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Gabriel's Romp around the Globe
Hello Again my Friends!
Today was such an interesting, reflective and "real" day for me. Not that each day I spend out here isn't--today was just special and different from the days I've had recently. I spent my time wandering the streets of Savanakhet, in southern Laos, on my own for the first time in over three weeks. Throughout my wanderings I have only seen a handful of westerners in this crumbling French-colonial Laos border town (Thailand lies just across the Mekong river). After nearly two weeks of following the regular tourist trail through Laos I finally found myself off the proverbial "beaten path". So refreshing!
Yesterday I was a bit melancholy after leaving my recent travel companions behind. I had the great fortune of meeting a group of really great people in Chiang Mai (in addition to my friends from my trekking adventure) before heading for Pai. I wound up on the same minibus to Pai with two of the girls (Ciera & Chloe) and we wound up running into a guy they had been trekking with (Sam) at the guesthouse we chose. Ciera's good friend Claudia flew out from England and ended up meeting up with all of us in Pai at the Star Guesthouse. Sam and I have been traveling in tandem specifically and we have been meeting up with "the girls" consistently along the way. I don't know what it is about the English but I have realized that I am somehow drawn to them (like a big brother is to a little brother, I suppose--just kidding friends, England is a mighty country with a rich and proud history). Anyway, the last three weeks have been one adventure after another with our group of five (give or take with the people we encounter along the way). Chloe has been there to provide me with an easy laugh, a thoughtful comment, an undying wicked sense of humor (humour for you Brits reading this) and a sense of having another goofy little sister type (kind of like you Sola). Claudia is such a sweet, sensible, independent and adventurous woman that I've grown very fond of (especially since we connected over tubing). Ciera is my favorite (sorry Chloe, Sam & Claudia) with her sweet smile, independent spirit, gentle demeanor (mostly), sarcastic streak and her willingness to try anything (really cool woman). And Sam, he is such a young guy but he seems like an equal in all ways. He is an easy-going, gentle, fun and adventurous guy that doesn't shy away from taking the hard route (a mini-me, if you will ;) ). They have been such great companions on this journey and, although I miss their company, I look forward to continuing the friendships that have developed during our journeys together. On to the present. Yesterday's bus journey from Vientiane to Savanakhet was an adventure in itself. After a nice breakfast with the girls, Sam and I hopped on a Tuk-Tuk together for a trip to the bus station. We said our goodbyes to the girls and were serenaded (to be honest, I was a little misty) by the three of them as we Tuk-Tuked away. Sam has a bit more time in Laos and decided to take his time heading south to Cambodia so we were supposed to split up at the bus station. However, we wound up on the same bus for half of the day. Taking the local buses in Southeast Asia has been both a miserable experience and a highlight that I will never forget. No one at the bus station speaks enough English to make you feel as though you are definitely doing the right thing. Essentially you buy your ticket and have faith that the bus that you are pointed to is, indeed, the bus that you need to be on. So far they all have been. Sam thought he was only supposed to be on for about three hours. That time came and went and, after several attempts (at which he was laughed at) to communicate his concern to the driver, eventually he sat back nervously and put his faith in the system. Sure enough we stopped at a crossroads (after roughly five hours) and, to his relief, they waved Sam off the bus (we had another semi-sad goodbye). I spent another five hours on the bus that steadily became loaded with more and more people, pineapples and cucumbers (the aisles and any open floor were stacked with fruit several feet deep). The scheduled eight hour journey (leaving at 12:30PM) arrived at the Savanakhet station just before 11:00PM--a long, long day on the road in a seat that wasn't made for people over 5' 9"... To be fair though, it was a magnificently beautiful trip through some of the most spectacular scenery I have seen. We rolled through countless sleepy, small villages where farm animals roamed freely, moving out of the way only when honked at by our slow moving bus. There are vast expanses of scrub forest, rain forest, jungle and open farmlands filled with rice-paddies stretching for miles. As we moved farther south we came into an area where limestone mountains rose up dramatically and wore veils of mist and fog...achingly gorgeous. I only grew frustrated and tired of the bus journey once the sun set and I could no longer enjoy the surrounding scenery--even then, the spectacle of being the only westerner on the bus was enjoyable (Sam and I were the only non-Laos initially, when he left it was only me). I arrived in Savanakhet, grabbed a Tuk-Tuk and made my way to a few guesthouses before settling in for a night of blissful sleep. I awoke this morning with the intention of renting a motor-bike for a day out and about. I grabbed a pineapple (whole, freshly peeled and cut up for just under $ 0.60--thanks again for the calculator Sam) and started wandering around. I ended up spending the entire day (from 10am-6:30pm-ish) walking all around the area, soaking in the sun, sights, sounds and culture of this ultra-laid back city. Savanakhet is a city that has physically deteriorated significantly since the French left in the 50's. There are a significant number of very beautiful colonial buildings that have been essentially abandoned or allowed to deteriorate. With the state of these buildings (many of which are over 80 years old) many areas of the city look like old Europe---it is quite beautiful. I have a feeling that this area will see significant improvement and development in the coming years, now that the Friendship bridge is complete and connecting the modern Thai infrastructure. I'm glad to have seen it as it is and would love to come back and see it again in 10 or 20 years to see how it changes. Throughout my tour today I came across countless Laos men, women and children that greeted me with a kind smile, a friendly "Sabadii" (hello) and often a genuine interest in what I was doing. It's funny to be in a situation where there can be no real interaction other than the initial greeting. I know how to say hello, goodbye and a few other basic words in Laos. Many Laos people know how to say "hi" or "hello" and, for some reason, "Where you go?". I didn't really notice it before today, even though, looking back, I realize that I've been asked that a number of times on my journey through Laos. It's so funny when they say "Where you go?" because I feel obligated to attempt to tell them where I'm going. Now, I know that they have no idea what I'm saying but I feel it is my obligation to attempt to answer there question. The exchange typically is very light and generally ends in me doing a little walking fingers sign (two fingers walking across my hand) to clarify that I intend to walk around some more. It is funny each time it happens. Well, it's late and I need to get up early tomorrow morning to catch a bus for the far south (another "eight hour" journey) so I'll wrap it up now. I am continually feeling so blessed to have this opportunity--Thank you again to all that has made this journey possible (you know who you are). Here is a link to a new batch of photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38412&l=e4faf&id=591780743
Today was such an interesting, reflective and "real" day for me. Not that each day I spend out here isn't--today was just special and different from the days I've had recently. I spent my time wandering the streets of Savanakhet, in southern Laos, on my own for the first time in over three weeks. Throughout my wanderings I have only seen a handful of westerners in this crumbling French-colonial Laos border town (Thailand lies just across the Mekong river). After nearly two weeks of following the regular tourist trail through Laos I finally found myself off the proverbial "beaten path". So refreshing!
Yesterday I was a bit melancholy after leaving my recent travel companions behind. I had the great fortune of meeting a group of really great people in Chiang Mai (in addition to my friends from my trekking adventure) before heading for Pai. I wound up on the same minibus to Pai with two of the girls (Ciera & Chloe) and we wound up running into a guy they had been trekking with (Sam) at the guesthouse we chose. Ciera's good friend Claudia flew out from England and ended up meeting up with all of us in Pai at the Star Guesthouse. Sam and I have been traveling in tandem specifically and we have been meeting up with "the girls" consistently along the way. I don't know what it is about the English but I have realized that I am somehow drawn to them (like a big brother is to a little brother, I suppose--just kidding friends, England is a mighty country with a rich and proud history). Anyway, the last three weeks have been one adventure after another with our group of five (give or take with the people we encounter along the way). Chloe has been there to provide me with an easy laugh, a thoughtful comment, an undying wicked sense of humor (humour for you Brits reading this) and a sense of having another goofy little sister type (kind of like you Sola). Claudia is such a sweet, sensible, independent and adventurous woman that I've grown very fond of (especially since we connected over tubing). Ciera is my favorite (sorry Chloe, Sam & Claudia) with her sweet smile, independent spirit, gentle demeanor (mostly), sarcastic streak and her willingness to try anything (really cool woman). And Sam, he is such a young guy but he seems like an equal in all ways. He is an easy-going, gentle, fun and adventurous guy that doesn't shy away from taking the hard route (a mini-me, if you will ;) ). They have been such great companions on this journey and, although I miss their company, I look forward to continuing the friendships that have developed during our journeys together. On to the present. Yesterday's bus journey from Vientiane to Savanakhet was an adventure in itself. After a nice breakfast with the girls, Sam and I hopped on a Tuk-Tuk together for a trip to the bus station. We said our goodbyes to the girls and were serenaded (to be honest, I was a little misty) by the three of them as we Tuk-Tuked away. Sam has a bit more time in Laos and decided to take his time heading south to Cambodia so we were supposed to split up at the bus station. However, we wound up on the same bus for half of the day. Taking the local buses in Southeast Asia has been both a miserable experience and a highlight that I will never forget. No one at the bus station speaks enough English to make you feel as though you are definitely doing the right thing. Essentially you buy your ticket and have faith that the bus that you are pointed to is, indeed, the bus that you need to be on. So far they all have been. Sam thought he was only supposed to be on for about three hours. That time came and went and, after several attempts (at which he was laughed at) to communicate his concern to the driver, eventually he sat back nervously and put his faith in the system. Sure enough we stopped at a crossroads (after roughly five hours) and, to his relief, they waved Sam off the bus (we had another semi-sad goodbye). I spent another five hours on the bus that steadily became loaded with more and more people, pineapples and cucumbers (the aisles and any open floor were stacked with fruit several feet deep). The scheduled eight hour journey (leaving at 12:30PM) arrived at the Savanakhet station just before 11:00PM--a long, long day on the road in a seat that wasn't made for people over 5' 9"... To be fair though, it was a magnificently beautiful trip through some of the most spectacular scenery I have seen. We rolled through countless sleepy, small villages where farm animals roamed freely, moving out of the way only when honked at by our slow moving bus. There are vast expanses of scrub forest, rain forest, jungle and open farmlands filled with rice-paddies stretching for miles. As we moved farther south we came into an area where limestone mountains rose up dramatically and wore veils of mist and fog...achingly gorgeous. I only grew frustrated and tired of the bus journey once the sun set and I could no longer enjoy the surrounding scenery--even then, the spectacle of being the only westerner on the bus was enjoyable (Sam and I were the only non-Laos initially, when he left it was only me). I arrived in Savanakhet, grabbed a Tuk-Tuk and made my way to a few guesthouses before settling in for a night of blissful sleep. I awoke this morning with the intention of renting a motor-bike for a day out and about. I grabbed a pineapple (whole, freshly peeled and cut up for just under $ 0.60--thanks again for the calculator Sam) and started wandering around. I ended up spending the entire day (from 10am-6:30pm-ish) walking all around the area, soaking in the sun, sights, sounds and culture of this ultra-laid back city. Savanakhet is a city that has physically deteriorated significantly since the French left in the 50's. There are a significant number of very beautiful colonial buildings that have been essentially abandoned or allowed to deteriorate. With the state of these buildings (many of which are over 80 years old) many areas of the city look like old Europe---it is quite beautiful. I have a feeling that this area will see significant improvement and development in the coming years, now that the Friendship bridge is complete and connecting the modern Thai infrastructure. I'm glad to have seen it as it is and would love to come back and see it again in 10 or 20 years to see how it changes. Throughout my tour today I came across countless Laos men, women and children that greeted me with a kind smile, a friendly "Sabadii" (hello) and often a genuine interest in what I was doing. It's funny to be in a situation where there can be no real interaction other than the initial greeting. I know how to say hello, goodbye and a few other basic words in Laos. Many Laos people know how to say "hi" or "hello" and, for some reason, "Where you go?". I didn't really notice it before today, even though, looking back, I realize that I've been asked that a number of times on my journey through Laos. It's so funny when they say "Where you go?" because I feel obligated to attempt to tell them where I'm going. Now, I know that they have no idea what I'm saying but I feel it is my obligation to attempt to answer there question. The exchange typically is very light and generally ends in me doing a little walking fingers sign (two fingers walking across my hand) to clarify that I intend to walk around some more. It is funny each time it happens. Well, it's late and I need to get up early tomorrow morning to catch a bus for the far south (another "eight hour" journey) so I'll wrap it up now. I am continually feeling so blessed to have this opportunity--Thank you again to all that has made this journey possible (you know who you are). Here is a link to a new batch of photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38412&l=e4faf&id=591780743
I'll be in Laos until the first of June and then will be back in Thailand for a few weeks--I'll write again in a week or so.
Take care friends & family!
Much Love,
Gabriel
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