Panama!

Please be aware that when reading the headline to this post you should be hearing Eddie Van Halen belting out the words 'Panama ha ha ha ha ha ha ha". I don't know any more words to the song and I'm sure you don't either, but it makes for a good theme song don't you think?

Yup. I'm going to Panama. A relatively short jaunt when compared to recent adventures I've embarked on, but it should be a solid trip none-the-less. Now that I'm an eight-to-five'er, Monday to Friday, and a little bit here and there just cause I love my windowless office so much, three weeks is the max I can get in one outing while still collecting a paycheck. For those of you who don't know, I landed a fantastic job here in Calgary, Alberta with a hydrogeological consulting company and at the moment I'm posted full time downtown.

So why Panama? In short, it was too expensive to fly to Asia in August, it's winter in the southern hemisphere and Panama doesn't get hurricanes. But more than than, after doing a fair bit of research I uncovered some destinations in Panama that quickly made their way to my 'see before you die' list and now I can go cross them off.

What really bothers me is how many people, after telling them where I'm going, have asked me; 'Panama? Where's that?'. Idiots. As most of you know, if there's one thing I hate more than olives, it's stupid people. My usual reply is 'south of Costa Rica and north of Columbia' and that's generally the end of it, whether it be because they've figured it out in their heads or have no idea what I'm talking about.

But a few times, just a few, I will receive a comment like 'Oh!... Isn't that a thrid world country?' Insert eye rolling repy here. I can't believe people still use that term. Yes, Panama is an emerging and developing economy, but what difference does that make? When I look at a world map of developing and developed economies I sure see alot more pink and yellow than blue, don't you?

Anyways, I just wanted to rant at how stupid people sound when they make comments like that.

I'm leaving in a few days and I'm pretty freaking stoked (that one's for you Miia!). Stay tuned for updates, photos, rants and general freakouts.

Let the Cowboys Ride...

It's a really strange feeling coming home after a big trip like this. I remember meeting sooo many backpackers who tried to explain it to me but there's no way to really prepare yourself. I suppose if I were coming back to something it might be different, but I came home for one simple reason: money.

It's been 10 days since I boarded the plane from Singapore. I don't sleep well on planes so I thought it might be a good time to read through my journal and it truly amazed me to see the way my attitude shifted about traveling. I laughed at my initial fears and anxieties of going to India, at my descriptions when I arrived; "people, people freaking EVERYWHERE." When traveling, there are always times when things can seem so bad or so frustrating but you forget about it as fast as it comes. I remember hating every moment of our bus ride from Darjeeling to Kathmandu; the 15 hour wait due to a strike at the ferry crossing, eating rice cooked in river water, sleeping on the side of the road with my backpack as my pillow, the incessant stares that you never really get use to, the constant harassment from the locals who are nothing more than curious about you and want practice their English when all you want is to be left alone. Looking back, it's these experiences that really make a trip an adventure.

Someone real important to me gave me a card before I left with a note saying "Every place has a secret destination of which the traveler is unaware." This couldn't be more true. I remember planning and researching so much about where to go but once you get there you discover there is so much more to uncover than what you read in the Lonely Planet or on some website, you just have to get right in there and see for yourself.

I keep finding my self thinking about all the people I met and wondering how they're getting on in Asia or back at home. Backpacker culture is really something else. I get asked all the time how it is traveling alone and I always say that you're never really alone. Leaving the tourist beat, especially in SE Asia, is rather difficult so there is always at least a few other westerners heading in the same direction as you. Countless times I would meet someone or a small group for no more than a few hours, sometimes as little as a few minutes, before deciding that we should share a room to cut costs. It's just the way everyone helps each other out; cheap food here, stay at this persons guest house, take this bus, drink these magic shakes, haha. And of course we all have our favorite places that we tell each other you must go see.

I miss it. I miss it so much and now I'm home, or in Calgary anyway, and everyone is doing the same thing. This is a common theme you hear among the travelers; when you get home you'll find that although you feel like you've changed so much, everyone is still the same, life has gone on and nothing much has changed. They were right, and it's freakin depressing.

This trip really did change my life. I am so happy my best friend convinced me to get the hell out of my office job and come to India with her. I would still be sitting in my office day after day dreaming about all the things I should be doing if it weren't for you, Jess. I think the hardest part for me now will be to remember the way I felt before leaving and to not slip back into the same routine, to continue to recognize that there is so much more out there than working 9-5 for the Man just to make enough to buy things that don't really mean shit to you or your friends in the long run.

As I sit here today I can't help but feeling like my life is in complete disarray. I know it will work out, it always does. If I learned anything in the last nine months, it's that when things aren't going as planned all you can do is embrace the detours.

Namaste.

The Beach Cure

So I think I'm tanned enough to come home now. Although another lifetime on the beach would have suited me just fine. The last ten days on Perhentian Keci, one of several islands that make up a marine park in NE Malaysia, were amazing and so relaxed. My days consisted of laying on the beach, eating fried rice and noodles, diving and snorkeling in the afternoons, lazing in my hammock and drinking beers in the evenings with other backpackers followed by late night beach dancing sessions. Here are some photos from the last month.

Currently waiting for my bus to Singapore, a few days of sightseeing and then home.

The ever so cultural city of Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.

A lobi lobi in Medan, Indonesia. Basically a motorbike with this weird little sidecar attached. Like a Tuk Tuk. Same same, but different.

Enjoying a good book. Lake Toba, Indonesia.

Some of the dozens of kids waving at me while riding around Samosir Island, Lake Toba.

Traditional Batak style house. Samosir Island, Lake Toba, Indonesia.

One of the few days the sun came out. Pulau Weh, Indonesia.

Garuda beach, Pulau Weh, Indonesia.

Long Beach, Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia.


These massive Montador lizards were roaming around everywhere. They are HUGE!

Sumatra

They say Thailand is the 'Land of Smiles' but they are way wrong, Sumatran's are the ones permanent smile on their face.

After some serious back and forth contemplation on whether or not I wanted to brave the chaos of traveling in one of the more remote regions of Indonesia, I finally booked a flight into Medan and hopped on the the 'chicken bus' to Danu (Lake) Toba, an enormous crater lake known to be worlds largest volcanic crater. To a geologist, this is pretty freaking sweet. Yes, I'm a nerd.

Lake Toba was incredible. It's massive. In the middle of the lake there is huge island (bigger than the island of Singapore) where I spent just short of a week lounging and swimming, riding motorcycles, chatting with the locals and playing soccer with the kids. The main town, Tuk Tuk, use to be a pretty big party scene back in the mid-nineties but that has long since died off, now it's a quiet place with dozens of empty lakeside resorts, the perfect place for a backpacker on a budget! It did however come across a little disheartening to see so many locals who had established souvenir shops along the strip and are now making almost no money. But everyone of them still had a smile on their face, and were happy to see that there are still some people out there that haven't forgotten about them. It was definitely a nice change of pace to not be constantly called into shops, the only thing I would ever hear them ask me is if I wanted 'magic mushrooms' (they're legal here).

The weather wasn't exactly stellar though, it was suppose to be the dry season but the LP did say it was 'always a little rainy in Sumatra' and at 1000 meters elevation it got pretty chilly at night. I definitely missed having pants, a sweater and a rain jacket in my bag! But it wasn't all bad, I did get out on the bike several times to explore the island, managed to embarrass myself with all my knowledge of the volcanic hot springs and mud pools around and bought some pretty cool Batak souvenirs.

So after some extreme chilling, I hopped back on the chicken bus to Medan and jumped on a cheap flight up to the very northern tip of Sumatra, Banda Aceh, and eventually onto a small island called Pulau Weh. This was my first time in a region that was 100% Muslim. Although there are many Muslim's in Malaysia, there is also a huge Chinese and Indian population as well so it was interesting to see every woman wearing a head scarf and hearing the call to prayer numerous times throughout the day. The mosque's are so beautiful there. Ohh and I almost forgot... It's Ramadan right now. In Lake Toba the general population was Christian so this didn't affect me much, but in Aceh this meant that food is only served in the evenings due to the daily fasting that goes on during this religious holiday.

Pulau Weh was nice, but the rain was relentless. I went on two dives, saw a few sharks and something massive, possibly a whale shark but it was far away and hard to say for sure. The current was unbelievably strong which made the dive a little scary, especially when I saw the dive masters were concerned about it. I also never realized how freaking cold it is in 23C water but it's damn chilly down there after about an hour. All of my dives up to this point had been well over 28 degrees but at 23 I was shivering. I can't imagine how people dive in Canada. I would have liked to do more diving but the ride to and from the sites in pouring rain just wasn't pleasant. I didn't expect to be shivering in the tropics! One stellar experience I did have though was snorkeling with dozens of sea turtles. Many of them lived right off shore so you could swim down and give them a high five. Such beautiful creatures, this really made my time there worth it.

So after four days on Pulau Weh (the sun did show itself for a few hours the morning I left) I went back to Banda Aceh and flew back to Penang, Malaysia. Overall my time in Sumatra was great and although the weather limited my beach time, I would still highly recommend visiting and would definitely go back again, especially to climb some of the volcanoes and chill with the wild orangutangs.

It's funny now thinking about how concerned I was before going about traveling alone there. I read that road travel was intense (it's scary as hell) and the cities were very chaotic (that's an understatement!) but I have to thank a Spanish guy I met in Penang for reminding me that I had traveled India. And it's true, nothing compares to India. Everyone I meet that has traveled the world always says India is the hardest and really is. But that's why I loved it, that's why everyone loves it. I miss that country so much. If I could do my trip over again I would have done SE Asia first because everywhere I go I keep comparing it back to my time in India and it never measures up. Now I know why so many backpackers I met there were on their third or fourth trip around the country. India really is the traveling epic.

I leave for the Perhentian Islands on the NE coast of Malaysia tomorrow morning. Two weeks on the beach and then home.

Temples of Angkor

The capital of Cambodia's ancient Khmer empire, the temples of Angkor are as every bit as spectacular as you hear about. Angkor Wat, the worlds largest religious building is, to say the least, impressive. Watching the sunrise over Angkor Wat is a new highlight of my trip and certainly a memorable experience (up there with the Taj Mahal and Amritsar). Other notable temples include Ta Phrom, or the 'Tomb Raider Temple', that is being slowly digested by the jungle. And my favorite, the enigmatic temple of Bayon in the fortified ancient city of Angkor Thom. I'll let the pictures I took save me a few words.

I'm back in Bangkok now and in the midst of deciding where to spend my last few weeks in Asia. My initial plan was to fly to Burma for a few weeks and then hit the beaches of Malaysia before going home but I'm a little culture and templed out right now so I'm leaning towards exploring the remote beaches of Sumatra in Indonesia.

In other news, the Austrians and I made a pit stop at one of Cambodia's military bases so that we could fire a couple rounds from a machine gun. This was a pretty expensive detour but worth every penny! I purchased a full M-16 magazine and fired off 30 rounds at some targets. So freaking cool. Fastest 50 bucks I ever spent.

It was a bit of a journey to reach Bangkok from Siem Reap, but I do enjoy returning to a big cultural city every now and then to create a little contrast. Bangkok is truly a multi-cultural city. While Khao San road is every bit as crazy as it sounds, the diversity of Chinatown and Little Arabia make for great day trips. This city has it all from cool chilled out cafes and restaurants surrounded by simple street stalls serving up some of the best food in SE Asia to shopping mega malls and soaring skyscrapers shadowing ancient Buddhist temples. In the evenings you can chill at a riverside cafe or head down to Patpong and gawk at the sex tourists before checking out a ping pong show! Bangkok has it all. I love it.

Vang Vieng, Laos.

No machines to pour the foundation. Working together one bucket at time.

Cruising around Vientienne with the Austrians.

How many people can you fit in a Sawngthaew (pickup truck with benches in the back)? In my experience: 36. This is where it broke down.

Cycling around Champasak, Laos.

View from the top of Wat Phu Champasak, an impressive archaeilogical site in Laos.

Children working the rice fields around Champasak, Laos.

Sunset view from our balcony over the Mekong River on the island of Don Det in the '4000 Islands' of southern Loas.

Can't get enough.

Cruising around the Mekong.

Children of the family we stayed with on Don Det.

Lounging after sunset.

Partying in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

A view like this makes waking up with a hangover not so bad.

Deep fried cockroaches anyone?

Ya we're cool. Actually shooting an M-16 is freakin' awesome!

Sunrise over Angkor Wat.

Exploring ancient temples of Angkor.

Definitely a 'wonder of the world'.

Hammocks, Tuk Tuks and Jelly Fish

Laos was stellar, Cambodia I'm still trying to get a feeling for. The 'four thousand islands' in the south of Laos was spectacular. Laying in hammocks on my riverside balcony watching sunsets and jumping in the Mekong. So sweet.

The problem with both of these countries is the tourist cartel that seems to have formed. It should be incredibly cheap to travel through here and yet it's no cheaper than Thailand. The harassment for a Tuk Tuk here ín Phnom Phen endless. I know I'm use to it from India but it's still annoying and at least in India I didnt get the feeling that everyone around was trying to bamboozle me (this is my new word of the month). I'm still traveling with the three Austrians I met back in Chiang Mai almost four weeks ago. Yesterday was George's birthday so we didér up with a night on the town.

As far as big cities go Phnom Phen is pretty cool. My first day here I visited the sombre S-21 detention center, the site where the Khmer Rouge tortured and sent to slaughter thousands of Cambodians during their short lived reign in the 70s. Three hours in a place like that can really alter your mood for the day.

Went down to Sihanoukville for two days in the south of Cambodia. Not really the best beach town but it was nice to get back to the ocean. Went diving in less than 2 meters visibility, saw a jellyfish the size of a beach ball and lost my dive master due to the pour vis but nothing else to report.

Heading to Siem Reap tomorrow to check out Angkor Wat, definitely looking forward to this!

Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Northern Laos

Pictures! Ya, sorry it's been months, I really wish I'd uploaded some before now that my camera was stolen. Oh well, here are a few from the last 2 weeks: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and a few from the past few days in Loas.

Things are going really well, I'm getting pretty scared about coming home but I guess it all has to end sometime... I received some rather disturbing news the other day that might keep me on the road a little longer. But I guess I'll see how I feel at the end of August.

Northern Laos is very beautiful unfortunately, from what I have seen so far anyway, it is completely over run with tourists. I don't think Southern Loas will be like this which is next on my itinerary.

Email me, all of you, it's great to hear from people at home!

Koa San Road, Bangkok

Elephant Safari, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Jungle Trekking.

More jungle!

Our Canadian/Austrian Team.

Rice fields in Chiang Mai.

Chilling at the jungle hut.

Harassing the cute local children.

Drinking with our guides.

Enjoying some street side pancakes.

Mekong River, Laos.

Two days we spent on this boat floating from Northern Thailand into Laos.

Some villagers on the banks of the Mekong River.

Buddhist Temple, Luang Prabang, Laos.

Luang Prabang, Laos.

The Reclining Buddha, Luang Prabang.

Night Market in Luang Prabang.