Thailand- Land of Smiles

Hello my little Piña Coladas!

Currently writing from Laos, but I thought it was about time to report on our month in Thailand. It feels like I just wrote about trekking- time just seems to be speeding by before our eyes. 

 Thailand was the relaxing stay we had hoped it would be. It is jam packed with tourists, and after being in such culture forward countries, it almost felt too easy, and too Westernized at times. Knowing that we wanted to cover most of Thailand, we decided to fly into Phuket (southwestern tip), and work our way all the way to the top. It was a "beaches first approach" after a hiking and activity heavy month in Nepal. This was only my second time in life staying near a tropical ocean, and I ate it up. We arrived that morning to Ko Phi Phi- a true dreamlike island paradise of tall, jungle covered limestone pinnacles, and seafoam green, clear water. Our resort was perfect, and we walked in only to be upgraded to a honeymoon bungalow with fresh orchids on the bed, a big porch with a hammock, and sea views. 

Arriving in Ko Phi Phi

Beautiful Karsts

Maya Bay

Looking back on our private beach at Viking Resort

Needless to say, two nights quickly turned into four... We had found beach bliss. Thailand has both an island vibe, and a high energy party side (which we kind of ignored), and we fell right into the fruit shake eating, hammock loungin', beach bum lifestyle. We swam every morning and afternoon, and took Longtails (traditional Thai wooden boats) snorkeling and to deserted islands. We swam with schools of fish- pure magic- and saw barracudas, eels, angel fish and parrot fish float by. The parrot fish were brilliant- and shimmered with turquoise, green, red purple iridescent scales - a future painting inspiration. Dan would swim down and alert the corals, which would open and close vibrant purples and pinks. A whole living, thriving underwater world for my eyes and imagination.

We decided to spend a good two weeks in the south, and went from Phi Phi to Ko Lanta, then on to the Railay peninsula. Railay was equally as beautiful, with a little less upkeep. We had our first icky hotel experience, but the incident led us to what may have been our favorite stay in Thailand: Railay Beach Club. A bit of a splurge but what a find. Imagine it's 1985, and you are exploring Thailand- only to come across a deserted and nearly perfect beach with huge limestone cliffs and clear water. You decide to buy most of the land for nearly nothing, and you invite all your favorite open minded friends to each have a plot. You each build your own special, charming, vacation beach house to visit on and off throughout the year, and when you aren't there, you rent it. This is Railay Beach Club. Dan and I had one of 15 or so gorgeous wood bungalows with intricate architecture, outdoor shower, and a huge veranda. The grounds of the club, which have been left as they naturally are, minus pathways, were home to tons of flowers and wildlife. Just walking to and from our place, we saw sunglass monkeys (black monkeys with white rings around their eyes), Monitor lizards (huge- similar to Komodo dragons), tropical birds, and exotic flowers. 

Sunset on Ko Lanta

Looking down on Railay Peninsula

Sunset on Railay West

Sunset on Railay West

View from the Clubhouse at Railay Beach Club

Bungalow at Railay Beach Club

At sunset we would visit the members & guests only clubhouse bar, which looked out on the beach, and served amazing cocktails like Thai basil mojitos and passion fruit Margs. It was pretty divine. To top it all off, we even snuck out for evening swims on the empty, dark beach. Shadows of limestone karsts towered above us, and bioluminescent, glittering green plankton lit up the water, dancing around our bodies. I will never forget these four days. I still daydream about it, and am trying to figure out a way I can convince my family or friends to all go back and rent a group of houses together... Hint hint!! ;) A perfect end to our time on the beaches.  

We said a sad goodbye to Railay and saddled up for a rough ride on an overnight bus to Bangkok. Most people don't care for the city, but I found it to be a a place where old tradition and modernization seem to coexist harmoniously. As you probably saw on FB, our main goal here was to tour the street food areas, and we did just that. If I named all we had, it would probably embarrass me- but our favorites were Tom Yam hot and sour soup with prawns, scallops barbecued in their shells with pork, mango slices with chili, sugar, and salt; and garlic and black pepper pan fried squid. Thailand has incredible food, and we've had a great deal of delicious curries, noodles, exotic fruits, and spicy soups.

Garlic and Black Pepper squid

Street vendor

Food scavenger hunt

Barbequed scallops

We quickly headed off to Chiang Mai, in the north, for Loy Krathong- the Festival of Lights. Chaing Mai itself was quite westernized, and packed to the brim with tourists, but the festival made it worth it all. For three straight days people were setting off paper lanterns, and the evenings skies looked like there were full of thousands of glowing orange, drifting jellyfish. It was amazing. We went to a big set off ceremony, which was pure chaos, but the thousands of lanterns  released simultaneously was a breathtaking sight. There were also fireworks, and as this is Asia, no rules apply. Blasts were going off all night and everywhere in the city- exploding next to us on the street and right outside our window of our hostel- utter pandemonium. Another memorable southeast Asian adventure. Haha.

Lantern release at Loi Krathong

One of my favorites from the trip. Dan in Chiang Mai with lanterns

What a trip.

Our next stop was Pai, Thailand - just what the doctor ordered . A little hippie "Boulder" of the northern Thai countryside with organic farms and laid back coffee houses. We rented a motorbike and explored the jungle dense countryside, visiting hot springs, canyons, Chinese refugee villages and waterfalls. Having the motorbike felt freeing, and we really savored the ability to just take in the countryside on our own time. 

Bueng Pai 

Dragonfly- Yunnanese Village

We would have called it good at this point, but we had to return to Chiang Mai for what was probably our most meaningful mission in Thailand: Elephant Nature Park. Be patient with me, because it might get preachy here, and rightly so. All over the SE Asia are "Elephant Sanctuaries," where you can ride and hang out with the animals. Unfortunately, as honorable as these places seem, there's a dark underbelly. Training the elephants can often require harsh and abusive measures, and they are chained up and manipulated into submission. Not Elephant Nature Park. No riding, no chains, not a hand or stick or taser laid on a single one of the 36 elephants residing there. What's more is these elephants are rescued from horrendous situations - logging (which is now illegal but still happens), street begging (being in a city is a constant anxiety attack for an elephant), circuses, trekking, and other dire situations. Lek, the tiny Thai founder, is this incredible animal whisperer, and she has created a huge sanctuary for eles and other animals! We LOVED it. Each animal has its own story- and you fall in love instantaneously. We fed them, bathed them and got to know them, spending the entire day amongst them. Truly beyond words. Such gentle, wise, kind, beautiful old souls. It warms my heart just to think of it, and of Lek and what she has done. As we were leaving we saw her heartfeltedly hugging this rescued cat like a baby- I mean, seriously!? Big heart- Amazing lady. I could go on and on- so ask me if you are interested in hearing more! Anyways- take a look at the website and see for yourself. If you want a truly genuine and amazing cause to donate to this holiday season, I highly recommend ENP. I would spend a month there if I could.

Precise Mae Do

Eye of Mae Do

BABY!

And so there's our month in Thailand! How has it gone so fast? We can't believe how much we have seen, experienced, felt, tasted, savored, and touched! WOW. Laos is currently blowing us away beauty-wise, and we anticipate that Angkor Wat and Cambodia will be a great closing to our magnificent journey!

Snowcapped Mountains to Sparkling Blue Seas

Nepal, so breathtaking and full of surprises. Before arriving I had imagined a dry mountainous terrain similar to that of Tibet and a country that is predominately Buddhist, perhaps because it so close to China and Tibet.  Oh how the reality is so far from my preconceived notion. Nepal is a warm lush, green, mostly forested, jungle landscape, and is the second largest fresh water supplier in the world, behind Brazil. Also surprising, it does not snow in a large part of the country including Kathmandu. Secondly, the majority of Nepal is Hindu, most likely influenced by India, their large neighbor to the south. The Buddhist in Nepal are mainly the Tamang group, also called Sherpas, whom traditionally hail from the northern regions close to Tibet; the remainder being mostly the large Tibetan refugee population. 

In Nepal, we were always greeted with warm and friendly welcomes that felt genuine and heartfelt. We were openly invited into homes, on our trek and on organized homestays, in both Rupa Tal, near Pokhara, and Battedanda, near Dhulikhel. Perched on hill tops revealing expansive mountain, lake, and valley views, these simple accommodations provided delicious meals grown from their local gardens, prepared fresh with love and care. Sitting with the family we are served an all you can eat platter of Dahl bhat; rice, Dahl( lentils) soup, steamed greens (mostly spinach or mustard greens), a curry of veggies and potatoes plus an always revolving and amazing spicy pickle or chutney. Plus our most favorite dish in Nepal, MOMOS, which we got a new twist upon at our homestay in Battedanda with a Tamang family. Tamang momos were large deep fried dough stuffed with potatoes and veggies and accompanied with another fine spicy pickle chutney. 

Trekking near the Annapurna Range was an amazing experience physically, mentally, and spiritually. Physically tiring to climb thousands of vertical feet a day at elevations of five to nine thousand feet. Climbing up stone steps, terraced paddies, or up hill sides for what feels like hours,to "just over the next ridge" our guide shiva would say. You start to gain the mental fortitude to ignore the heat, strenuous climbing, and the tales of when the day will end, and focus on each step and breath enjoying all that is around you. An insight into unspoilt village hill life of self sustaining farming, where everything is "organic" with no need for pesticides or Monsanto seeds, farm animals consisting of mainly water buffalo, goats, and chickens. Each night they come home to a village community to unwind with friends, family, and Raksi after a long hard days work. During our trek, the Nepalese were celebrating their major festival of Dashain, a time to sacrifice and feast and drink, which made the community feel of the villages and homes that much more friendly and inviting. After the physical and mentally tiring days, we were rewarded with spectacular views, and peace and quiet at night. In awe of the peaks surrounding us, touching the sky around 24,000 feet- close to double that of the mountains of home in the Colorado Rockies. Each night the darkness rolls in opening up the sparkling sky. Away from the bright lights and so high up, the celestial dust of the Milky Way showered down upon us. It was at these times that my thoughts drifted to the life we live, and the lives of those around us- so simple, sustainable, and surrounded by natural beauty. This is why we search the world- and we are so deeply rewarded for our efforts in doing so. 

Now we have progressed from the stoic mountain heights to the sun bathed, crystal blue waters of the sea and Thailand. The relaxing beach rejuvenates us after the long hours, days, months, and years of work. Now the time has come to relax the body and mind after two months surviving India and trekking Nepal. Soaking up the sand and sea with all that it has to offer, before we continue back on to the trail north toward bangkok and the jungle hills of inland Thailand. 

A Long Walk through The Himalaya

Hi and Namaste! 

I apologize for the back to back posts but I want to write about this while it is still fresh on my mind! Our trek was simply amazing- quite possibly my favorite thing we've done thus so far in our travels. Both it and Nepal have been above and beyond what Dan and I had expected, and I can't wait to tell you about it. 

The last few days we have been anxiously awaiting our trek in the lakeside town of Pokhara. There are a variety of treks that one can do here. Every village and town in Nepal is connected by trails- you could walk across the entire country if you so desired. There are a lot of green hills here- and they are very lush and alive with vegetation. Butterflies, huge, hand-sized spiders, and wild orchids await around every corner. 

Above these hills to the north lie the Himalayas, which stretch across the country. One can go and hike to Everest base camp, or any mountain base camp for that matter. There are loops and sanctuary trails around the Annapurna range- high altitude walks and low jungle journeys. On the main trails, there are towns with "tea lodges" every hour or so, so you can go as little or far as you want and rest in knowing there will be a bed, fire and food wherever you decide to stop. Knowing it was the busiest month of the year, Dan researched and found a trek that spent half the time on the main Annapurna circuit, and half the time on a new, empty trail with home stays instead of tea lodges. It was a perfect mix of things and I am so glad we did it that way. Ok now for the details!

Day 1: We set out with our guide, Shiva in a taxi up to Kusma, outside Pokhara. Stopping on the side of the road, we swooped our 21 yr old porter, Samcer, and headed on our way. Tension built as we weaved up the mountain side, white, snow covered mountains towering above us. Finally we were at our starting point. We headed up, traversing through villages and across huge ravines on metal suspension bridges. We stopped for lunch by knocking on a little hut's door and asking them to cook for us. Dal baht, or rice with curried veggies- what would become our staple food for the next 7 days.. As they say here- "dal baht- 24 hr power." It was here that shiva let us know we would be walking up to 10 miles a day... We thought it was going to be more like 6. Rah row. Up and up we went on stone steps for what felt like hours. We passed many villagers walking home from the city for Dasain, the biggest festival of the year. Everyone was in great spirits and the children always stopped to ask for pens and chocolate, of which we sadly declined. The sky started to turn a more golden color as we hit the top of a ridge, stopping to look at the faint town we had started at in the distance. We had made it!! Our first homestay in Banu, a high mountain village with amazing views of Dhaulgiri, 8167meters, and it's surrounding peaks. We put on our warm clothes, watching the sun set. The people were happy from celebrating Dasain all day, immediately offering us Raksi (millet wine), while the host mom fried up special water buffalo meat for dinner in our dark little hut kitchen. Cold and exhausted with a belly full of Dal baht, we retired to bed.. A piece of particle board on four legs with a straw mat on top. Thank goodness for our warm down coats and last minute $3 wool hats!!! We slept like little beebees :)

End of day 1 with Kusma in the background

Views of Dhaulgiri from Banu!

DAY 2: Shiva told us it would be a long day, but with the majority of the uphill in the first hour or so of the trek. Our tired legs were grateful for an easier route and we set out as soon as Dhaulgiri turned white with the risen sun. Walking along a ridge, we had great views of Annapurna Fang, Annapurna south and the Himal all the way down to kathmandu. People sat on their porches drinking Raksi with neighbors and offering namastes as we passed. At one high point, an elderly women wandered out from her yard where she was cooking and cleaning vegetables. Her hands curled but back straight, a large gold ring through the middle of her nose, she struggled to focus her pale eyes and see who had walked by. Shiva told us she was over 100 yrs old and always said hi- an amazing high altitude picture of health and ancient Nepali life. We walked through fields of pink buckwheat and yellow millet, through lush forests with waterfalls that gushed over the road and through lollipop shaped pine tree patches with soft bristles blanketed the forest floor. It was beautiful. We arrived to our second destination Phalamadhana, and took in views as the rain started to trickle down..

Lunch spot day 2

DAY 3: Rain rain rain!!! Shiva gave us 3 options- stay where we were, go 2 hrs and change our whole trek, or do the whole 7 hours and hope the weather would shift. We chose the latter, and suited up in rain coats and backpack covers. And it just kept pouring down, but we were strong and made good pace through beautiful rain forests  ravines, forging two rivers and climbing straight up through terraced rice paddies. Totally drenched and afraid we would get cold, we urged shiva to skip a lunch stop, but he insisted. We came to a small hut and sat down on the floor, immediately chilled to the bone. A group of people sat in the kitchen, performing ceremony and prayer (Tikka) for Dasain. The women saw me shivering, and immediately moved me near the stove, concerned over my soaked clothing. So kind and sweet, they offered us hot tea, sticky rice pudding and marinated mushrooms they had picked the day before, with hot lentil soup, and pulled my wet hair back from my face. Immense gratitude washed over me for these small gifts from these kind people, and the little bit of fire to warm my bones. I'm not sure I would have made it without them. Pulling ourselves up, we continued on for the final 3 hours. Paths and steps were muddy and slick, and we started to notice little brown leeches crawling up our shoes and into our socks. As if we needed another thing to worry about... I felt it would never end. Finally, over two fences and a big, loud dog barking like a beacon of light in the distance. We had made it! Our smiling host and hostess in the yard welcoming us, helping us to remove our clothes and leading us to a fire. I was ushered out to a wood shack, a bucket of boiled water waiting for me for my shower. Perhaps the best shower I've ever had, and the most memorable and surreal day of our adventure. A few cups of warm Raksi, Nepalese pizza, and it was off to bed. 

DAY 4: The day we were suppose to trek to poon hill, the big famous viewpoint, and pick up on the main trail. We decided to wait it out and stay another night in hopes of clearer skies the next day. A welcome respite, we read, journaled and painted as neighbors came in and out and the Nepalese played cards. A nice quiet day by the fire to recharge our batteries and get a big glimpse into the peaceful, happy high mountain Nepali lifestyle. 

DAY 5: Clouds and mists rolling in like smoke and we had no choice but to continue on. It took us about an hr in rain and leeches to get to Poon Hill and take in the... Gray skies. Alas- we had still made it- and we felt good. We quickly picked up on the main trail and boy did we know it. 4 days with the trail completely to ourselves, we were now walking with huge tour groups and families, like its a small world Himalaya addition. Finding lodging can be competitive, and at times it felt like racing down the trail. We had a long day today up and down many times and our legs ached as we came up our last stone staircase. We'd finally made it into tadapani in the late afternoon, and hoped for the much talked about Annapurna views. Our first tea lodge experience, we sat around the fire and chatted with families and hiking groups, all of whom had endured rain and told tales of their own adventures. Up in the clouds a bright pink tip of Annapurna glowed for a minute- everyone running out to snap a pic before it disappeared again. I smiled at shiva across the room, grateful for him after seeing some of the silly Billies others had spent days with. 

DAY6: We woke to a clear towering Annapurna shimmering in the morning light- so close you could touch it. Finally some views!!! A sigh of relief that all had not been lost mountain view-wise for our trek. It was pretty much downhill from here and we only had 4 hrs to go to our last destination- Ghandruk. Dan and I were in good spirits and we walked slow, taking pictures and enjoying a mellow pace that we missed out on in days prior. The scenery changed as we came down a canyon along a river and tons of waterfalls. Purple orchids stuck our from dark corners and moss covered lime green trees snaked through the forests like Medusa's hair. We stayed in a family lodge this evening- and enjoyed talking to others there. The biggest shock was an Indian who had had his first drink of life, Raksi, the night before, hated paan (red chewing tobacco almost all Indians chew), and said he would never go in the Ganges. A rare breed, he gave me quite a chuckle- but we talked of wild India and danced to my favorite Bollywood song- Chaiiya chaiiya. Spirits were high and we sat around laughing- feeling proud and accomplished from our perseverance and positivity, and grateful for such an amazing experience! 

Annapurna South

So there it is my friends and family. Our trek. I highly recommend Nepal to anyone- and trekking as well. I hope we will be back someday. The people are absolutely lovely and so kid hearted, the prices reasonable, and the scenery beyond beautiful. It was everything we missed in India. 

And so we are halfway through our journey and off to Thailand in a few short days! Hard to believe. I miss you all so much! Enjoy the beauty of fall, the pumpkin ales and carving, and the family times! Next time we talk - ill be in tropical paradise :)

Xoxox love love Sarah

From India into Nepal!

Oh my goodness- so much has transpired since I last wrote! I'm sorry it's been so long. I'm going to wrap up India and then I will write another post detailing our amazing trek. 

Let's see.. Dan and I's last two weeks in India were probably the most memorable, as we visited the two "must sees" of the country. First, THE Taj Mahal. It was a long train ride in and another one out that night but it was worth every minute. It was every bit as beautiful, magnificent and awe inspiring as people had told us it would be. We spent nearly 5 hrs on the grounds, watching differing cloud backdrops change the translucent marble from blues to golds to white. 

From afar it almost looks fake, but as you draw closer you see all the minute details that make it what it is. Floral inlays of jasper, carnelian and other semi-precious stones create gorgeous mosaics and sacred words.

Every part was beyond words beautiful- we spent the whole day taking her in. And, we felt so inspired by its grandiosity we decided to hit the 5-star hotel for dinner! Let me tell you- the shiny white bathrooms and fresh hand towels were worth the money alone! A memorable and decadent meal was had, only to be followed by a trip back to the chaos of the train station, and a quick reality check. 

In just minutes, we went from the finest, most luxurious place to a place full of impoverished people, most sleeping on the dusty, dirty ground, and covered in flies. A land of extremes- India is.

And so we sailed into Varanasi for what would be our last 7 days in India. It felt so good to stay somewhere for longer than a couple days and really get to know it. Varanasi is by far the most all encompassing city we explored. Said to be one of the oldest living cities on earth, it is full of life and death, beauty and spirituality. The River Ganges is the life source of the people. They drink from it, bathe in it, perform prayer in it, dump trash in it, and bid farewell to their deceased loved ones in it. 

Dan and I's favorite activity was walking down all the ghats (holy steps down to the water) and taking in the sights. Boat men, Indian graffiti, prayer ceremonies, and the bathing of both people and animal, were just a few of the things we saw regularly. One day, we came upon Assi Ghat to see hundreds of bright saris- like a rainbow sea of glittering jewel tones- as women performed prayer and song for their sons in the incense filled air. A favorite memory. 

And there were the burning ghats- where bodies are wrapped in cloth and laid upon wood to burn and bid farewell to the world. The Hindi people believe that leaving earth this way at the Ganges releases them from the cycle of reincarnation to rest peacefully forever. An indescribable and intense experience to watch, I felt intrusive coming upon these ceremonies and witnessing these goodbyes. Deeply impactful and moving to say the least. And one can feel this energy in Varanasi, like a million departed souls are drifting through the ethers and air. Strange, beautiful and intense- it was the most powerful and enthralling city that we visited in India, and one I won't ever forget. 

Big Man, Little Train

So Dan and I had planned to do a tiger safari and we found out the park was closed. We bought tickets darjeeling then violence erupted there and we had to cancel. After much ado, and a month exploring India, we decided to head to Nepal a week early. We had traversed across the width of India and back again, exploring Rajasthan, the desert, the Taj and had sailed the wild waves of Varanasi! This decision felt right. 

I can't say India is the easiest place to travel in, sometimes you have to dig real deep to find the diamonds in the rough. We saw the saddest of the sad, the most beautiful of beauty, and the spiritually inspiring and confusing; we felt frustrated and alive, angry and blissful, the whole shebang! But I wouldn't change the trip in any way- it just one of those totally unique places you have to see once in a lifetime- a place that can't be described, but only felt and experienced. As hard as it was at times, I feel warmly and tender toward India when I think of it, and it will always hold a special place in my travel repertoire and heart. 

Dan and I landed in Kathmandu on October 2nd and immediately welcomed the calmer energy and new scenery, sounds and food. We spent a week around the general Kathmandu area preparing for our trek with long hikes and walks, and recuperating from our wild ride in India. One of our first days was spent journeying up to our first big stupa, the Monkey Temple. The stupa was beautiful, and the monkeys, of course, provided hours of entertainment. 

We continued on to visit the medieval, Newari city if Bhaktapur, with ancient architecture and Nepal's tallest pagoda, it's wood carvings worn and weathered, but still so detailed and beautiful. 

And of course there was Boudha, with its glorious, pristine, white stupa. Such a mellow energy here, and Dan and I loved sitting high above the stupa watching Tibetans perform ritual and prayer at the base of the structure. Some much needed serenity post India!

Oh and I cannot forget the MOMO! Our latest obsession has been trying these delicious veggie steamed dumplings all across the country! A month later and the winner is?! Yangling! The first place we ate when we arrived to Nepal! We will miss these little hot pockets of love!

MOMOS!!!!

There is so much more to tell you. Our trek just may have been the best yet, but I won't yak your ears off- (Get it? Yak, Nepal... I guess you have to be here! ;). Stay tuned for more Nepal adventures! 

Love love love xoxox thinking of you all!

Sissy