So our first week in our homestays is complete. How quickly did that go by? Too quickly. On the first day, as we met our families, I already knew I was going to love the village. There is one cobblestone path in the entire village. And all the houses are right on the edge of that beautiful path. The houses are more modern, unlike the thatched stilt hosues we have been acustomed to staying in. They have cement walls and floors, boards that open into windows, and tiled roofs. It's such an attractive town. And one of the reasons they keep it so nice is because it is a UNESCO world heritage sight. So the surrounding forest is kept pristine and lovely.
Lao culture is so relaxed. During the first few days in the homestay, I spent my days reading and writing for the most part. The pace is so much slower than in America or anywhere else I've been. It's quite nice. Life has gotten busier after those initial days. Now, nearly every morning, we go to the program house and the instructors conduct lessons for the first part of the day. W learn about the core values of Dragons. This week we've discussed gratitude and curiosity. And they giv us acitivites to deepen our understanding of those values. We also have Lao language lessons, which are so helpful for communicating with the family. I'm learning so much. But I still can only speak broken sentences. It can be overwhelming, but the family understands. One girl in the group did her main lesson, we each get a topic that we ned to study extensively and then share with the group, and she talked about dams on the Mekong. It was really interesting and a very hot topic in Laos at the moment, since it wants to become the battery of Southeat Asia. And today, one instructor gave a lesson on corruption in Laos. In the afternoons we go back to our homestay and relax. I practice my Lao with them, read, write, and work on my ISP. One day we went to a village that specializes in making pottery. It was beautiful work. And the guy, who has been working there nearly all his life, can make a vase in ten minutes. It's amazing to watch. After we went to see this waterful that turned out to be absolutely gorgeous. One night we went to a temple and chanted with the monks in Pali, the Buddhist language. We also did some meditation. Every night I watch Lao soaps with my sisters and my mom. The shows are ridiculous, but that's good for me because I can better understand from body language whats going on.
A little on my family: my father is about 67, and my mom is 63. They are retired and two of their children still live with them. Their two daughters, my sisters, are Mon and Kaek. One is 23 and the other is 17. My mom and dad also have a son who is 28 and lives in Vientiene, and a 27 years old daughter who lives across the river. I love my family. My mom is so cute and sweet. From her looks she can hardly be called a grandma. But everyone stays young looking here. My dad is a sweetheart, but you can tell he doesn't know what to do with himself yet because he just retired. My sisters are dancers and dance at the theatre in Luang Prabang every other night. I get to see all of their performances. It's traditional Lao dancing. Very cool. So home is pretty sweet. I've had so much good food. I get to bathe in the Mekong. The homestay is going so well.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Nam Seung River Project
The last five days have been spent in a very rural village across the river from Luang Prabang. There the group conducted a service project which consisted of painting racing boats and making paddles for the community. The village is known for its traditional boat races, and over the years the tradition has been dying. The community wants to bring it back and we wanted to help them. So the first day we set out and painted these long, thin boats red and blue. It didn't take long. We let the paint dry. The next day we made paddles out of blocks of wood. Literally. They outlined the shape on the block of wood, and then we sawed, and macheted the shape untill it was nearly perfect. The locals finished it up since they were pros and finely chipping away stray pieces of wood. Then we sanded the paddles, and they were complete. The locals even wanted us to test drive the new boats so we went out onto the river and gave them a go. I guess we didn't realize how heavy so many falang, th term for white people, are. As we raced back, my boat tipped so badly we sunk! It was really funny. Water rushed into one side, then the other, untill finally there was no hope and we had to abandon ship. We were clinging to the boat in the water just laughing and laughing. It was a great moment.
Our homestay families were very hospitable. They served us great food, which consisted of raman noodles, morning glory, egg, and of course, sticky rice. The poorer houses in the village are thatched and on stilts, while the more modern houses are concrete and on the ground. Both are very bare though. On the inside, it's just the floor and the ceiling. And maybe a few plastic chairs and a desk. O, one thing every single house has though, to my surprise, is a television. Nice ones too. With dvd players and big speakers. Outside you can see the huge satellite dishes they use to get numerous channels. It's so odd a comodity to have in a house so poor and bare. But, tv seems to be essential these days. Especially here. Not once, in my entire three day stay in the house, did I ever see the tv off. It was constantly on. And somebody was always watching the screen. I suppose they ahd to have turned it off at night, but when my friend said she woke up at one in the morning to go pee it was still on. Crazy. In our free time we played soccer against the locals. We played on the field in front of the school. It was really fun. They are really good at soccer and know how to pass and handle the ball. So I got some exercise in. Every night we had a bonfire and the whole community would come and we would dance and sing and play games. Sounds fun, but it was pretty exhausting. We were glad when it rained one night and the party was canceled. We needed some down time.
On the second to last day we hiked into the mountains across the river. Our destination was the Hmong village that is settled high up in the mountain tops. The climb was very steep. We had to take a lot of breaks. And we sure did get sweaty. But it felt good. What was the best was that it was sunny and we could actually see the blue sky. I had almost forgotten the sky was blue. Here, in Laos, the shy is usually a smoky white. This is because of the amount of slash and burn agriculture they do. Every farmer, during the dry season, burns their fields in preparation for the rainy season. So the air is filled with smoke and ash. To give a better example, we hiked to the top of a temple that is usually a great viewpoint for the entire city. Once up there, we could barely see the river that was 400 m below. You can never see the mountains. It's pretty terrible. But it keeps the weather cool. But when we were hiking, it had rained the night before, so we were able to clearly see the beautiful mountains around us. It was also hotter. Once we got to the Hmong village, they welcomed us by playing bamboo flutes and traditional instruments. It sounded pretty terrible, but it was still cool. I also got to see one of the prettiest sunsets I've seen in a while. The next morning we awoke to rain crashing down on the tin roofs above us. We were in the middle of a big storm. It was really loud and there was thunder and lightening. This made the dirt turn into mud, and therefore the ground was as slippery as wet soap.
We hiked down once the rain ceased. It didn't take us long, but our knees took a toll from the steep decline. I felt like I was decending from the clouds. Which we were in at the top of the mountain. We played 21 questions the whole way. Once back at the river, we canoed back in our racing boats. But we weren't done yet. Once back at the original village, we had to do a basi ceremony with the community. In a basi ceremony the elders bless you and tie a white string around your wrist that you are to leave on for three days so the blessing works. My wrists are covered in white strings now because every elder participated. It was a humbling experience.
And on our way back into Luang Prabang, another storm hit us that soaked some of the people in our truck because there were gaps in the tarp. We actually saw a roof to a house fly off from the intense wind. We had to wait to shower, or do anything for that matter, because in storms all the power for the city turns off. Very inconvienent. It was a good trip. Tomorrow we will enter our two week homestay!
Our homestay families were very hospitable. They served us great food, which consisted of raman noodles, morning glory, egg, and of course, sticky rice. The poorer houses in the village are thatched and on stilts, while the more modern houses are concrete and on the ground. Both are very bare though. On the inside, it's just the floor and the ceiling. And maybe a few plastic chairs and a desk. O, one thing every single house has though, to my surprise, is a television. Nice ones too. With dvd players and big speakers. Outside you can see the huge satellite dishes they use to get numerous channels. It's so odd a comodity to have in a house so poor and bare. But, tv seems to be essential these days. Especially here. Not once, in my entire three day stay in the house, did I ever see the tv off. It was constantly on. And somebody was always watching the screen. I suppose they ahd to have turned it off at night, but when my friend said she woke up at one in the morning to go pee it was still on. Crazy. In our free time we played soccer against the locals. We played on the field in front of the school. It was really fun. They are really good at soccer and know how to pass and handle the ball. So I got some exercise in. Every night we had a bonfire and the whole community would come and we would dance and sing and play games. Sounds fun, but it was pretty exhausting. We were glad when it rained one night and the party was canceled. We needed some down time.
On the second to last day we hiked into the mountains across the river. Our destination was the Hmong village that is settled high up in the mountain tops. The climb was very steep. We had to take a lot of breaks. And we sure did get sweaty. But it felt good. What was the best was that it was sunny and we could actually see the blue sky. I had almost forgotten the sky was blue. Here, in Laos, the shy is usually a smoky white. This is because of the amount of slash and burn agriculture they do. Every farmer, during the dry season, burns their fields in preparation for the rainy season. So the air is filled with smoke and ash. To give a better example, we hiked to the top of a temple that is usually a great viewpoint for the entire city. Once up there, we could barely see the river that was 400 m below. You can never see the mountains. It's pretty terrible. But it keeps the weather cool. But when we were hiking, it had rained the night before, so we were able to clearly see the beautiful mountains around us. It was also hotter. Once we got to the Hmong village, they welcomed us by playing bamboo flutes and traditional instruments. It sounded pretty terrible, but it was still cool. I also got to see one of the prettiest sunsets I've seen in a while. The next morning we awoke to rain crashing down on the tin roofs above us. We were in the middle of a big storm. It was really loud and there was thunder and lightening. This made the dirt turn into mud, and therefore the ground was as slippery as wet soap.
We hiked down once the rain ceased. It didn't take us long, but our knees took a toll from the steep decline. I felt like I was decending from the clouds. Which we were in at the top of the mountain. We played 21 questions the whole way. Once back at the river, we canoed back in our racing boats. But we weren't done yet. Once back at the original village, we had to do a basi ceremony with the community. In a basi ceremony the elders bless you and tie a white string around your wrist that you are to leave on for three days so the blessing works. My wrists are covered in white strings now because every elder participated. It was a humbling experience.
And on our way back into Luang Prabang, another storm hit us that soaked some of the people in our truck because there were gaps in the tarp. We actually saw a roof to a house fly off from the intense wind. We had to wait to shower, or do anything for that matter, because in storms all the power for the city turns off. Very inconvienent. It was a good trip. Tomorrow we will enter our two week homestay!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Nam Kading Biodiversity Project
After the trek, we went straight to a city called Pak Kading, which is even further north than Thakek. On the Kading river there is a center operated by the Wildlife Conservation Organization that we would be doing our second service project at. Good lord it was hot. We wanted to get there quick because it was sure to be cooler in the forest than in the city. After a quick boat ride up the river, we reached the center. It was very comfortable. They set it up so the staff had their own cabin, the volunteers had their own, and then there was an outside kitchen and work room. The river was very low. So low in fact that the boat got stuck on the sand sometimes and we ahd to get out to pull it into deeper water. The dry season and wet season have very dramatic changes in terms of water. So after getting settled in we met the guy who is a part of the WCO and has been working in Laos for four years. Our tasks for the week was to help build some of the road that leads into the center, capture and track butterflies, and help clear a nature trail.
Over the next few days we were able to complete all of those tasks. During the wet season the rain makes it nearly impossible for cars to get in because it floods the dirt road, so one day we gathered rocks from a quarry and carried them over to spots in the road that needed help againt flooding. It worked really well. We layed out big flat rocks and even did a test drive with a truck and it seemed to hold. So hopefully in the rainy season it will make a difference. Side note: we were only able to find rocks so easily because a dam was supposed to be built right where the research center is on the river, and they actually began to build it before they were put on hold. So in that time they had dug up rocks and when they stopped they left everything where it was. So thanks to the dam project we were able to get rocks. But the WCO prays that the dam will be stopped forever and not just put on hold because if the dam goes in they will have to leave the center. And the surrounding forest will have many repurcussions from the dam, so trying to save it would be nye impossible.
Each day we set our traps for our butterfly friends. To lure them in, the staff makes this fermented banana mix that the butterflies love. We also found out that this banana stuff is an explosive. They figured that out the hard way. When they were fermenting it, they closed the lid to the container all the way and left it out in the sun. A couple of days later they came out to yellow goo all over the walls and trees. So if your trying to ferment a banana, leave the container ajar. We also caught butterflies the good old fashioned way. With nets. It's much more difficult than one would think. Those butterflies know how to dive, dip and dodge pretty well. But in the end we caught many. Unfortunately, we had to kill them. We had to kill them so we could keep them to identify. This is one of WCO's big projects at the moment. They are identifying butterflies to get a better look at the biodiversity in the area. Butterflies are a good biodiversity indicator because they have short life cycles and therefore react quickly to environmental changes. Their limited dispersal ability, larval foodplant specilization and close-reliance on the weather and climate make many butterfly species sensitive to fine-scale changes. So after catching them, we had to identify them from huge volumes of pictures of butterflies and record their species, genus, sex, day, time, and other facts. That part was grueling work. I think we made a big start for WCO.
We also cleared a nature path for future visitors. It was already tread on, but it needed some maintenence, which we were happy to provide. It was fun weilding a machete. Overall, I loved the service work and felt that I was actually helping an organization that has a definite purpose and is dedicated to help the forest in the long run.
In our free time we swam in the river, played volleyball against the staff, went for runs, and napped. Playing volleyball and soccer with the staff was really fun. We would swim to the other side of the river where there was a bigger sand bank, set up a net, grab a ball, and get our games faces. We always bet for Pepsi. Three games equaled one set and whoever won best out of three got the Pepsis. We never won. It was always close, but somehow the staff always beat us. Just playing and being active was so fun though. And it's also fun to watch how into the game the locals get. We did beat them in soccer though. Probably because it's a sport their not as familiar with. Sand soccer is really hard haha. What a workout. And the road that we helped fix was really nice to run on. Most mornings Kim and I would end up having to stop for a herd of water buffalo that was crossing. It was a nice way to start the day.
We also did a short trek here too. One of the days we hiked into the forest to get the heat sensored cameras that the staff puts near this mineral tap to track the biodiversity of larger animals. If anything with heat moves in front of the camera, the camera takes a picture. We got to see some past pictures, and they are really cool. It's surprising seeing that elephants, deer, wild cows, and other animals actually roam the forests that you never see during the day. So we spent the night in the forest with tents and hammocks. We built a bonfire, told ghost stories, and had a good time. I think everyone loved waking up to the river and the trees in the morning. A real camping experience.
One quick fun fact: Laos made a deal with Pepsi that they would get discounts with Pepsi if they banned Coca Cola from the country. So you still see Coca Cola here, but people only get it from the balck market. So the big drink here is Pepsi, unlike Cambodia, where Coca Cola was dominant.
This service project was great. Really great. We all had a fantastic time and none of us really wanted to leave. But, as always, we keep moving. We spent a day in Thailand to renew our visas for Laos, but I didn't see much of the country. Then we spent a day in Vientiene, which was a wonderful city that I wish we could have seen more of if we had the time. And now we are in Luang Prabang!
Over the next few days we were able to complete all of those tasks. During the wet season the rain makes it nearly impossible for cars to get in because it floods the dirt road, so one day we gathered rocks from a quarry and carried them over to spots in the road that needed help againt flooding. It worked really well. We layed out big flat rocks and even did a test drive with a truck and it seemed to hold. So hopefully in the rainy season it will make a difference. Side note: we were only able to find rocks so easily because a dam was supposed to be built right where the research center is on the river, and they actually began to build it before they were put on hold. So in that time they had dug up rocks and when they stopped they left everything where it was. So thanks to the dam project we were able to get rocks. But the WCO prays that the dam will be stopped forever and not just put on hold because if the dam goes in they will have to leave the center. And the surrounding forest will have many repurcussions from the dam, so trying to save it would be nye impossible.
Each day we set our traps for our butterfly friends. To lure them in, the staff makes this fermented banana mix that the butterflies love. We also found out that this banana stuff is an explosive. They figured that out the hard way. When they were fermenting it, they closed the lid to the container all the way and left it out in the sun. A couple of days later they came out to yellow goo all over the walls and trees. So if your trying to ferment a banana, leave the container ajar. We also caught butterflies the good old fashioned way. With nets. It's much more difficult than one would think. Those butterflies know how to dive, dip and dodge pretty well. But in the end we caught many. Unfortunately, we had to kill them. We had to kill them so we could keep them to identify. This is one of WCO's big projects at the moment. They are identifying butterflies to get a better look at the biodiversity in the area. Butterflies are a good biodiversity indicator because they have short life cycles and therefore react quickly to environmental changes. Their limited dispersal ability, larval foodplant specilization and close-reliance on the weather and climate make many butterfly species sensitive to fine-scale changes. So after catching them, we had to identify them from huge volumes of pictures of butterflies and record their species, genus, sex, day, time, and other facts. That part was grueling work. I think we made a big start for WCO.
We also cleared a nature path for future visitors. It was already tread on, but it needed some maintenence, which we were happy to provide. It was fun weilding a machete. Overall, I loved the service work and felt that I was actually helping an organization that has a definite purpose and is dedicated to help the forest in the long run.
In our free time we swam in the river, played volleyball against the staff, went for runs, and napped. Playing volleyball and soccer with the staff was really fun. We would swim to the other side of the river where there was a bigger sand bank, set up a net, grab a ball, and get our games faces. We always bet for Pepsi. Three games equaled one set and whoever won best out of three got the Pepsis. We never won. It was always close, but somehow the staff always beat us. Just playing and being active was so fun though. And it's also fun to watch how into the game the locals get. We did beat them in soccer though. Probably because it's a sport their not as familiar with. Sand soccer is really hard haha. What a workout. And the road that we helped fix was really nice to run on. Most mornings Kim and I would end up having to stop for a herd of water buffalo that was crossing. It was a nice way to start the day.
We also did a short trek here too. One of the days we hiked into the forest to get the heat sensored cameras that the staff puts near this mineral tap to track the biodiversity of larger animals. If anything with heat moves in front of the camera, the camera takes a picture. We got to see some past pictures, and they are really cool. It's surprising seeing that elephants, deer, wild cows, and other animals actually roam the forests that you never see during the day. So we spent the night in the forest with tents and hammocks. We built a bonfire, told ghost stories, and had a good time. I think everyone loved waking up to the river and the trees in the morning. A real camping experience.
One quick fun fact: Laos made a deal with Pepsi that they would get discounts with Pepsi if they banned Coca Cola from the country. So you still see Coca Cola here, but people only get it from the balck market. So the big drink here is Pepsi, unlike Cambodia, where Coca Cola was dominant.
This service project was great. Really great. We all had a fantastic time and none of us really wanted to leave. But, as always, we keep moving. We spent a day in Thailand to renew our visas for Laos, but I didn't see much of the country. Then we spent a day in Vientiene, which was a wonderful city that I wish we could have seen more of if we had the time. And now we are in Luang Prabang!
Thakek
Thakek is a city leaning againt the gorgeous Laos mountains. After Dong Deang, our island retreat, we decided to head to Thakek for a three day trek. We dropped most of our belongings at a guesthouse and only took on the trek a few clothes and a toothbrush. We took a dok dok to the trail head, and began our retreat into the beautiful mountainside. First, we visited a much revered cave that contains hundreds of Buddhas. These Buddhas have been there for hundreds of years. The Lao people believe the Thai hid the Buddhas in the cave when they invaded so the Lao couldn't find them. I believe it was the Thai. I may be wrong. The cave is on the side of a sheer cliff, and stairs are necessary to access it. There is just a tiny opening that you crawl through before entering this massive hole filled with stalagmites and Buddhas. The Buddhas were bronze, gold, silver, and wood. The cave was pretty big in size. We were blessed inside the cave by a man who works in it. He wished us a good journey, much luck, and much happiness. Common blessings for travelers. After reentering into the world of sunlight, we really began our trek. The first day we hiked a good distance. Probably only about 3-4 miles, but it took most of the day because we made various stops at lagoons and caves. As we walked closer to the first lagoon more and more butterflies started appearing. Hordes of them. They were fluttering about and just enjoying the day, much like us. At the lagoon we took a dip and had a lunch prepared by our trusted guides. I heard the fish was delicious. Unfortunately I wasn't in the mood for fish. Then we trodded on and came across a tree that produces an oil that can burn. The native people use it to light fires. So we each grabbed a branch and stuck it in the thick black muck and when we came across the next cave we were able to light them and use torches as our source of light. It was a very cool look, but we forgot that in a closed space fire sucks out the oxygen, so it was difficult to breathe. Bo pen nung. No worries. This one cave we visited was one of the highlights for me. I described it as being in God's mouth. The cave was enormous. Probably six stories high, and a half mile long. As I lied on the ground and stared up at the roof of the mouth I felt a sense of peace. Feeling small is a very humbling experience in my opinion. The cave also had a small lake. The water was very cold and still. It was a very cool hangout. Then, after walking through tobacco fields, we reached our destination. We were to stay at a local village for the night. We had our first basi ceremony that night. A basi ceremony is an intricate blessing of sorts. The villagers prepare an offering with chocolate and eggs on this plate, and then the village elder blesses each person around the circle. We all either have to be touching the plate or the person being blessed to recieve their blessing as well. When you are being blessed you are to hold the egg and chocolate in your hand. After everyone has been blessed, the food is now blessed, and everyone is supposed to eat the blessed food. It was very nice.
The following day we spent exploring around the village. The guides took us to another cave, which went down so far you couldn't see a thing. That day we mainly walked through the jungle. The jungle is thick and seems to always try and eat you so it takes a while to get anywhere. We had a delicious lunch in the jungle, again cooked by our amazing guides. And when I say delicious, I mean we got cooked corn on the cob and sticky rice. I never knew corn could taste so good. I want to go a little in depth on one of our guides, because he was a character. His name is Mr. Me. Seriously. He is maybe 5 foot. And every time we would eat he would say the simple phrases he has picked up in English, such as eat more eat more, don't stop don't stop. Again, he was a character. Then while enjoying the coolness the forest provided, we played a few games of mofia. Good team bonding. That night I learned how to play Eucker, a complicated card game with many rules, but it's very fun.
On our final day we hiked a long ways. We hiked through the jungle for the most part, and our final destination was this village in the middle of nowhere. During the hike the group got to talk and really get to know each other which was nice. I feel that on trips like these students reach a point of friendship, but it's more superficial than deep. Walking always sparks good conversations. After a few hours, we reached the village. It was so odd. We were in the middle of the Laos jungle, and then it clears and the village is totally bare. They cut down all the trees to make their village, so the ground is jsut dirt and the houses were made of cement. It looked so out of place. Considering is was scorching outside, we were all very joyful when we got to ride a dok dok to the well known blue lagoon. It was gorgeous. The water was a color blue that I haven't even seen in Hawaii. So clear and turquoise. And is was so refreshing. It was such a pretty spot. Our tase buds also got to enjoy banana sticky rice. That snack is sticky rice smashed with banana and wrapped inside a banana leaf. It is really a treat. Ready to leave, we trekked on after getting back to the village and made it to our final scenic spot, the rapids. It's a spot in the river where the rapids are pretty bid, but you can lay on the rocks and let the water wash over you. Since it's the dry season, the water isn't strong enough to wash you away. So refreshing.
Our first trek was a great sucess and the group is very excited for upcoming ones.
The following day we spent exploring around the village. The guides took us to another cave, which went down so far you couldn't see a thing. That day we mainly walked through the jungle. The jungle is thick and seems to always try and eat you so it takes a while to get anywhere. We had a delicious lunch in the jungle, again cooked by our amazing guides. And when I say delicious, I mean we got cooked corn on the cob and sticky rice. I never knew corn could taste so good. I want to go a little in depth on one of our guides, because he was a character. His name is Mr. Me. Seriously. He is maybe 5 foot. And every time we would eat he would say the simple phrases he has picked up in English, such as eat more eat more, don't stop don't stop. Again, he was a character. Then while enjoying the coolness the forest provided, we played a few games of mofia. Good team bonding. That night I learned how to play Eucker, a complicated card game with many rules, but it's very fun.
On our final day we hiked a long ways. We hiked through the jungle for the most part, and our final destination was this village in the middle of nowhere. During the hike the group got to talk and really get to know each other which was nice. I feel that on trips like these students reach a point of friendship, but it's more superficial than deep. Walking always sparks good conversations. After a few hours, we reached the village. It was so odd. We were in the middle of the Laos jungle, and then it clears and the village is totally bare. They cut down all the trees to make their village, so the ground is jsut dirt and the houses were made of cement. It looked so out of place. Considering is was scorching outside, we were all very joyful when we got to ride a dok dok to the well known blue lagoon. It was gorgeous. The water was a color blue that I haven't even seen in Hawaii. So clear and turquoise. And is was so refreshing. It was such a pretty spot. Our tase buds also got to enjoy banana sticky rice. That snack is sticky rice smashed with banana and wrapped inside a banana leaf. It is really a treat. Ready to leave, we trekked on after getting back to the village and made it to our final scenic spot, the rapids. It's a spot in the river where the rapids are pretty bid, but you can lay on the rocks and let the water wash over you. Since it's the dry season, the water isn't strong enough to wash you away. So refreshing.
Our first trek was a great sucess and the group is very excited for upcoming ones.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Cop Preah/Dong Deang
Cop Preah, or God's island, is an island on the Mekong, 6 hours away from the mainland and civilization. We took a long boat ride up the slow moving Mekong, had a picnic lunch on the beach, and took a dip in the refreshing water before reaching God's Island. We did our first service project on the island. Our job was to build a garden and plant it by the end of our stay. We succeded with flying colors. We used their tools, which was more of a challenge because they were pretty rural, and dug up hard earth for hours. It only took us two days to finish the garden. Manual labor felt good. It got the blood flowing. But it was, of course, extremeley hot. We took many dips into the river to cool off. One day we went out on a boat ride to try and spot the river dolphins. We did see a few, but they were far away and hard to spot. We were lucky to see them at all though. They are diminishing in numbers because of fishing. The NGO we worked with on the island, CRDT, worked mainly on informing locals and tourists of this problem and explaining how the dolphins are crucial to the river. Tehy are working with the locals to find better methods of farming and fishing to reduce the impact on the dolphins. The food on the island was the only problem we had by the end of our staay. We had the same meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It included rice, morning glory, and eggs. Morning glory is their main plant produce. It is very long and stringy and is bitter without any sauce. But they prepared it well. One night we played volleyball and all the locals came to watch. Volleyball is popular here. Our host families are very kind. The only problem is that you are constantly awakened during the night by roosters crowing, dogs barking, and any other sort of farm animal that likes to make noise for no apparent reason. It's hard to get used to. But it was fun and a good place to stay for our final days in Cambodia. The next day we crossed to border and had to say goodbye to our Camboida leader, Mara. He was a great guide, and a better friend. I know we all already miss him. And then, before we had time to let the fact that our Camboida trek was complete, we entered Laos in a minibus eating sticky rice in a bamboo tube!
I really like Laos. It definitely has a different atmosphere than Cambodia. I think the land just emanates peace and tranquility. The Laos national phrase here, dubbed by the french, is "no worries." And they certainly live up to it. The people look different too. They look more chinese while Cambodians looked more Phillipino. And they act different. They have the same amount of kindness and generosity as Cambodians, but you can tell they aren't as eager to be your best friend. Which I think I like. They give you space. But I will have to work harder if I want to have deep connections with the people. Especially in my homestay. We started our 6 week stay in Laos on an island called Dong Deang. The purpose was to relax and get used to Laos before we start really moving. It was wonderful. I woke up every morning, went for a run with the girls, ate, we grouped up in the morning for some lessons, and then we had teh rest of the day to ourselves to explore or relax or whatever. They really know how to chill here. I really enjoyed jsut settling into a routine, like I would at home. Our family served us the most delicious foods, which always followed with some delicious fruit. Every day involved swimming in the Mekong. We got some great pictures of us jumping over the sun by doing that camera trick. Every day the sun would set in the exact same place over the mountains. Yes, there are mountains here! So nice. I didn't realize how much I had missed them. They do so much for my eyes haha. Most days we played cards under the house in the afternoon to escape the heat. But some days we went on walks just to explore. We had a really nice walk the other day and walked on the beach on the way back and ran into the water. It really is hard not to wake up with the sun. The locals go to bed early, and wake up early. I'm surprised how easily I've been able to adapt to it. But on our morning runs we always got to see the sun rise over the river which was stunning. One day we went off the island to go hiking in a national park. We hiked to a stuppa and a place where the Buddha walked. And we explored the jungle a little. We saw this really cool green snake. And they have elephants for the tourists to ride on, so I got to touch one! We didn't ride them, but they were just waiting there so we got to go up and touch them. Elephants have a very tough, leathery feel with huge hairs. They are so huge! And these are just asian elephants. Much smaller compared to the giant african elephant. I can't even imagine how miniscule I would feel next to an african elephant. Last night we had a bonfire on the beach to celebrate our time on the island and our departure. We have a day here in Pakse before we head up to Pak Kek to strat our three day trek. That's all for now!
I really like Laos. It definitely has a different atmosphere than Cambodia. I think the land just emanates peace and tranquility. The Laos national phrase here, dubbed by the french, is "no worries." And they certainly live up to it. The people look different too. They look more chinese while Cambodians looked more Phillipino. And they act different. They have the same amount of kindness and generosity as Cambodians, but you can tell they aren't as eager to be your best friend. Which I think I like. They give you space. But I will have to work harder if I want to have deep connections with the people. Especially in my homestay. We started our 6 week stay in Laos on an island called Dong Deang. The purpose was to relax and get used to Laos before we start really moving. It was wonderful. I woke up every morning, went for a run with the girls, ate, we grouped up in the morning for some lessons, and then we had teh rest of the day to ourselves to explore or relax or whatever. They really know how to chill here. I really enjoyed jsut settling into a routine, like I would at home. Our family served us the most delicious foods, which always followed with some delicious fruit. Every day involved swimming in the Mekong. We got some great pictures of us jumping over the sun by doing that camera trick. Every day the sun would set in the exact same place over the mountains. Yes, there are mountains here! So nice. I didn't realize how much I had missed them. They do so much for my eyes haha. Most days we played cards under the house in the afternoon to escape the heat. But some days we went on walks just to explore. We had a really nice walk the other day and walked on the beach on the way back and ran into the water. It really is hard not to wake up with the sun. The locals go to bed early, and wake up early. I'm surprised how easily I've been able to adapt to it. But on our morning runs we always got to see the sun rise over the river which was stunning. One day we went off the island to go hiking in a national park. We hiked to a stuppa and a place where the Buddha walked. And we explored the jungle a little. We saw this really cool green snake. And they have elephants for the tourists to ride on, so I got to touch one! We didn't ride them, but they were just waiting there so we got to go up and touch them. Elephants have a very tough, leathery feel with huge hairs. They are so huge! And these are just asian elephants. Much smaller compared to the giant african elephant. I can't even imagine how miniscule I would feel next to an african elephant. Last night we had a bonfire on the beach to celebrate our time on the island and our departure. We have a day here in Pakse before we head up to Pak Kek to strat our three day trek. That's all for now!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Prek Pdao
I have survived my first one on one homestay. And not just survived, but lived it. I admit I was nervous going into it. I've never been by myself with a host family. The village is very rural and about an hour north of the capital, Phonm Phen. It is the hometown of our guide and good friend in Cambodia, Mara. In villages that are that rural the workforce consists mainly of farmers. They farm in the rainy season and bascially have summer break in the dry season, which is now. The majority of the time is spent sleeping in hammocks lol. But we did much more than that. Our daily routine consisted of going to language lessons in the morning, as well as discussions about the core values under global citizenship that dragons likes to follow and set as an example to for the students. Then we biked back to our houses on the red dirt road that runs throughout the town and is lined with various stilt thatch houses. After a heavy lunch was the communal napping period. Then some days were spent swimming in the Mekong, or going to English classes with my host sisters. Two days we even taught English at two different schools. It was a very rewarding experience. One class was three hours long, and we were told they were a little past beginners in English, so my partner and I were pleasantly surprised when they were much smarter than we thought. Not only smart, they also participated and loved the games we taught them. The other class was completely different. It was in the actual village, and the kids were shy, didn't want to participate, and quiet. I was actually teaching my host brother. He was in my class. But they participated if we asked them too and by the end of the class were more comfortable with us. I don't think being a teacher is in the cards for me, but I can definitely see the appeal.
My host family was so wonderful. The whole community was. My days consisted of me riding my bike and little kids saying hello in English just to get a hello back. My host mom always made sure I was fed, more than enough lol, and my host sisters always wanted me to participate in what they were doing. My host brother was shy towards me because I'm a girl lol. Such is life. My host father kept to himself mostly because he couldn't speak any English. Cambodians are wonderful. One night our host sisters and the group all got together and dressed up to go to a local dance party. It was the fruit and nut festival, but the dance wasn't really for that. It was funny haring American pop songs in Khmer. And then of course we learned how to dance traditional Khmer when the traditional songs came on. It was so fun. The little kids loved us dancing and were going crazy. It was the best part. The whole community was there just relaxing and enjoying the evening and probably having a good laugh at us foreigners. The last night was the traditional end of the homestay party. I think our host families were most excited for that. They sewed, by hand, our very own traditional Khmer dresses. They are beautiful. And, generous as they are, gave us presents constantly during the week mostly to wear for the party. I got a lot of jewelry. Then they caked our faces in makeup. It was very fun. Then we all went to Mara's house and ate a delicious feast, and danced the night away.
Leaving was harder than I imagined. My crying may have been partially sparked by my homesickness, but I was genuinly sad that I was leaving. What if I never see them again?? So it was a very emotional morning. Lots of tears, hugs, and goodbye waves. I have promised to keep in touch with my host sister that I absolutely adore. She is so sweet. All good things must come to an end I suppose. Now we are headed of to an island on the Mekong to do service work with an NGO called CRDT. It's supposed to be gorgeous. I will blog as soon as I can!
My host family was so wonderful. The whole community was. My days consisted of me riding my bike and little kids saying hello in English just to get a hello back. My host mom always made sure I was fed, more than enough lol, and my host sisters always wanted me to participate in what they were doing. My host brother was shy towards me because I'm a girl lol. Such is life. My host father kept to himself mostly because he couldn't speak any English. Cambodians are wonderful. One night our host sisters and the group all got together and dressed up to go to a local dance party. It was the fruit and nut festival, but the dance wasn't really for that. It was funny haring American pop songs in Khmer. And then of course we learned how to dance traditional Khmer when the traditional songs came on. It was so fun. The little kids loved us dancing and were going crazy. It was the best part. The whole community was there just relaxing and enjoying the evening and probably having a good laugh at us foreigners. The last night was the traditional end of the homestay party. I think our host families were most excited for that. They sewed, by hand, our very own traditional Khmer dresses. They are beautiful. And, generous as they are, gave us presents constantly during the week mostly to wear for the party. I got a lot of jewelry. Then they caked our faces in makeup. It was very fun. Then we all went to Mara's house and ate a delicious feast, and danced the night away.
Leaving was harder than I imagined. My crying may have been partially sparked by my homesickness, but I was genuinly sad that I was leaving. What if I never see them again?? So it was a very emotional morning. Lots of tears, hugs, and goodbye waves. I have promised to keep in touch with my host sister that I absolutely adore. She is so sweet. All good things must come to an end I suppose. Now we are headed of to an island on the Mekong to do service work with an NGO called CRDT. It's supposed to be gorgeous. I will blog as soon as I can!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Phonm Penh
sok sabiy! that means hello. along with my language lessons the team has been very busy. after orientation at Kirirom National Park, which was a good start to our journey, we headed back to Phonm Penh. One quick note I am very proud to share is that in Kirirom I took my first bucket shower. Bery interesting. Countryside villagers don;t have showers so they put water into huge urns and pour water over them to shower. So me and the girls headed out in the traditional sarongs and kramas to bath in. It was a very cool experience. Not at all what I expected. The krama is used to cover our shoulders because it is inappropriate to show your shoulders here as girls. So, Phonm Penh. A bustling city, the capital, and similar to most third world cities you will visit. There is trash on the ground, geckos on the walls, sewage lakes in public view, outside vendors, controlled chaotic traffic, and much more. The equivalent to hostels here are guest houses. Were staying at one called Tatoo and its nice. So are the people. Out of all the countries I've visited, I've never met a people as kind and friendly as Cambodians. They will always grace you with a smile, and help if you need it. The food here consists of noodles in various combos, rice, and those two mixed in stir fry from with vegetables and meats. Not much variety, but its good eating. Fruit is also available in all the street markets. A couple days ago we went to basically the slums and into an apartment where the cambodian living arts dancers practice. They were very good. A big thing in their type of dance is to bend your handa backwards, which they do for hours a day so they can bend the back of their hands to their forarms. It's a painful process but looks so graceful. Yesterday we went to a monastery and had the god fortune of being blessed by four monks. They chanted scripture that wished us luck and happiness on our journey. It was the coolest sound I've ever heard. They have us red bracelets dipped in holy water to make it complete. That was an amazing experience. Today was filled with intense emotions. We visited S 21, a torture and prision camp during the Pol Plot regime. Then we visites the Killing Fields. WE were standing over the bones of thousands of lost souls. The mass graves were literally at my toes. It was brutal. The crimes the soliders commited were horendous. After that we came bak to the guest house and embarked on a journey to find two traditional healing methods that are popular here. Cupping and coining. Cupping is where they coat many cups with alcohol, then quickly put a flame inside to suck the oxygen out and put it on your back. Then your skin literally rises about an inch inside the cup. It feels like a thousand pounds of pressure was just placed on your back. A very uncomfortable experience. Coining is even more intense. They take a coin and in smooth, but hard strokes, rake it across your back, arms and chest many times. It just hurts. A lot. I had both done to me today. It was a good experience, but one I'm not so keen on doing again any time soon. Tomorrow we head to Siam Reap. Almost a week has gone by!
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