a beautiful peak to watch the sunset.  Here it is:

After you leave the temple, the night market is all set up and the path leads you right into the night market(a very smart tourist trap idea).  Families are selling beautiful  crafts and kids look right into your eyes making you feel bad for not buying.  I find a guy painting mini painting on canvas and I buy one for $1 USD.  He is so polite and lovely and I wish I could buy the big Elephant canvas painting from him, but I stay disciplined with my spending.  All these collectible items are beautiful when you have a home, they do not make sense when you plan on infinitely traveling and moving around. 

I am excited about finding the vegetarian buffet. I stop and have these amazing coconut balls and then walk through to the vegetarian buffett with many vegetable platters, tofu, and noode/rice platters.  My wifey would love it! For 25,000($3 usd) you can get a fresh fish with the buffet.  A real fish with the eyes and everything.  I like these fish because they are fresh, but picking out the bones is a bit tideous. 

After that I am persuaded to buy an Oreo shake from an adorable kid.  Oreos and kids (two of my favorite things) so I buy one for $1.00.  He is so happy making it and I tell him what a great job he does making shakes-so cute.  After all this eating I go for a run and enjoy the cool night, breeze.  When I stopped to do my jumping in place, a group of boys came by and were imitating me jumping.  They started kicking and I started jump kicking to be cool and fit in with them ha! The one kid was pulling out all sorts of Kung fu karate moves that blew my little jump kicks out the park-precious!

Food in Laos

Food in Laos is similar to Thaiand, but not nearly as amazing as Thailand.  They have French baguettes with sandwiches and “pancakes”, which are basically crepes filled with sweets or meats.  The lao style barbeque consists of porks, chickens, fish, buffalo/pig, and more meats.  Many Lao dishes have fried rice pairing fried rice with green, red, or yellow curries.  Traditional Lao dishes are served with sticky rice consisting of pork, beef, chicken, or fish and cooked with mint leaves.  Sticky rice is always one of my favorite especially when served with fruit of pineapple or mango.  Laap is a Lao specialty consisting of minced pork or chicken with cabbage.  Fried basil leaves and fried garlic were my favorites.  Although, they were never  tasted fried, which is probably why I liked them .  Lao noodle soup is another basic speciality, which is especially good when you are not feeling 100 percent.  Tom Yum soup and phat thai are served as a staple in many restaurants as well

American breakfasts are usually offered in many of the restaurants-it is interesting how the portions of the American breakfasts are usually larger than the standard Lao breakfast with fried egg, rice, and fruit... 

Border Crossing Thailand to Laos

Luang Prabang

Arriving in Chiang Kong, we filled out our departure papers to leave Thailand. I guess you are suppose to hold onto your departure slip(as some girl from the Netherlands reminded me).  It was definitely a Freudian slip on my part as I really did not want to leave Thailand, but had to keep moving.  I told the customs officer I don’t want to leave and he said, “Aww you can come back in three days.”

Off on the boat we went to Huay Xai, which is the city you would stay over in normally if you took the boat.  I have read on some blogs that “It is a hole in the wall” city. As expected, I thought the whole in the wall was charming and cute and thought staying overnight would not have been bad at all. 

I find that it is difficult to listen to others, especially when you try to appreciate and find the good in everything when traveling. I do not call places “Hole in the walls” because those “Hole in the walls” are full of real people with homes and hearts.  It may not be the “best” of your travels, but that does not make it a hole in the wall.  People will not be happy traveling if they do not learn to appreciate the hidden treasures or simple things that are good about it.  Another girl I met was the same where she had something bad to say about everywhere she went, which those kinds of people take a different perspective on their traveling and while I appreciate their opinion, I choose to experience it on my own.  

Switching onto the VIP bus off to Luang Prabang, I was stuck with a group of annoying Americans behind me complaining about the bus and the road.  The roads in Laos are the worst so the constant swerves of the road were pretty bad, but keep your complaining to yourself or even write about it.  Overtime, my complaining continues to improve ,especially when I am alone-I just keep quiet and keep to myself.

We arrive at the bus station at 6 am and the sun is shining.  We hop on a tuk tuk into the city and it is the perfect time for sunrise.  Throughout my bus ride, I have been chatting with a nice girl from Switzerland who is studying abroad.  She looks just like my cousin, Laura, pretty and adorably cute.  She is heading to Laos for vacation before she goes to Bangkok to study for a semester.   As we pass through the streets, we see the Monks coming out for food.  At 6am, monks come out and are given food.  It is a very special moment I enjoyed viewing on and off the Tuk tuk. 

I headed around town looking for a guesthouse. Of course I wanted something quit and away from the tourists and found the perfect spot.  Female dormitory shared with two nice Thai girls for $30,000 per night, which is $3.50 per night.  The husband and wife are the owners and their daughter and son help run the guest house-right on the river and right in the center of town near everything.

For every tourist trap, there is a hidden treasure that lies ahead.

For every tourist trap, there is a hidden treasure that lies ahead- PRIS

When exploring, I find that the less touristy places are almost always the best.  The villages and small towns that are off track or not even on the map, the temples that are not in the guide book, and exploring natural beauty on your own.  Instead of letting the guide book guide you-create your own.  It is beautiful what you can stumble upon when getting "lost" or just biking away from the center of things and into reality. 

It  has been proven through my experience time and time again that tourist traps are not for me.   Many American tourists come from America-“the best country in the world” and they are like fish out of water.  They all stick together in their tours and stay at hotels/hostels and pay for overpriced packages because they do not know any better.  They are afraid to really explore by interacting with locals and “getting out of the safety zone.” This was previously discussed “the comfort, safety zone that America creates.” I often hear very ignorant comments and while they are traveling to a new place, they may leave with the same exact mentality/lense. 

We can not really blame Americans for their lack of cultural experience.  American culture is non -existent  compared to other real cultures around the world .  People grow up with trips to the Bahamas, Mexico, and cruises thinking that is traveling. Then they sit in resorts with more Americans and sip on overpriced drinks and over eat because they bought a package $2000 inclusive package with all you can eat and drink.  News flash-American food is overprocessed and leads you to health problems-stop eating Americans.  Take that $2000 and go backpack through India and see what it is really like to be hungry. 

If a person is not fully exploring the culture are they learning? Just eating the food and sightseeing is not what traveling is about.  It is about fully immersing yourself into the culture, taking risks, learning the language, being kind and understanding, listening for meaning, observing signs/symbols/cultural rites, and being aware. Take in the beauty of nature, the sunsets, the clouds, the mountains, daily activity people engage in, their behavior toward one another, ways to learn about their life, etc. The hidden treasures enhance my traveling and being and I am thankful for them.  

But everyone has different ways of traveling right? Being fascinated with human behavior, my experience may be a lot stronger and intimate than an average tourist and that is okay.  Perhaps American tourists could just think outside the box a bit more.  It may aid in more cultural learning and less ignorance. 

Walking around with your eyes wide open and your senses alive enhances your experience. PRIS

Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai Thailand to Luang Prabang Laos

November 22, 2011


It seems that all the magical moments from Thailand were all wrapped up into one city-Chiang Rai.  A mother picking up her daughter and smiling big, a man working in the fields, a woman riding on the street with her face and body fully covered to protect her from the sun.  The cutest little houses, shops, and temples.  A man rides his bike on the side of the road carrying a big sack of oranges and bananas.  A woman eats a bowl of soup while a baby sleeps at her feet.  Families in the back of trucks laughing and smiling with such joy.  It is indescribable what real life you see from the window of a bus or motorbiking through the villages-pure, untouched moments of living. 

You make me smile like the sun- Uncle Kracker

 You make me smile like the sun
Fall outta bed
Sing like a bird
Dizzy in my head
Spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold
Buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Oh, you make me smile

Even through windows, our smiles and hearts connect.  The greenest mountains and clear blue skies.  The yellow flowers and hills and locals picking fresh fruits from the trees.  If I had a professional camera, I could try and shoot all these amazing moments, but maybe they are just meant to be EXPERIENCED.  It is indescribable all the beauty I see-my heart is so connected.

All the cities we drove through, it is always hard to keep track especially when they all sound so similar Bang Dongs Chai, Bang Lao, Ba Chi, Ba Hui Xang, and many more....

Thank you for these precious moments in Thailand- I heart Thailand=)

Big Foot

When I was in the hospital in Chiang Mai getting my Rabies vaccine, I had to wait a little longer than usual in the waiting room.  It happened to be in the evening and I forgot the appointment sheet I was suppose to bring.  Sitting in the ER, you see many things that make you thank your higher power for being ALIVE -a man with a gun shot wound to his face, a woman with possible cancer vomiting excessively, the pain in a young girl’s face when being given her shot,  a 10 year old  in a wheel chair, and the man with the big feet.

This man was something I have seen in a text book or online.  I do not know what kind of illness/disease he had, but his feet and legs were excessively inflated(5-6 times the size of an average foot) with a green/yellowish color.   I had never seen anything like it and I just could not stop looking at it.  He was a white guy probably in his early to mid thirties and he looked like he was in such pain.  I just broke down and started crying and the nurse was comforting me.   I could not imagine having something like that and would never wish that upon anyone. This poor man must experience such pain and discomfort and who knows if it is a deadly illness?  He looked like he was just a traveler, like me, but who knows he could be living in Thailand.  Everyone just kept looking at him as they were trying to get him out of the bed to take him in a van to another location. 

A moment where I am thankful for being ALIVE.

I hope this man gets better and my thoughts and prayers are with him. 

PRIS

These legs are made for Walking

There is the song, “These boots are made for walking.” Well, "These legs are made for walking."   I am so thankful to be healthy and be able to be athletically fit to walk, run, hike and participate in many outdoor/sports activities.  I worked with children who may never walk in their life, who have severe cases of mental retardation preventing them from physical activity, or those sick and bed ridden.  
I have read a few books on heaven and a couple of my favorites are "90 minues and Heaven" and "God said Yes."  In both books, both individuals were in car accidents having to endure unbelievable amounts of pain and undergo numerous surgeries. Could you imagine having over 100 surgeries and still not being able to walk? Or having to urinate in a plastic bag for life? Or being 17 years old and have to be physically assisted from place to place? It is tough to imagine, but we can help them by utilizing the gifts we have been given.

When I was living in Astoria Queens New York, I saw a lady walk in front of my building in a wheel chair.  She looked deep into my eyes and connected with God's spirit within me.  I had been running and biking all summer, but was not sure about training for the half marathon.  At that moment, I decided I was going to run for that girl and I did run for her.  She was in my thoughts during the pouring rain and kept me going until the end.  Running and walking for causes is one of my favorite hobbies now and it feels good walking for those who can not. 
Next time, you think I am going to take the car or take a taxi-try walking.  Walk for your health, walk to explore a city, or walk to change your routine/schedule.  We were given two beautiful, healthy legs so lets use them!

There is nothing better than exploring with a motor bike!

The motor bike is a great way to explore almost any country.  It lets you be independent and explore hidden treasures on your own.  You see the beauty right in front of you without a window.  It is just you and the road with no one else ruining your experience, like annoying tourists.  You get to stop and chat with people on the road and they can help with directions.  It is exhilarating, breathtaking, and so much fun. I am thinking about a motor bike for Vietnam, but the only thing is the motor bike with a backpack is not the most ideal situation, but definitely can be done. With my sense of direction, it is best to go with another person.  I found an experienced motor biker on a blog site, but I think he left Vietnam.  A met a few mountain bikers who were biking through Southeast Asia and I guy at the Laos border who said, “A motor bike is the best and only way to go.”  I agree with him as I do not like the tour buses, but they make it difficult to take a local bus and double the time. 

With the discovery of my love for motorbikes, it is definitely a way I want to travel when being abroad.  Perhaps a motor bike for India-now that would be crazy, dangerous fun! Stay tuned for motorbike confessions friends!

Chiang Mai's Beautiful hands

The markets in Chiang Mai have stunning silver, embroidered bags, clothing, antiques, and 120 percent original.  Whether it is a soup or a necklace or sewing a new shirt-the hands are fully utilized. Their hands are in full use along with their hearts.  As they sew or make food, they do it with love.  Such beauty in fully utilizing what God gave you rather than being dependent on electronics or machines to do it for you.Keep spreading the love Chiang Mai-that is what makes it such an authentic experience.
                                                               

Jewel

"Hands"

If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I won't be made useless
I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
Poverty stole your golden shoes
It didn't steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But I knew it wasn't ever after
We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
I am never broken
In the end only kindness matters
In the end only kindness matters
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's mind
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's heart
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's eyes
We are God's hands
We are God's hands

Sunday Motor Biking to the Highest Spot in Thailand

Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain top of Thailand with the 2, 565 meters height above sea level it appears an amazing variety of natural resources including beautiful seas of clouds, evergreen tree forests coated with ferns, mosses, and orchids.  Doi Inthanon is a source of the River Ping, which has sustained the people of Chiang Mai for centuries and which generates the spectacular Mae Ya and Wachirathan waterfall.

We visited all the waterfalls-Mae Ya waterfall, Mae Klang waterfall, Sirithan waterfall, Siriphum waterfall, and Wachirathan waterfall. 

The day started off with Marlena, a girl I met from couch surfing, looking for a motor bike rental for me near Chiang Mai university.  I was concerned with it being 8am that many places would not be open and unfortunately we had to go to the city center aka tourist trap area to rent.  I stopped at Mr. Beer to rent my first motor bike ever.  The guy was not very friendly and gave me quick instructions how to ride it.  He showed me where how to brake and accelerate and as he was doing that I accelerated a bit too much and flew past him.  He shouted, “You ever ride bike?.” I said, “No, I drive car.”

“Ohhh car not same.”  “ You have accident, you buy bike.” I said, “Okay, okay no problem.”

He was the first person to raise their voice at me in Thailand-and hopefully the last.  I figured out how to brake and accelerate and basically how to drive a bike.  But  Mr. Beer made me very nervous and throughout the day I kept envisioning him shaking his head at me and saying, “You break, you buy.”

The way to Doi Inthanon was about 30 miles, hills, countryside, cows, and villages.  We stopped by a village that eats dog.  Arriving at Doi Inthanon, we stopped at our first waterfall.  To park, we had to go down hill and I was not exactly sure how to do that so I stopped and braked stopped and braked and stopped and braked.  A beautiful man selling bow and arrows was laughing and smiling at me. 

Here was our first waterfall Mae Kleng. 

Next stop was my favorite waterfall- Wachirathon waterfall.  The mist coming from the waterfall was cool and refreshing and the rainbow that you could see from any angle was stunning.  I wish we could have swimmed in this waterfall!

We had a nice lunch of Papaya Salad, Pom Theng, and Omelette with Rice.  Usually restaurants at tourist sites are expensive- lunch cost us $1.50 per person.  I am constantly amazed at how cheap things are and how amazing the food tastes. 

We continued on stopping at another waterfall and stopping at my favorite place-The Munk Village.  These people were so special and truly touched my hearts.  The kids were playing and smiling on the sides of the streets.  They were eating bananas and playing with sunflowers while saying hello  “Sawa-dee-ka.”  A woman sat in her hut cutting up meat with an axe, a woman sits bathing her child, a couple sells their handmade jewelry.  I just kept stopping to take in all the beautiful moments.  There were green houses in the hills along with many different kinds of animals-ox, cow, and pig. 

In the market, they sold fresh, dried fruit-kiwi, mango, strawberry, the white fruit that comes from Thailand, and tomatoes(my favorite).  The people were just lovely and their pronunciation of the fruit was adorable-strawwbrrees.  Beautiful babies and children were there playing underneath the tables or sitting bundled up with their parents.  The parents have such love/adoration for their children-it is truly beautiful to see. 

A man let us try some purple sweet potatoes and corn with a big smile of course. As we walk around, I had such an out of body experience, I felt like I was in a dream seeing such lovely, real people wearing their hearts on their sleeve.  All kinds of fruits, vegetables, and meats among lush, green hills, Truly incredible. 

                                           The most adorable family I met at the top of the mountain The little one

                                                                  with the hats name is Emmie

The sun was just beginning to set as we rode down the mountain going super fast and waiving our hands up the air shouting.  The breathtaking views could not even be photographed just experienced and kept in the memory. All the way down 2,000 plus meters…

Marlena was great company because she was just as happy and excited as me. When she would see a waterfall, her nonverbal expressions were overjoyed and thankful.   She is also from the US, but she has lived in Thailand for 2 years working with a family in a small village.  I asked her what she does and she said “Everything” anything from domestic tasks to getting prepared for school to teaching English.  She makes little money, but is as happy as could be.  It was wonderful being able to relate to her about the undesired socially constructed American life.  I would imagine that working in a village or extremely rural area gives you such a fresh perspective on life.  No electricity, no indoor plumbing, cooking your meals fresh everyday, and no unnecessary electronics.  The more time I can spend in the villages the better. It is inspring to see the beauty of giving yourself to others in an altruistic, caring manner.  Keep up the great work Marlena!

Dogs Are on the Attack Again!!!

Back up the hill by foot this time to my hosts house and passing by the Nescafe store sits a couple and two boys outside on the benches.  The road ahead splits two ways and I know which way to go this time=-to the left and then right.  It is too late because as I pass the benches, two dogs approach me and start barking loudly and get close to the bottom of my feet! I run up to a pick up truck in front of me and jump in the back.  The local people are laughing as they think it is funny.  I find that a lot of people laugh at me, which is wonderful, but not when I am having a dog panic attack! They keep barking and the owner is nowhere in site. I start shouting to get the dogs away from me as I am being a brat and do not want to get bitten again.  As I look down from the truck, I see one lassie looking dog and the other one is like a pit bull looking dog.  The pit bull dog is showing his teeth to me as he barks and I hold on tight to the side of the truck with a look of terror. 

There is the expression, ,”Dogs smell fear.”  Well the fear was written all over my face and they knew they had me scared.  The owner finally comes out and I tell her to bring the dogs inside so I can pass.  The dogs are not responding to her so she tries to distract them by throwing a bottle to the end of the road.  She throws it once and I do not think I have enough time to go.  She throws it again and I jump out quickly. The dogs see me and they come running towards me.  I then run up to a porch and climb up the pole to the stand on the ledge. She finally calls them again to go inside and I jump off running down the street to my hosts house.  A close call for Priscilla! Could you imagine if I got bit by a dog twice in one trip? Fewwwwww

Extra Attention for the American girl with the Dog Bite

Instead of leaving early for a hike, I decide to be responsible and go get the Rabies vaccine.  I do have travel insurance for a reason so I might as well use it.  I stop in the hospital and using my insurance is a big deal that takes 2 days so I decide to go to a public hospital- Maharaj.  Many of the hospitals have my last name in it-I took that as a sign to go the hospital-I am serious I did.

So i walked in and was immediately treated like a queen.  People were in front of me and the receptionist just skipped over them and asked me how she could help.  I felt bad for the other people waiting and quickly told her my situation.  Immediately she sent me in the ER where a nurse held my hand and told me, “Come madam sit down.” As I follow her instructions I lay down for about 30 seconds and up comes 15 interns and a doctor all staring at my dog bite.  This hospital was a student hospital, but it was actually one of the best in Northern Thailand so I followed my host’s recommendation.  Again, I speak slowly and clearly.  They just keep looking at me and smiling and laughing, which tends to be a common reaction when I start talking ha! The one guy keeps saying, “Hmm, yes, hmmm.” It is fascinating the way they all stare at the bite and then look at one another. 

The doctor is very sweet, kind, knowledgble , and speaks way better English than his interns. He tells me that the Center for Disease Control(CDC) recommends a series of five different shots.  I look at him and say, “Five really?” Not a good response I know, but I was in a bit of shock. 1, 3, 7, 21, and 28 days, Outside of Thailand, I have to go to Laos and Vietnam for shots? Not very thrilled about that at all and not to mention it just takes time from my trip. He says if I do the first three shots I should be ok. 

I ended up getting two shots at this hospital and have to do one more in Laos.  Oh I wish I could have recorded the little Dougie Houser’s of Maharaj and my little acting performance.  I give myself an A-!

Loi Kratong Festival Friday with My Host and his Family

With my dog bite, my host basically acts like a guy and says, “It is no big deal.” I do not have any pain and no bleeding from the bite and I feel okay so I kind of agree with him and decide to hold off until tomorrow to go to the hospital to get my shot.  I read that the sooner the better, but less than 24 hours is okay.  I was trying to not be typical Priscilla being paranoid about getting something or like American people who worry about every little thing, but it is hard because I grew up in super spoiled America!

Mink’s family consist of his sister, her husband, his niece and her husband.  They are adorable and speak very little English.  We watched the festival together and then stopped at a restaurant right on the river to watch the sky lanterns float up and away. It was quite magical and as Roberto said, “Romantic”, but no one to share that moment with boo!

                                                                 The Incredible Parade

I pick up some Thai words in the car and then randomly say them in a serious way “ Chai, Chai.” We joke about the subway stations in Bangkok, “Nana” and “Saladeng” station.  In the Thai language if you mis pronounce a syllable it changes the whole meaning of the word or they do not understand the word at all.  I picked up on this and tried to put emphasis on specific syllables like them, but it did not always work.  For instance, I would ask “How do I get to Saladeeng station? “ They would look at me like a I was speaking a foreign language and then I would try again, “Saladeeeng.” Eventually they would say, “Oh you mean Saladennnnggg.” This one kept happening and I thought it was pretty funny because I really thought I was saying it identical to them, but apparently not!

Me and my adorable host at dinner